b'Theres Not a One-Size-Fits-All Approach to Ag The debate about GMO safety and sustainability is ongoing, but one fact remains: food security is paramount.Alex MartinDOES THE ABSENCEof agricultural biotechnol- Dispelling the GMO Misconceptionsogy lead to a greener world? Would widespreadWhen it comes to uncertainty about GMOs, Entine, adoption of organic practices provide enough food toexecutive director of the Genetic Literacy Project, feed a fast-growing global population?noted that discussions over the sustainable direction Its a polarizing subject, with both sides havingof agriculture have become divided. strong opinions on whats better for the globes grow- The organic movement has been absolutely essen-ing population and the planet itself.tial to reforming many outdated and unsustainable Seed Speaks recently spoke with experts Dr. Robbpractices in agriculture, but it also has become a life-Fraley, Jon Entine and Mac Ehrhardt. Each discussedstyle and advocacy area, Entine says. Many organic how GMOs and organic agriculture can come togetherpromoters demonize conventional agriculture, par-to support the industry and improve global agriculture. ticularly genetically modified crops, even though the Were starting to see opportunities for connectivity,sustainability benefits of the biotech farming revolution says Fraley, former chief technology officer of Monsanto.are considerable.Ive talked to farmers who are a conventional farmer onWhen it comes to dispelling the misconceptions,Jon Entine.one side of their farm and on the other theyre meet- Entine says education is imperative. ing market needs through organic production. TheresWere promoting [new technology such as GMO common ground that brings them together. and gene editing] through education and fighting against disinformation by promoting dialogue, he says. Consumer Drivers The biggest issue with GMOs? Consumer perception.When it comes to consumer trends, Ehrhardt, presi- Theres this huge misconception by the public that dent of Albert Lea Seeds, says his company made atheyre doing something good from an environmental switch in 2017 to organic and non-GMO seeds. He sayspoint of view by buying organic food, Entine says. this was the fastest growing part of his business.Its really an advertising advantage, but the focus on According to Mercaris [an organic and non-GMOsustainable choices are much more nuanced.data service], there will be around 9.3 million harvested organic acres in 2021 in the U.S., and that representsComing Togetheronly about 1% of the harvest acres in the U.S, he says.While theres a lot to do to change the public perspec-Thats a tiny sliver of U.S. ag in terms of acres, but itstive of both GMOs and organic agriculture, there is a really punching above its weight in the grocery store. way to come together, acknowledge the differences Sales of organic products in the U.S. topped $62and refocus on what are the most sustainable choices billion in 2020 and 90% of those sales were food.regardless of how the seeds are produced. Organic is what people tend to buy when theyThe real strength of U.S. agriculture is that we have have a choice, he says.a lot of diverse production systems and a lot of diverseMac Ehrhardt.Organic seed sales, however, arent on the aggres- crops, says Fraley. sive upward path you might expect. USDA allowsAnd as for the future? Fraley wants to see how organic farmers to plant non-GMO, untreated seed ingene editing could play into organic agriculture.addition to certified organic, curtailing some growth. Gene editing could be a bridge point to really Many organic farmers still choose to do that, heconsider how these advance biology tools help breed-says. We estimate theres around half a million acres ofers make decisions, he says. Those are benefits that organic corn in the U.S., and roughly 250,00 of thosecould benefit both systems. I see opportunities for the acres are planted with conventional, untreated seed. world to come together.SW96/ SEEDWORLD.COMDECEMBER 2021'