Brent Landis
Agriculture Services Coordinator
The
Lxxncaster
Chamber
LLZ3CZLJ (/Oinminn 6-
Phono; (717) 397-3531 oxt. 62
E-mall:blandis@lccl.com
One of the biggest
advancements that agriculture is
currently learning to adopt and
manage is the use of
biotechnology in our crops.
Biotech crops can offer an
economic advantage to farmers
with reduced pesticides, higher
yields and greater flexibility.
Approximately 80% of soybeans
and 30% of corn acres planted in
1999 in Lancaster County
included biotech seeds. Early
projections for the 2000 planting
season in Lancaster County
estimate the same to marginally
more acres with the biotech traits
in the seeds. According to Ag
Education and Consulting (AEC),
across the United States farmers
are projected to slightly decrease
their overall biotech acres
planted, with com acres
decreasing from 23.5% in 1999 to
17.7% in 2000 and soybean acres
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decreasing from 51.3% in 1999 to
48.4% in 2000. The projected
decrease, especially in com, is
due to the economics of planting
Bt corn in acres of the mid-west
where there is little European
com bore pressure.
Although the ethical use of
biotech crops may be an issue
many will debate for years to
come, the three American
regulatory agencies that are
responsible for the oversight of
products using biotechnology, the
U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), U.S.
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) have each evaluated and
approved biotech crops as safe for
consumption and the
environment. There has been
extensive testing to ensure that
crops improved by using
advanced biotechnology
techniques are as safe and
wholesome as all of the other
products it reviews.
Some proponents argue that
agricultural biotechnology
products destroy the environment.
However, the fact is most of the
biotech crops actually enhance
environmental sustainability.
Environmental benefits include:
reduction in applications of
pesticide, reduction in overall
herbicide use, and the promotion
of sustainable farming practices
including improvements tp soil
and water quality and decreases in
soil erosion.
Consumers that have a concern
about agricultural biotechnology
feel they might not be benefiting
from these new products.
Actually, today's biotech crops
have proven their ability to
reduce, and in some cases
eliminate, the use of agricultural
chemicals. This approach to food
production provides benefits from
both reduced chemicals used in
the production of food and an
economical production advantage
to farmers which helps keep food
costs down. The future of
agricultural biotechnology has the
potential of producing even better
foods with increased product
value. Some of the future
The Impact of Biotech Crops
products may include food oils
that deliver daily allowances of
vitamins, lower levels of fat and
provide other nutraceutical
values.
Some farmers fear that they
may not have a strong market in
the fall of 2000 for their grain
produced using biotech crops.
Here in Lancaster County and
surrounding regions, farmers are
primarily consuming the biotech
crops they grow with livestock on
their own farms and are not as
dependent on grain prices, as is
the mid-west. But, despite the
rumors, more than 80% of grain
elevators across the Com Belt
plan to accept biotech crops this
fall according to the Farm
Progress Companies. The
majority of the elevators surveyed
are not planning on even asking if
the grain they receive involves
biotechnology.
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 4, 2000-A2l
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An important thing tor
concerned farmers is to watch
how the marketplace reacts to
biotech crops in the future. There
may be heightened concern from
the public in the short term until
the proper education of
agricultural biotechnology is
explained and trusted by the
consumer. But, m the long run
biotech crops will have a
tremendous amount to offer. Just
as we have already embraced the
science of biotechnology in the
pharmaceutical industry,
biotechnology will provide
increased nutraceutical and
environmental benefits to
agriculture.
Feel free to send your
comments or questions by email
to Brent Landis at The Lancaster
Chamber at blandis@lcci.com or
call him at 717-397-3531, ext. 62.
610-589-2951