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Counting the importance of agricultureThere on the wall, the counter ticked on. It was the best illustration of the importance of modern agricultural technology I have ever seen. The digital screen held four lines. The top line read 6,704,922,086--the world's population. The number grew steadily as I watch. The next line: 7,730,602.167 milo calories per year--the number of calories that growing population needs to sustain life also grew. The third line: 263,489,369 tons of beef produced per year and rising--a testament to the improved production practices of beef producers. The fourth line was the only line decreasing. It listed the world's available arable land at 1,261,144,104 hectacres or 3.1 million acres. The counter, on the wall in the Bayer Visitor's Center, in Leverkusen, Germany, illustrates how crucial improved technology is to the agricultural industry. As our world's population increases and more arable land is paved over, how will we feed all of those mouths? It becomes obvious that technology is the answer. It is exciting to see the rapid advancement of crop protection technology, biotechnology, and crop breeding. In Iowa alone, average corn yields have improved from 138 bushels per acre in 1996 to 166 bushels per acre in 2006. In light of that, it is frustrating that activists continue to push against technology. When rice can be enhanced with biotechnology to improve nutrition for the world's hungriest people, why would anyone say it is a bad idea? When environmentally sound herbcides, pesticides and fungicides can dramatically increase production and provide a safe and nutritious food product, why would anyone want to curb their use? And those are only the technologies that are available to today's farmers. Researchers all over the world are in their labs looking for more answers: drought tolerant crops, disease resistant varieties, high yielding varieties--the possibilities are endless. Technology holds the promise for rapid advancements in food production. Will we bow to the pressure of activists with our bellies full and our blinders on ignoring entire populations of starving people? As the counter continues to tick, I certainly hope not. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 1-800-452-7171 ext. 1806 or e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 11/19/07 Date: 11/14/07
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