Biotechnology Improves Production While Reducing Stress on the Environment

New technology has allowed producers to take a more active role as stewards of the land. Biotechnology offers farmers tools to protect their crops from disease, weeds and insects. Current biotechnology crop offerings have reduced the amount of pesticides used in U.S. production by 46 million pounds. As additional biotechnologyderived crops are introduced, more than 163 million pounds of pesticides could be eliminated from current cropping practices. Many of these crops also eliminate the need for tilling the soil, thereby preserving valuable topsoil and reducing runoff into rivers and streams.

The world population is projected to top 8 billion by 2030, meaning farmers around the globe will need to produce enough food to feed an additional 2 billion people. The United Nations Population Fund estimates farmers will need to produce 75 percent more food per acre to meet the demand. Biotechnology brings with it the potential to increase crop yields, while lessening environmental and cultural impact on land in production.

A 2002 study by the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy found that six biotechnology crops grown in the United States – soybeans, corn, cotton, papaya, squash and canola – produced an additional 4 billion pounds of food and fiber on the same acreage as their traditional counterparts.