These products include human insulin for diabetics, growth factors used in bone marrow transplants, products for treating heart attacks, diagnostic tests for AIDS, hepatitis, and other infectious agents, and enzymes used in food production. In agriculture, new biotech plant varieties will offer foods with better taste, more nutrition, and longer shelf life. Crops designed to resist pests and tolerate herbicides, freezing temperatures, and drought will make agriculture cheaper and more sustainable by reducing the use of synthetic chemicals and irrigated water, promoting no-tillage farming practices, and reducing pressure to convert valuable ecosystems to agriculture. The Seeds of Opportunity report is an important step for American agriculture. This report concludes that there is no distinction between plants bred using biotechnology and those produced through traditional crossbreeding.
Biotechnology can play a significant role in the future of agriculture.
It can help farmers improve their yields, and decrease their reliance on chemical agents. I'd like to thank Chairman Nick Smith for his leadership on this issue. Because of his efforts, Americans can look forward to a cleaner environment and better, safer produce.