April 21, 2000 / from a press release
WASHINGTON -- Earth Day provides a reminder for everyone to think about
their impact on the environment, and to consider how small changes can lead
to a big payoff. According to the Council for Biotechnology Information,
many people are surprised to learn that farming methods employed by
agricultural biotechnology help protect the environment while improving our
quality of life.
A recent report by the National Research Council pointed out several
environmental benefits associated with biotechnology, or modern plant
breeding. Examples include:
-- More efficient methods to grow crops with less impact on the environment;
-- Solutions to help feed a growing world population; and
-- Better quality and more nutritious foods.
Biotechnology helps farmers both increase and improve their crop yields,
which means less land can feed more people. In some cases, biotechnology
reduces the use of crop protection chemicals ability to protect themselves from harmful insects and disease.
Farmers who plant biotech seeds can decrease soil erosion and greenhouse gas
emissions, because they produce crops that require fossil fuel powered
machinery to make fewer trips across the field. These changes in farming
methods help preserve topsoil and reduce farm runoff into streams and
rivers, making agriculture more sustainable.
A number of independent experts have lauded this technology. For example,
Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, father of the Green Revolution, has said
in testimony before the United States Senate Agriculture Committee:
"Scientists are gaining the ability to insert genes (into plants) that give
biological defense against diseases and insects...and convey genetic traits
that enable crops to better withstand drought conditions. With this powerful
new genetic knowledge, scientists have the capability to pack large amounts
of technology into a single seed."
The United Nations projects the world population to increase to 9 billion by
2050. Biotechnology can serve as a valuable tool in the effort to provide
enough food for this rapidly growing global population. Biotechnology is
also a key factor in increasing a crop's ability to withstand harsh growing
conditions, such as heat and drought, soil toxicity and floods, and may one
day produce plants that can grow on land that is currently unfarmable.
For more information on how biotechnology can help protect the environment,
contact the Council for Biotechnology Information at www.whybiotech.com.
(posted without permission)
