Source: CropLife America, 2/9/11

While speaking on panel sessions at CropWorld North America 2011 in Charlotte, NC, representatives of CropLife America (CLA) and CropLife Foundation (CLF) spoke out in support of the ongoing innovation and stewardship delivered by the U.S. crop protection industry. "With a world population that includes more than 900 million chronically hungry individuals, the innovative contributions of crop protection products to producing food have never been more crucial," said Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CLA. "And with reliable forecasts that the world population will reach 9 billion by 2050, we cannot let up on the continued search for newer and better crop protection solutions. Unfortunately, the reality of this need flies in the face of much public misunderstanding in the U.S. and most of the West about the safety of modern science and technology used in agriculture. Thus we have another obligation: all of us need to assume the role of spokespersons on behalf of modern agriculture."

Also appearing at the CropWorld events was Leonard Gianessi, director of CLF’s Crop Protection Research Institute. "Some of my most successful outreach efforts to tell the story of crop protection benefits have been on college campuses, talking with student groups, and most particularly students who have had no previous contact with farming or ag systems," Gianessi said. "In fact, my favorite campus audiences are students studying English Literature; they start off knowing very little about where food comes from or how, but their natural inquisitiveness makes them perfect to absorb the facts and history. Some of them may in fact go on to work at EPA!"

Vroom also addressed the importance of industry stewardship, spanning the agricultural system. “The market has long enjoyed tremendous stewardship support from suppliers. As we welcome new suppliers entering our market, we strongly encourage you to understand the stewardship support expectations from our farm customers and from society -- obligations that help keep our industry well-respected and position us as one of the leading-edge technology providers in agriculture." Vroom cited a recent example of a new product supplier in the U.S. that has supplied a generic material which did not meet minimum product quality specifications, and is now subject to U.S. EPA enforcement action. "It is imperative that all stakeholders understand that our market demands high-quality products and stewardship support after the sale. The full-circle stewardship relationship with our farm customers is one of our industry's most prized possessions."

In addition, both Vroom and Gianessi made reference to the importance of supporting further agricultural development abroad. They highlighted CLF’s recently begun and ongoing Africa Herbicide Project, conducted in partnership with the agricultural development community in Africa, which involves demonstrating the value of weed control products for smallholder farmers. "It is truly amazing to see the very dramatic results that can be demonstrated in our trial plots by replacing hand weeding with carefully applied herbicides," Gianessi remarked. "Not only can significant yield improvements immediately be seen, but women and children are freed from the drudgery of hand weeding." Additional information about the Africa Herbicide Project can be found at the CropLife Foundation website.

Other industry speakers at CropWorld addressed ongoing innovation, the importance of consistent science-based regulation, protection of intellectual property, and the evolving shortage of well-trained employees to continue the growth of all sectors in American agriculture.