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.
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