Biotech boom's benefits

The Washington Times ^ | January 8, 2006 | Michael Fumento

[neverdem]

  Both in consumption and variety, biotech is busting out all over -- and we're reaping a host of benefits from cheaper and better food to land and forest preservation.

  Approved biotech crops in 2004 globally occupied 200 million acres, up from just 167 million acres the year before, an incredible forty-sevenfold increase since 1996.

  In the United States, as well, biotech acreage increases annually. Most of our corn, about four-fifths of our cotton, and almost 90 percent of our soybeans are transgenic. That means a gene or genes from another organism has been spliced into them to give them new traits, as opposed to using the clunky older method of cross-breeding.

  Now consider some of about 30 crops in the development pipeline of a single company, Monsanto of St. Louis.

  Many will primarily aid farmers but also help us all by keeping prices down and allowing more crops to be grown on less land, thereby leaving more land for nature.

  Among these are drought-resistant corn, soybeans, cotton and oil-producing canola. Monsanto has video footage comparing drought-resistant corn with a regular variety on a 100-degree day. Leaves of the regular variety began curling in the morning. Those of the drought-resistant corn remained open so the plants continued to grow. They also checked the drought-resistant crop's temperature and found it remained cooler.

  Droughts regularly destroy crops in the United States, causing great hardship for farmers and increasing consumer prices. But in poorer parts of the world, droughts mean famine and death.

  While American farmers are Monsanto's main customers, much of their market is also overseas, where they've helped develop crops exclusively for Third World countries, including a variety of disease-resistant sweet potato.

  Further, while a biotech plant such as cotton may boost an...

[neverdem]

Mike Fumento ping

[stephenjohnbanker]

Note the illiteration in the title.

[grey_whiskers]

Here is my vanity on GMO's.

Tongue in cheek, done for humor.

Full Disclosure: When will they breed a chocolate cow, anyway?

[stephenjohnbanker]

alliteration that is..............although sometimes I wonder about the former : )

[GSlob]

"When will they breed a chocolate cow, anyway?"
Right after breeding a melon/cockroach hybrid: you cut the melon open and all the seeds scatter away by themselves.

[gaijin]

The most effective and SUBSTANTIAL way of helping non-whites in poor countries is to give them methods of more easily feeding THEMSELVES, to help them to help themselves.

But of course, that would detract from their dependency. It would put them in a spot where they would need high-profile, big-budget, SYMBOLIC do-gooders considerably less.

And so science-fearing liberals will declare war on biotech and all the plentiful GM foods that it will provide. They will declare that biotech is a tool for stealth IMPERIALISM.

They will fill the air with vitriol, and the dying will continue. But I guess that's BIZ, right?

[Nathan Zachary]

Buy seedless melons.

There is an advantage having farmers grow seedless melons. It means all seeds must come from seed houses, which gives companies like mosanto ever greater market share. It's increasingly more difficult for farmers to grow non- contracted crops through these companies as it is. Even if they save seed from the crop the year before, they can't grow and sell it. It's written into the contract when you buy this hybrid seed from them.

I don't have a problem with GM seed, it does help farmers grow better crops. But all the advantage is lost because you have to pay companies like Mosanto to use their modified seed.
The farmer's bottom line doesn't improve one bit. In fact he needs to grow more than ever, because the bushel price goes down, not up. So even if he's getting an extra 2.5 bushels an acre yield, he needs more acerage because the price per bushel has dropped $3. More acerage means he needs bigger equipment to do the work. That means bigger loans from the bank.
It's the same never ending rat race as before. In fact before, like the early 60's, wheat was $6-7 a bushel, equipment was much cheaper, and a farmer needed much less land to make a living. Bread was cheaper then, as were other processed cereals. Someone is making a lot more money, but it isn't the farmer. He's making less than ever, and having to farm 10 times more land to make it.

[Nathan Zachary]

Biotec is great for Africa. But France/ Europe is stealthily opposed to it, because it will destroy their heavily subsidized ag industry. Their ag producers are opposed to adapting new ways, unlike farming here. Here, the small 200 acre farm doesn't exist. At least not for making a living. It's all multi-thousand acre commercial farming. In Europe, they still farm tiny little plots like they did 100 years ago. They stubbornly resist change. Take away the welfare check they get, and their whole ag industry would collapse. That's why they oppose GM seeds. To hell with starving Africans. A productive Africa will wipe out their farm industry as well. They try keep our products out if it's made from GM seed as well. It's a constant trade battle. We could take over their ag industry yesterday if we could force them to drop their subsidies. In fact it's because they subsidize so much that we have to subsidize our farmers. We have to pay farmers NOT to grow! Farming is all politics, especially in Europe.

[RayChuang88]

Another big problem for Europe is that their population density is high enough that they can't achieve the type of economies of scale for farming that can be achieved in North America, South America and Australia. If Europe were to allow their farm subsidies to drop (except for specialized products like olives and grapes for wine growing), Europe could get access to grains from North America and South America at possibly substantially cheaper prices!

[BlazingArizona]

There is an advantage having farmers grow seedless melons. It means all seeds must come from seed houses, which gives companies like mosanto ever greater market share. It's increasingly more difficult for farmers to grow non- contracted crops through these companies as it is. Even if they save seed from the crop the year before, they can't grow and sell it. It's written into the contract when you buy this hybrid seed from them.

There's no real difference between biotech and software. Think of Monsanto as being the "Microsoft" of this new field, selling relatively expensive solutions to those who consider its products to be a good deal. I expect to see an open-source movement in biotech, paralleling the big brands. This is especially going to catch on in the Third World, which now has the technological resources to do it.

Watch India and Brazil closely.

[reformedliberal]

Seedless melons are tasteless! Just like the supermarket tomatoes bred for machine picking and long transport times.

The heirlooms are so popular, some are now sold by Burpee! Black Krim and the other Crimean tomatoes are wonderful! I have ordered them for my garden this summer. I will still grow Beefsteaks and Better Early Girl, but it is the Krims that I am really anticipating. Although, in the past I have grown the Amish rose-colored heirlooms and they were susceptible to blight.

The difference between the supermarket Granny Smith and Red Delicious apples and the same varieties, only smaller, from my neighbors' old orchards is amazing. And the older versions stay crisp and sweet longer. Not one was mealy, either.

The hippie seedsavers have been trumped again by big business and entrepreneurs. There is still a market for flavorful fruits and vegetables and there are many small plant breeders successfully selling healthy plants at a great price. (Disclosure: I saved seeds until I discovered I could get healthy plants in the heirloom varieties for a lot less effort)

[grey_whiskers]

Right after breeding a melon/cockroach hybrid: you cut the melon open and all the seeds scatter away by themselves.

LOL!

To quote from Dave Barry Does Japan:

IDEA FOR GETTING RICH: Using genetic engineering, combine a melon with a black widow spider to produce a new kind of melon that will kill you instantly unless it is prepared exactly right. This would be a HUGE seller in Japan.

Cheers!

[neverdem]

Turkish deaths put Europe on bird flu alert

Pataki Wants Drivers to Fill Up With Ethanol or Biodiesel

FReepmail me if you want on or off my health and science ping list.

[neverdem]

Biotec is great for Africa. But France/ Europe is stealthily opposed to it, because it will destroy their heavily subsidized ag industry.

IMHO, there's nothing stealthy about their opposition. Europeans React to Bush Administration Bullying on Frankenfoods