







“The world population is nearly 7 billion people, and that number is expected to reach 9 billion in the next two to three decades. Feeding and fueling a growing planet will require a 70 percent increase in agricultural productivity,” said Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, BIO’s Executive Vice President for Food and Agriculture. “Biotechnology can help us boost production in an environmentally sustainable way.”


“One of the most significant benefits of using biotech crops is the reduction in on-farm energy use and reduced greenhouse gas emissions from no-till farming practices,” she said. “In 2007, for example, the 274 million acres of biotech crops resulted in a 31.3 billion-pound reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. This is equivalent to removing 6.3 million cars from the road for a year.”


In the future, we’ll have biotech crops and trees that are more tolerant of environmental stresses such as drought, frost, floods and high-saline soils. We’ll see biotech crops that use soil nutrients such as nitrogen more efficiently, reducing the need for fertilizers. We’ll see genetically engineered animals that use feed more efficiently and produce less manure.

And we’ll see more dedicated energy crops and trees and agricultural waste such as cornstalks being used to create bio-based energy.

“Farmers are not defenseless in their struggle against evolving agriculture challenges and we can meet these challenges with solutions that are more environmentally friendly,” said Bomer-Lauritsen. “Biotechnology will continue to be one of the ‘greenest’ tools available to help farmers better provide the food, fuel and fiber to serve a growing population.”