Eli Whitney brought mechanization to agriculture with the cotton gin. And John Deere invented the steel plow allowing farmers to increase their productivity almost exponentially. Today, with the same fervor that drove those American inventors, researchers across the globe continue to transform agriculture as we know it. Satellites help in planting decisions, combines are computer aided and scientists continue to find environmentally friendly ways to produce food. The newest science that is just beginning to show promise, but is also stirring quite a bit of controversy is biotechnology.
Agricultural biotechnology has enormous potential.
It can be an indispensable tool in meeting growing global agricultural demand while lessening the strain on our precious natural resources. It can also help farmers produce a new generation of specialty products, to meet future consumer demand. It is already revolutionizing the pharmaceutical industry. But regardless of its potential, agricultural biotechnology has its skeptics and detractors. With any new science we should not be afraid to ask the difficult questions.