Labeling foods containing genetically modified (GM) ingredients could mislead consumers, since there is no evidence indicating the technology is unsafe, biotechnology expert Peggy Lemaux said in an interview with NPR.

Peggy Lemaux, a cooperative extension specialist at the University of California in Berkley who manages an informational website on biotechnology, points out that if mandates on labeling are implemented, it may actually make it more difficult for consumers to make sense of products’ labels and determine what’s really in their food. Furthermore, mandates could extend so far as to forbid even some whole foods from being labeled as “natural.” READ MORE »

A survey released today by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) revealed that the majority of American consumers (76%) are satisfied with current federal rules on food labeling. Additionally, 66% of respondents reported that they were satisfied with the Food and Drug Administration’s current policy for labeling foods produced using biotechnology.

While a select minority of consumers is demanding that foods containing GMOs be labeled, the IFIC survey’s results suggest that in fact, most consumers are content with the information currently provided on nutrition labels. READ MORE »

Considering there is limited supply of farmland, a billion people who are underfed, and a growing population, “organic methods alone can’t feed the world in a sustainable way,” Marc Gunther says in Sustainable Business Forum.

He cites scientific research published last month in the Nature International Weekly Journal of Science, which finds that “overall, organic yields are typically lower than conventional yields.”

The study, Gunther observes, “points to a key drawback in organic agriculture: it is typically less efficient and productive than conventional growing methods.” In today’s world, with a limited supply of farmland, a billion people who are underfed, and a growing population, Gunther points out, “organic methods alone can’t feed the world in a sustainable way.”

Noting that “less than 1% of US farmland is farmed organically,” Gunther points out that most farmers use conventional methods to ensure high productivity.  Biotechnology is widely used across the U.S. to increase the yield of staple foods.  According to the USDA’s data on U.S. agriculture in 2011, 94% of soybeans grown were biotech; 90% of cotton is biotech and 88% of corn is biotech. Read more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture turns 150 years old in May, having been created by Congress and President Lincoln in 1862. Leaders of the agricultural community are pointing to biotechnology as a continuation of the scientific approach to agriculture that USDA has promoted from the beginning.

In a recent column, American Farm Bureau Federation President and CEO Bob Stallman outlined the history and continuity of USDA’s mission:

“On May 15, 1862, President Lincoln signed into law a bill establishing a new Department of Agriculture, which was specifically directed to acquire information through ‘practical and scientific experiments’ and to collect and propagate ‘new and valuable seeds and plants’ and distribute these to the nation’s agriculturists,” Stallman wrote.  READ MORE »

When contemplating the role of biotechnology-derived crops today, Isobel Coleman, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy at the Council on Foreign Relations, asks readers to consider the rapidly increasing world population.  By 2050, she says, the world “will likely have another two billion mouths to feed and face an estimated 70% increase in global food demand.” In order to meet the needs of future generations, new agricultural technologies must be implemented. Coleman concludes that a variety of tactics should be used to boost agricultural production, adding that “we would be remiss if we do not include GM crops in the toolkit.” READ MORE »