Biotech ag initiatives endorsed

Don Canton / Bismark Tribune (North Dakota) 29aug00

Bucking an international wave of protest against genetically modified produce, North Dakota's governor and two candidates for agriculture commissioner said Monday that biotechnology applications are good for the consumer, the farmer, the environment and the world.

Republican candidate for agriculture commissioner Clare Carlson and Republican Gov. Ed Schafer appeared in McKenzie Monday with Mark Berg, president-elect of Foundation E.A.R.T.H., a national, nonprofit organization of farmers that advocates research into the use of genetically modified organisms.

Berg said the organization is bipartisan, but there were no Democrats on the platform with him in McKenzie. However, Carlson's Democratic opponent, incumbent agriculture commissioner Roger Johnson, said he also supports responsible use of agricultural biotechnology.

Genetically modified organisms are crops and livestock produced by manipulating genetic material in the laboratory to create specific, desirable traits in agricultural products, such as increased yield, enhanced vitamin content and resistance to pests or drought.

Genetically engineered crops have met with resistance from both U.S. consumer groups and the European Union, which prohibits the importation of GMOs.

Carlson said, "Biotech in agriculture offers big benefits to ag producers and to the public. Research in this area of science is key to feeding the world and improving the health of the world's growing population. By the year 2020 the demand for grain will increase by half."

While demand for grain is growing, Carlson said, the amount of arable land is not keeping pace.

Both Carlson and Johnson said the state must use sound science to study and test agricultural products before they're released to domestic and foreign consumers.

Carlson also said that genetically modified grains make it less likely that environmentally fragile land will have to be cultivated to feed the growing world population. "Plus farmers will be able to use less chemical. That's a benefit to the environment."

source: http://www.ndonline.com/tribwebpage/news/aug2000/829200055835.html