A poorly informed and often emotional public debate risks disrupting global agricultural trade in biotechnology products.
Thoughtful discussions are essential in defining the issues and in resolving the controversies.
By Timothy J. Galvin, Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Advances in the use of agricultural biotechnology in food production have become sweeping economic and trade policy issues in the last half of this decade, forcing governments to rethink how to manage trade and at the same time ensure food safety. The demands for food to meet the expanding global population are growing faster than the ability of food producers to meet those demands. Genetically modified crops that have employed the innovations offered by agricultural biotechnology have provided growers with higher yields, lower costs, and ease of management. By Thomas J. Hoban, Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University Consumer perceptions and understanding of agricultural biotechnology have been strongly influenced by the type of information provided by the media, confidence in governmental safeguards, and cultural preferences. The Office of International Information Programs of the U.S. Department of State provides products and services that explain U.S. policies to foreign audiences.