b'Global Dialogue On Plant Breeding Innovations Brings Together Farmers With Overseas CustomersNEW PLANT BREEDINGinnovations, includingfor standard Yellow No. 2 corn or organic white corn or gene editing, promise to further increase farm produc- any other product that helps improve profitability for tivity. But, just like previous technological leaps suchU.S. farmers and meets the specific needs of interna-as mutagenesis, hybrids, marker-assisted selectiontional customers. and genetic engineering, the global greenlight of thesePerhaps most importantly, the council emphasizes techniques requires open and transparent conversa- to international customers and regulatory officials the tions with end-users around the world.importance of using sound science as the controlling The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) fosters this dia- factor in governing all new technologies and techniques. logue with its international audience. Thanks to aIn kind, the council works with breeding and seed com-ALLISON NEPVEUX,diverse membership of U.S. farmers, life sciencepanies to provide accurate and timely information on manager of tradecompanies, grain exporters and other agribusinesses,the development and commercialization of new tech-policy for the U.S.the council helps strike a balance between the tech- nologies and new varieties, supporting full transparency Grains Council, a non- nological potential of these new innovations withoutfrom all parties involved in global grain trade.profit organizationdisrupting the global movement of grain. All parties inThrough past and current efforts related to bio-that promotes thethe value chain, from the farm to the exporter to thetechnology, U.S. farmers and agribusinesses have use of U.S. barley,end-user, must have an ongoing, regular and construc- realized the negative impact of what happens when corn, sorghum andtive dialogue to maintain the free flow of grain.a market uses regulation as a non-tariff trade barrier. related productsTheres no denying that advancements in plantAccording to Informa Economics, the costs associated worldwide.breeding have enabled the United States to become awith persistent delays in Chinas agricultural biotech bedrock of global food security. Average U.S. yields ofregulatory process had negative impacts as great as corn have risen from 80 to 176 bushels per acre in the$362.8 million in value for U.S. corn production in the past 50 years, and overall production has increased2017-18 marketing year alone. from 4 billion to 14 billiondirectly attributable toThe council works to ensure that the consider-Theres nocorn varieties with improved agronomic characteris- able advantages offered by new breeding methods denying thattics. These advancements also significantly reduceddo not encounter the same regulatory burdens as pesticide use, improved soil health and increased thebiotechnology has in the past. In cooperation with advancementssustainability of U.S. farmers. U.S. Department of Agriculture, the council and other in plantPlant breeding innovations, such as gene-editing,cooperators supports efforts to establish and maintain hold similar promise for the crops of the future.functional regulatory systems that are science-based, breedingFarmers need access to these technologies to competetransparent and predictable. By limiting the delayed with increasing global pressures and product demand.timelines and lagging authorizations that can have have enabledFarmers will need all the tools in the plant breed- crippling effects on the trade of agricultural products, the Uniteding toolbox, both new and traditional techniques, tothis work can help farmers unlock new tools and tech-achieve food security in a sustainable manner.nologies that will enable them to fight climate change, States toCentral to farmers ability to adopt these newimprove natural resources and achieve global food become atechnologies is the development of transparent andsecurity.predictable regulatory systems. The council works withConsidering the significant challenges ahead, U.S. bedrock ofits membership and the wider U.S. agricultural industryfarmers are hopeful for the advantages that these new to encourage global adoption of policies that promoteplant breeding innovations can provide. That is why the global foodagricultural innovation, fair and consistent trade andcouncil is doubling down on what we do best: enabling security. provide access and acceptance for products producedtrade, developing markets and improving lives for both through plant breeding innovations. Consistent policiesU.S. farmers and the international end-users that need from market to market allow for the marketability ofan increasing supply of their products, which can only grain based on contracted characteristics, whether it isbe met through continued crop improvement. SW 144/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2019'