US Leaders Show Support To Biotechnology

In line with the United States Department of Agriculture's 150^th Anniversary, major farm and trade organizations called for U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives leaders' support to the important role of biotechnology. US Government leaders and other organizations share sentiments that to keep up with the continuously increasing demands in food security, biotechnology and other agriculture research and innovations must be embraced.

In his message to the USDA, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Bob Stallman said that the department will acquire knowledge through "practical and scientific experiments" in order to gain and disseminate "new and valuable seeds and plants". Today, as the world's population pass the seven billion mark and is expected to grow to nine billion in 2050, he states that in order to take care of our environment, develop medical, communication, and transportation needs, and produce enough food, we must accept innovations brought about by science.

Meanwhile, a letter,dated May 14, 2012, was addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. It states that starting on May 15, the signees are requesting and encouraging the aforementioned names to publicly demonstrate their "commitment to ensuring a safe and abundant food, fuel,and fiber supply for generations to come." They also stressed the importance of a strong commitment to the availability of biotechnology, as it will increase sustainability, productivity, and competitiveness of the U.S. agriculture.

Read more about this news by followingthis link: http://www.fb.org/index.php?action=newsroom.agenda and a copy of the letter isavailable at http://www.agri-pulse.com/uploaded/5_14_12_ABA_Letter_to_Leadership_on_USDA_150.pdf.