In this edition, we hear from a Texas farmer who grows both organic and traditional cotton and peanuts, as well as other crops. Jeremy Brown is one of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) faces of farming, which has given him the opportunity to engage with the non-farm public on the highly emotional topic of biotechnology and GMO crops … Read More
USFRA Supporting Food Evolution Movie
The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) is supporting a new film that offers an independent investigation into biotechnology that concludes GMOs may well be a force for good to feed the world. Food Evolution, which is now streaming on Hulu, was commissioned by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and directed by Academy Award®-nominated director Scott Hamilton Kennedy. “The … Read More
SMART Farmer Robb Fraley
Robb Fraley isn’t our typical SMART Farmer, but after growing up on a small Illinois farm, his work has helped farmers around the world produce food more sustainably with science and technology that has helped increase yields by decreasing threats to crops. That technology is genetic modification of plants, creating GMO crops that are resistance to insects and disease, able … Read More
#Farmers Find #GMOs Sustainable
A new survey finds that the main reason farmers have increased their use of genetically modified (GM) crops is sustainability. The U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) surveyed farmers on their attitudes towards GM technology and found that farmers believe biotechnology helps raise crops more efficiently, and that the environment and sustainability practices … Read More
Dow AgroSciences Addresses Consumer Information Gap
Tim Hassigner with Dow AgroSciences was at ASTA CSS & Seed Expo to talk with members of the seed industry about the gap in information between themselves and consumers. “It’s definitely a time when there’s more questions and concerns related to food, but […] information sharing can make a difference,” he told the audience durning the morning session. The consumer … Read More
ASA Refutes New York Times Article
This past Saturday, the New York Times published an article that compared the use of pesticides and yield data from North America to Western Europe. The article featured several inaccuracies, as well as omissions, and the American Soybean Association has responded. ASA President, Richard Wilkins made a statement concerning the issue: “We appreciate a continued dialogue on the issue of GMOs and … Read More
Ag Groups Defend Sustainability of #GMOs
Agricultural organizations are doubling down on their defense of biotechnology as sustainable, after challenging Dannon for its pledge to eliminate genetically-modified ingredients from some products, citing that it improves sustainability. “There comes a time when we as farmers and ranchers need to step up and challenge when companies misinform consumers,” said U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance CEO Randy Krotz on … Read More
Eco-detector to Hunt GMOs in the Environment
While the agriculture community generally lauds the efforts of biotechnology in feeding the world, many doubt the technology’s safety. That’s why Scott Egan with Rice University is leading an effort to detect GMOs in the environment. Egan’s team is building a tool that will allow them to quantify and track the dispersal of genetically engineered crops and animals. The developing … Read More
House Sends #GMO Disclosure Bill to President
The U.S. House yesterday approved the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard by a vote of 309 to 117. The legislation, which preempts individual state laws to require labeling of foods containing genetically engineered ingredients, was passed by the Senate last week and is expected to be signed by President Obama. “I have said this is the most important food and … Read More
Ag Industry Calls on House to Pass GMO Label Law
With the Senate passing its version of the GMO Disclosure Bill late last week, this week more than 1,100 ag and food industry organizations, representing the entire food chain – from farm to fork – are calling on the House for quick action on passing its version of the GMO labeling law. The collective sent a letter to House leadership … Read More