World Grain - November 2009 - 49

FEATURE: PROGRESS FOR BIOTECH WHEAT

businesses that rely on wheat as a primary ingredient. Smaller supplies of
wheat, produced only in areas where
more profitable alternatives do not exist,
will translate into supply challenges for
the food industry.
"Shifting land away from wheat will
add risk and costs to the system," Jim
Bair, vice-president of the North American Millers' Association, told World
Grain.
The study also noted that smaller
production regions leave the U.S.
wheat crop more vulnerable to weather
or plant disease problems, and to the
extent that wheat production is pushed
onto marginal hectares, crop failures
become more likely.
Many industry organizations are now
supporting a goal of the National Association of Wheat Growers to increase
national average wheat yields 20%
from 2008 to 2018 through work on
biotechnology and non-biotechnology
efforts.
In a recently released report that may
spur debate about the pros and cons of
commercializing biotech wheat, the
United Nations' Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) estimates that
global food production will need to
double between now and 2050 to feed a

population that is estimated to grow to
9 billion people.
"Producing more wheat with fewer
inputs in a sustainable manner will be
essential in meeting the needs of our
planet's population," the "Case for Biotech Wheat" study said.
Bair noted that commercializing
biotech wheat would not only help the
world meet its lofty food production
goals, but have a positive effect on the
global environment.
"With having to feed all of those additional people, it's hard to see how we get
there sustainably without cutting down
rainforests or converting other environmentally fragile lands into production,"
he said. "I think it makes more sense to
grow more wheat in places like Kansas,
North Dakota or Illinois than it does to
produce it in a place where the land is
less sustainable."
CONVINCING CONSUMERS
Ultimately, it is the lack of acceptance
from consumers, particularly those outside the U.S., which has made biotech
companies skittish and played a major
role in preventing the development of
biotech wheat.
The report stated that because about
one-half of U.S. wheat production is

exported to offshore markets, it will be
critical to meet the needs of these buyers
as biotechnology moves forward.
The International Food Information
Council (IFIC) has conducted surveys
on U.S. consumer opinions on food biotechnology for 10 years, with its most
recent survey being completed in 2008.
It included the following findings:
 Consumers overall confidence
in the U.S. food supply remains high
at 68%.
 Food biotechnology is not a consumer labeling demand, as only 1% of
those surveyed said they wanted biotech
labeling.
 Communicating specific benefits
may enhance perception. The majority
of consumers (53%) said they would
purchase foods from plants produced
through biotechnology for specific
benefits.
But consumer opinion in non-U.S.
markets is more variable. According to
the report, some markets in Latin America express little concern as long as food
safety and quality considerations are met
satisfactorily. Other markets, primarily in
Europe and North Asia, register a much
higher level of consumer concern.
The Asian Food Information Council
conducted a consumer survey and re-

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AUGERS

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