US House Agri Subcommittee Highlights Benefits of Biotech

The US House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture held a public hearing to consider the benefits of biotechnology. The hearing was held on July 9, 2014. The witnesses in the hearing include Dr. David Just of Cornell University; Dr. Calestous Juma of Harvard University; Dr. Olga Bolden-Tiller of Tuskegee University; and Mrs. Joanna Lidback, a dairy farmer and mother from Westmore, Vermont. All the witnesses emphasized how consumers, farmers, and the environment have benefited from traditional and modern biotechnology applications.

"It is clear from the hearing today that biotechnology plays a critical role in meeting a number of consumer and societal needs. In a world where it is important to help feed our expanding population while ensuring that everyone has access to safe, diverse, and quality food, the U.S. can, and should, be a leader in biotech development to address the coming challenges for future generations. Whether it is treating vitamin deficiency, autoimmune disorders or addressing hunger, biotechnology has and will continue to play a large role in global agriculture," said Chairman Austin Scott during the hearing.

Read the press release at https://agriculture.house.gov/press-release/subcommittee-highlights-benefits-biotechnology.