Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ingredients varies by country, with European consumers being most
concerned.
Keywords:
Genetically engineered crops, agricultural biotechnology, seed
industry, research and development, adoption, crop yields, pesticide use,
corn, soybeans, cotton
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CKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to thank William Lin, Paul Heisey, Keith Wiebe, Marca
Weinberg, Utpal Vasavada, and Mary Bohman of ERS for the helpful
comments provided on earlier drafts of this report. We also thank Andrew
Rude from the Foreign Agricultural Service, Neil E. Hoffman from the Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service, John W. Radin from the Agricultural
Research Service, Daniel Jones from the Cooperative State Research,
Education, and Extension Service, and Matthew C. Rousu from Susquehanna
University. We also thank Lou King for editorial assistance and Anne Pearl for
graphics and layout.
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UMMARY
Over the past decade, developments in modern biotechnology have
expanded the scope of biological innovations by providing new tools for
increasing crop yields and agricultural productivity. The role that biotech-
nology will play in agriculture in the United States and globally will depend
on a number of factors and uncertainties. What seems certain, however, is that
the ultimate contribution of agricultural biotechnology will depend on our
ability to identify and measure its potential benefits and risks.
What Is the Issue?
Ten years after the first generation of genetically engineered (GE)
varieties of major crops became commercially available, adoption of these
varieties by U.S. farmers has become widespread. United States consumers eat
many products derived from these crops—including some cornmeal, oils,
sugars, and other food products—largely unaware of their GE content. Despite
