Biotech benefits everyone
By Paul Koehler
As Hawai'i deliberates its own path on the use of genetically engineered foods, it is important for biotech seed manufacturers to offer the facts that support their viewpoint.
That's because the huge benefits of improved nutrition and a cleaner and safer environment — along with increased agricultural productivity — stand to be derailed by a small number of fear mongers trying to stir up hysteria over the technology.
It's a shame, because we have seen how biotech saved the Hawaiian papaya industry, and it could help us all in so many other ways.
One of the main points of contention is based on a misunderstanding that biotech plants in Hawai'i can somehow cross-pollinate with indigenous species, and thereby threaten the purity of our native varieties.
Pollen movement and gene exchange between compatible plants is a well-understood and natural occurrence, especially in commodity agriculture. In Hawai'i, there are no compatible native plants where biotech crops are cultivated.
As part of an environmental risk assessment, the USDA and the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture carefully examine the potential for the spread of genes from biotech crops to native plants. On a case-by-case basis, the USDA must determine that a biotech crop does not present a plant pest risk before it is granted unregulated status.
To prevent cross-pollination, seed producers follow standard guidelines that have been in place for decades for distancing between crops to maintain the purity of specific plant varieties.
When neighboring farmers follow these guidelines, too, unwanted pollen flow can and is being managed by crop producers. Evidence, for example, is a recent UH study on Kaua'i that showed biotech papaya genes are not moving to other papaya plants around the island. These guidelines are not unique to crop biotechnology, as they reflect standard farming practices.
As for safety concerns, biotech crops are among the most extensively tested, well-characterized and regulated food, feed and fiber products ever developed. Some 31 regulatory agencies in 17 countries plus prominent international scientific authorities have stated that biotech crops are as safe as conventional crops.
These authorities include the National Academy of Sciences, World Health Organization, European Commission, French Academy of Science, American Medical Association, United Nations Codex and 3,400 scientists from around the world including many Nobel Prize winners.
Given the safety of biotech crops, people in virtually every segment of society stand to benefit:
Farmers currently benefit from increased yields on the same acreage, decreased production costs associated with reduced use of pesticides, more flexibility in crop rotation and less tilling. No-till agriculture reduces fossil fuel use, soil erosion and air pollution.
Consumers will enjoy more nutritious and healthier foods. Examples of future products in development include:
People concerned about the environment appreciate less pesticide use because biotechnology has given crops their own protection against insects and disease and, therefore, can be grown using less crop protection chemicals.
People in developing countries benefit by planting crops with increased yields, and reduced chemical applications and costs. They will also benefit when the biotech products that produce healthier and more nutritious food are brought to market.
More than 8 million farmers in 17 countries planted biotech crops in 2004, and 90 percent of farmers planting biotech are resource-poor farmers in the developing world.
People concerned about the safety of biotech foods appreciate that study after study has documented the safety of biotech crops — for both the environment and for the dinner table.
The most telling fact is that people have consumed more than a trillion servings of foods that contain biotech ingredients, and there has not been a single documented case of an illness caused by a food developed with biotechnology since they first came on the market in the mid-1990s.
In Hawai'i, as elsewhere around the world, the key to success is co-existence, with the goal of mutual success and prosperity for agricultural producers including organic, conventional, and biotechnology.
This appears to be the trend, as in 2004 biotech crops were grown on more than 200 million acres in 17 countries. Overall, biotech crop acreage increased by 20 percent or 33 million acres compared to 2003. More than 60 countries are conducting crop biotechnology research, more than half of them in the developing world.
Given the health and environmental benefits of crop biotechnology, there is yet another good reason for Hawai'i to embrace it: the economic value of a diversified agricultural industry.
The Hawai'i Agricultural Statistics office estimates the value of Hawai'i's seed industry at a record high $60.2 million for the 2004-05 season, a 22 percent increase from 2003-04. The seed industry currently employs 262 full-time and 683 part-time employees, mainly on Kaua'i, Moloka'i, O'ahu and Maui. This does not count nearly 500 regularly visiting professionals, who each stay an average of 9 days and spend about $175 a day.
Currently, the world population is more than 6 billion. The United Nations conservatively projects world population will increase to 9 billion by 2050.
To meet increased food demand, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates farmers will have to produce 40 percent more grain by 2020. With this growth will come an increasing need for higher-yielding crops that are less susceptible to disease and pests.
Biotechnology-derived foods on the market or in development are already contributing to all these goals. As a result, farmers and consumers are increasingly reaping advantages that might never be achieved using conventional breeding techniques:
Against this backdrop, fewer people are farming now than ever before while the world's population is rapidly increasing. The fact is that with more people, more food will be needed. At the same time, there is little remaining land for farming unless we destroy valuable rainforest and wetland habitats.
Thanks to developments in food biotechnology, more and better food can be grown on land already being farmed. And pest-resistant and stress-tolerant crops can be developed to reduce the risk of crop failure due to drought and disease while contributing to improved health and a safer, cleaner environment.
As one of the primary biotech research and development centers on the planet, Hawai'i can play a critical role in helping to ensure that the United States and the world have enough food to meet demands in the future. Biotechnology offers one of the most promising, safest, and sustainable solutions to achieve this goal.
Paul Koehler is president of the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, a Honolulu-based industry trade association representing member companies that produce seed crops in Hawai'i. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.
