House Ag Subcommittee Considers the Societal Benefits of Biotechnology

Organic farmers do not need to demonize conventional farmers, we are one agriculture, opened Ranking Member. Kurt Schrader (OR-05).

On July 9, 2014 at 10:00am, the House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agricultureheld a public hearingTo consider the societal benefits of biotechnology.

Witnesses included:

The hearing was covered by Bill Tomson ofPolitico Prowhoreportedthat witnesses on Wednesday testified thatgenetically modified crops will save society as we know it by preventing starvation, curing diseases and getting kids to eat their fruits and veggies, and more Americans would get on board with the science if they just understood its benefits.

Tomson also reported that the lawmakers and witnesses at the hearing agreed that mandatory labeling requirements are a bad idea.

Sarah Gonzalez ofAgriPulsealso covered the biotechnology subcommittee hearing on Wendesday andreportedthat witnesses testified that the agricultural industry is not doing enough to communicate biotechnologys benefits to society.

Gonzalez also noted concerns from the lawmakers present:

My biggest worry is that under the guise of trying to inform the consumer we actually misinform the consumer, Schrader said. We run the risk of making labeling an almost irrelevant and moot point. And that would be a shame.

On behalf of Chairman Austin Scott, Rep. Rodney Davis presented opening remarks. Davis spoke on the benefits of biotechnology including how it can help save money, lives and the environment. He touched on such advances as Golden Rice, biotech wheat to combat gluten intolerance, and the use of biotech to combat citrus greening, ensuring consumer access to Vitamin D.

A former organic farmer, Ranking Member Schrader spoke to the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and argued that conventional, organic and gm crops can coexist. Schrader made several powerful remarks admonishing the population minoritywho spread misinformation around the technology leading to consumer confusion.

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House Ag Subcommittee Considers the Societal Benefits of Biotechnology