You may have heard talk about biotech corn that requires less pesticide spraying, food crops that can survive herbicides, or plants modified to survive and grow in the desert. Which begs the question, “How much do we know about food biotechnology. For that matter, how much do we really know about the food we eat and how it’s produced?”
In May 2005, journalists, food scientists, and health professionals were invited to tour the farms of two Yolo County, California farmers who employ biotechnology as a means of improving their crops. Participants also visited researchers at the University of California (UC), Davis and toured the labs to see how genetic crop research is conducted. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) partnered with the UC Davis Seed Biotechnology Center and Biotechnology Program, and the UC Biotechnology Research and Education Program to provide this opportunity in a field trip format.
“Before I started growing herbicide-tolerant corn I didn’t even know what my house looked like in the daylight” stated a farmer in Yolo County, California. Thanks to more efficient pest management provided by biotechnology-enhanced crops, he is now able to spend less time in the fields and more time with his family.
“I was interested to learn about all the decisions farmers must make before they even plant their crops. They not only have to decide what to grow, but which seed to use, based on their land, pest problems, and so many other things” said one participant.
Food biotechnology is not a new concept. For centuries, farmers have mixed genes from selected varieties of crops to produce better food more efficiently. The process began when our ancestors settled in one place to grow food. Early farmers learned to combine plants to produce new varieties of corn, soybeans, sunflowers, tomatoes, and other crops.
Food biotechnology uses what is known about plant science and genetics to improve food and how it is produced. Genes are responsible for traits like a person’s eye color or a vegetable’s taste. Using modern biotechnology, scientists can move genes for valuable traits from one plant or animal to another. This way, farmers can raise crops and animals that are protected from disease and produce more food.
Worldwide, the adoption of biotech crops is steadily increasing. According to a report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), approved biotech crops were being grown on an estimated 200 million acres by 8.25 million farmers in 17 countries in 2004.
As growers in the U.S. and countries around the world have turned to modern biotechnology, there has been increased interest in the safety and environmental impact of foods produced through these new agricultural tools. Proponents of biotechnology believe that it offers the needed innovations to produce higher crop yields, plants and animals that are protected from disease and insects, more nutritious and better tasting foods, and environmental benefits. Opponents of the technology, often appealing to urban populations where knowledge of farming is relatively low, have questioned the technology’s safety, coexistence with conventional and organic farming, and government policy.
But there was little evidence of these fears on the farms that were visited by health professionals and journalists in May. One participant commented, “Some of the things the farmers addressed were issues I had never even thought about. His farm backs up to a neighborhood and he talked about how he has to think about things like dust and noise pollution.” By using biotechnology, this farmer is able to pass over his field less frequently in order to spray pesticides or till the soil—resulting in less noise and dust impacting nearby homes.
On the farm tour professors at UC Davis provided a clear look at the potential worldwide impact of biotechnology, explaining that insect-protected cotton is reducing pesticide use in developing nations, and that genetic research is also improving traditional breeding techniques so that we can solve agricultural problems and improve taste and quality in ways that were previously impossible.
For most Americans, biotechnology appears to be an area of only moderate interest and awareness, according to a new IFIC-commissioned survey of consumers. While 70 percent report hearing or reading a lot, some, or a little about biotechnology, only 12 percent have heard a lot, and those who have heard nothing increased since the last survey to 30 percent of consumers (26 percent in 2004).
One may note that U.S. media coverage of food biotechnology has been overshadowed in recent years by food issues of more immediate interest to consumers, such as obesity and related nutrition topics. Also, according to IFIC’s 2005 research, less than one half of one percent of consumers think of food biotechnology as a food safety concern.
Californians may have reason to be better informed about biotechnology than other consumers. A debate over applying biotechnology to food has become polarized in California, where initiatives or resolutions to either ban or support the use of agricultural biotechnology have cropped up on county ballots throughout the state.
Given the generally low level of awareness and understanding of food biotechnology among the general public, efforts such as this field trip may help journalists and food professionals to more closely connect consumers to the origins of the wholesome food that they enjoy from the local supermarket.
For more information on food biotechnology visit http://ific.org/food/biotechnology/ and search “food biotechnology.”
