Plant Breeding and Agriculture Biotechnology

By: Bennett Bell & Rachel Raines

Mr. Smith – 3rd Hr

Sustainable Farming = Society Redemption

Source: International Database

World Population Growth

Increases in population will create new demand for food and agriculture markets Plant Breeding and Agriculture Biotechnology will help farmers produce the food, feed, & fiber for our growing populations

PRODUCE MORE

Annual Yield Increase Since The Introduction of Biotech Corn in 1996

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1971 2008F95/96

Annual Yield GainPre Biotech Since Biotech

1.5 Bushels

/Acre/Year

32bu/ac

Since Biotech

Since Biotech

Av. Yield 102.8 bu/ac Av. Yield 138.3 bu/ac

Source: USDA, Yield is calculated using a 3 year rolling average, (32 bu/ac Yield is 2.6 bu/ac/yr *12 years).

2.6

Bushels /Acre/Year

CONSERVE MORE

Time Frame Net Return Increase/Acre

2001-2006 U.S. Farmers’ $17.70/acre

U.S. Farmer’s are Benefiting from Ag Biotech

Pesticide Reduction • 110M lbs reduction in 2006• 334M lbs since 2000

Source: Brookes & Barfoot (2007) – NCFAP Study, Per acre calculated taking 2.3B net in 06 by 156M acres and 10.3B cumulative net by 583M cumulative acresSource: AgroTrak - dmrkynetec

Carbon Reduction• Reduced tillage farming has increased 50+%

in Corn, Cotton & Soybean since 1996• Equivalent to removing 5M Cars from our

roads

IMPROVE LIVES

The Need to Improve Lives

Agriculture is still the world’s largest industry, employing more than one billion people

Increasing the productivity of small farmers can positively affect millions of people who are among the world’s poor and hungry

Farmers have earned an extra $44 billion in net farm income through the use of biotech crops since 1996

Americas Farmers Video