Benefits of Biotechnology for Consumers

“Biotech Bears Fruit for Farmers, Not Consumers” [April 8] drastically understates the benefits of today’s biotech products and the promise for tomorrow.

Crops developed through biotechnology are dramatically reducing the amount of pesticides sprayed on crops. If America’s farmers are not spraying millions of pounds of synthetic chemicals, that means there is less of those chemicals in the environment and used to produce the food we buy--which is a very real and profound benefit for consumers.

When consumers are surveyed about food, concern about pesticide residue is second only to fat- and cholesterol-content concerns. Biotechnology is already providing an alternative to the intensive use of pesticides for food production.

It also is important to understand that the products we’re seeing today are the very first steps we are taking down a much longer path. Biotechnology today is where the computer industry was in the 1950s, and the coming decades are poised to bring us biotech products as revolutionary and important to us as computers are today. As scientists continue to make technological breakthroughs, we will see truly revolutionary products, including foods that are more healthful and help fight disease.

The reality is that the benefits of biotechnology are real and are already making our lives better by reducing pesticides used in farming. And the work being done today is setting the stage for a better tomorrow. It is imperative that we don’t lose sight of the proven benefits and the vast potential.

ROBERT T. FRALEY

Chief Technology Officer

Monsanto Co.

St. Louis