Agricultural innovation is an American advantage

By Chuck Larson

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America has succeeded as a nation of inventors inspired by a vision for a better future. Americans pride themselves on our most precious resources - our land, our people, and our innovation.

At the center of this innovation has been agriculture. John Deere's cast-steel plow, first marketed in 1836, provided a more efficient way for farmers to clear their land in the Midwest, thus increasing farmer productivity and encouraging migration to the Great Plains in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Today's 21st Century technology features tractors that are operated by satellites and advanced scientific research that is responsible for the seeds farmers cultivate.

America has continued to lead the world in agriculture production. It is only through innovation in agriculture that America and the world will be able to meet the challenge of feeding the global population, estimated to reach 9 billion by 2050. America's population is 310 million and growing. Despite our great progress in farm productivity, great challenges remain.

Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in these uncertain economic times. Global population growth is a great challenge and a great opportunity for America's farmers. Growing the U.S. farm economy will increase agricultural productivity, boost exports, and help feed the world.

More innovation and competition isn't good only for farmers, it's a boost for the U.S. economy as a whole. The U.S. exported more than $115 billion of crops last year and American farmers accounted for a positive trade balance in 2009. Demand for U.S. agriculture exports grew by more than 45 percent over the past five years.

Yet, obstacles remain to ensure that farmers will be able to continue to meet the needs of a growing population. Barriers to the creation of new seeds will reduce choice in the marketplace and ultimately threaten our economy by causing U.S. agricultural exports to stagnate, if not actually decrease.

Choice, competition and innovation are crucial for American farmers to be able to continue to produce more food, with improved qualities, at fair prices. The choice that allows farmers to determine what seed products work best for them, the vigorous competition among agricultural innovators that will bring beneficial products to the marketplace, and the innovations to ensure American farmers can compete globally and will succeed in feeding the world.

Nearly 1 in 7 people outside the United States are undernourished. This means 925 million people worldwide do not get adequate nutrition. Of those, 25 percent, or 146 million, of the hungry are children. American farmers continue to lead the world in food production for distribution to regions facing this ongoing hunger crisis.

On October 31, the world's population reached 7 billion with the birth of a baby girl in India. Now is the time to start talking about America's economic future and how we will accommodate this global population growth. We cannot afford to wait.

Chuck Larson of Cedar Rapids is the executive director of Americans for Choice and Competition in Agriculture, online at www.agchoice.org. Formerly, he served as a state legislator and U.S. ambassador to Latvia. Comments: larson@agchoice.org.