Science supports GMO feeds to enhance ‘sustainable’ farming

We find the word “sustainable” used to describe certain agricultural practices. Problem is, various groups use it in different ways and there doesn’t seem to be agreement about what it means.  Recently, Dannon Yogurt, a French-based company, came up with its own definition of the word. They decided to adopt a policy that they would only use milk produced from feeds that are “non-GMO,” that is, feeds that are not made from genetically modified organisms. They believe this will “help improve sustainable agricultural practices” by improving soil health, water quality and reduce carbon emissions.  This prompted a quick response from six prominent farm organizations. They included the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Growers Association, Nation Corn Growers Association, National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.  In a letter to Dannon, they said that eliminating GMO feeds is the exact opposite of sustainable agriculture. They pointed out that eliminating GMOs would cause farmers to stop using safe farming practices that have increased farm productivity over the last 20 years and reduced the carbon footprint of our agriculture.