As interest in alternative forms of energy increases, recent news reports are attempting to create a conflict by arguing that increased demand for biofuels made from food crops will create grain shortages and lead to higher food prices. A closer look at the data reveals that advances in agriculture, particularly in biotechnology, have steadily increased yields over the past 25 years, providing enough grain stock to meet the demand for food and energy.



Objectives:

Educate the audience on the contribution that plant biotechnology can make toward increasing crop yields, alleviating any tension between the production of crops for food and fuel.

Highlight how biotechnology provides the mechanisms for refining and producing biofuels as well as expanding grain stocks.

Provide information on how agricultural biotechnology plays a role not just in food production but also in industrial biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.