April 28, 2006

 

Wheat producers give strong backing to biotech wheat at summit
 

 

Representatives of the wheat summit in Minnesota underscored progress in biotechnology as the foremost item on their agenda for the next few years.

 

The Wheat Summit, held in early April was sponsored by the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Wheat Growers Association.

 

Apart from biotechnology, the industry's second priority was to develop an industrial line of wheat that would be lower in quality but higher yielding to be used for industrial purposes such as ethanol production.

 

During the last 15 years Minnesota's wheat acres have declined by one million acres, which, according to Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council member Art Brandli, represents a loss of 40 million bushels.

 

With these challenges, more wheat producers are beginning to accept the fact that biotech, not just new wheat varieties, is needed to rejuvenate the industry. Brandli pointed out that during recent grower meetings, 70 percent of those attending called for more research on GM-wheat.

 

Even though biotech has been readily accepted in crops such as soybeans and corn, there has been relatively low investment and interest in bring biotech to wheat.

 

But things are changing on many fronts; Europe recently approved three GMO corn varieties and both Europe and Japan have become more open to GM corn, Brandli noted.

 

The domestic grain industry is also becoming better equipped to segregate GMO from non-GMO production. Since the soy industry is already practicing segregation, it can be done for wheat as well, Brandli noted.

 

A worldwide educational programme for consumers is needed if biotech wheat is to be readily accepted, according to Terry Garvert, the Specialty Foodgrains team leader at Cargill Inc.

 

Garvert said that in order to sell biotech wheat to consumers, they would have to see something else other than cost benefits. Producers can point out, for example, that certain biotech wheat has more selenium, which helps prevent cancer.

 

Addressing environmental concerns about contamination of non-GM varieties by GM wheat, Garvert said that while total segregation is not possible, a certain degree of segregation is still viable. 

 

Ron Olson, the vice president of Grain Operations at General Mills, agreed that a huge consumer education programme is needed in order for biotech wheat to sell, adding that big businesses like Wal-Mart and McDonalds would have a bigger influence over the decision whether the future of biotech wheat.

 

However, he cautioned that many food companies, which are investor-owned, have to be very risk sensitive. Thus they will need to be assured that the consumers are ready to accept biotech wheat before introducing such products.