Ag Policy Blog

In an acknowledgement that biotech companies have done a poor job of communicating about biotech crops, major biotech firms such as Monsanto, Bayer CropScience, DuPont and Syngenta have come together to create a new website seeking to answer questions about biotech crops.

As first reported Sunday in the New York Times, the website is GMOAnswers.com

The website states that genetically modified organisms are a major topic with a wide range of both questions and emotions. GMOAnswers was created to better respond to questions and lay out facts from the industry. As the website states, "This website is the beginning of a new conversation among everyone who cares about how our food is grown.

"Join us. Ask tough questions. Be skeptical. Be open. We look forward to sharing answers."

The website comes after several bills in state legislatures and a growing number of ballot measures are taxing the lobbying dollars of the food industry and biotech companies. Agribusiness and food companies spent nearly $46 million to defeat California's ballot measure last fall. Another ballot measure is occurring in Washington State that already has more than $1 million contributed by biotech companies for the group to defeat it.

Connecticut and Maine have both passed bills in their legislatures to require labeling of biotech crops. Connecticut's bill became law, but Maine's governor is delaying signing the legislation in that state.

The NYT piece quoted Cathleen Enright, an executive vice president of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, saying the industry needs to be more engaged in providing information. "We have been accused of purposely hiding information," she said. "We haven't done that, but now we will open the doors and provide information."

The article comes just one day after the NYT had a different article highlighting that the devastation facing the Florida orange crop over the disease called citrus greening has prompted researchers in the orange industry to alter the DNA of oranges using genes from different species.

As the piece stated, "Oranges are not the only crop that might benefit from genetically engineered resistance to diseases for which standard treatments have proven elusive. And advocates of the technology say it could also help provide food for a fast-growing population on a warming planet by endowing crops with more nutrients, or the ability to thrive in drought, or to resist pests."

"Seeking Support, Biotech Food Companies Pledge Transparency" http://dld.bz/…

"A Race to Save the Orange by Altering Its DNA" http://dld.bz/…

www.gmoanswers.com

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