New strategies may help protect alfalfa and other plants against insect attack and reduce the need to spray chemicals for insect control. This is an important time in the development of agricultural biotechnology. The initial proof of concept transgenic crops have performed well in the field, providing agronomic and economic benefits to growers. The first generation of transgenic crops have provided a safe and effective supply of feeds to livestock producers. New biotechnology crop traits under development will provide additional benefits to the dairy industry in the future.
Transgenic crops require fewer agrichemical applications which provides environmental benefits.
US government regulators have worked to establish public confidence in their ability to ensure the environmental and food safety of crop plants developed using biotechnology. Export markets for transgenic crops are complicated by wide variability in international government regulations and consumer reactions to biotechnology.