The agriculture industry in America, “a vital piece of this economy,” is “under assault in a way that will harm the ability of the world to feed itself,” writes Steve Forbes, editor in chief of Forbes magazine.
Agriculture is one the largest segments of US exports. A US Department of Agriculture model shows that “each $1 billion of agriculture exports supports about 6,800 jobs.” The use of biotechnology in agriculture has led to better soil health, decreased pesticide and herbicide use and higher yields than ever before.
“Yet American agriculture has become a magnet for negative attention from the professional, activist left,” Forbes writes. Despite its benefits, activists opposed to genetically modified food have spread their “Luddite views.” The European Union’s anti-GM sentiment has spread to Africa, where all but four African nations have banned GM crops.
“If we are not careful, this unappreciated economic gem will cede its future to antibusiness activists who use a variety of political and regulatory ploys to substitute scare tactics for science in our food systems.”
Read the full, original story: An assault on farming by Luddites
