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...doubt that many U.S. farmers are suffering. So far this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wheat production is down 14% from last year, and corn, soybean, and cotton production have also experienced big drops. Dave Frederickson, president of the National Farmers Union, says the low harvest yield will almost certainly mean higher grocery-store prices, perhaps even before stores actually feel the pinch. Says Frederickson: "Sometimes folks will use a perceived shortage to push prices...
...holy land of Saudi Arabia. In 1998 he ordered followers to "kill the Americans and their allies, civilians and military...in any country in which it is possible." The principal target was the U.S. and its relationship with Saudi Arabia. But the Americans weren't disposed to negotiate or yield to terrorist blackmail. Then came 9/11...
Solving the problem is difficult, mostly because of the ferocious debate over how to do it. Biotech partisans say the answer lies in genetically modified crops--foods engineered for vitamins, yield and robust growth. Environmentalists worry that fooling about with genes is a recipe for Frankensteinian disaster. There is no reason, however, that both camps can't make a contribution...
Better crop rotation and irrigation can help protect fields from exhaustion and erosion. Old-fashioned cross-breeding can yield plant strains that are heartier and more pest-resistant. But in a world that needs action fast, genetic engineering must still have a role--provided it produces suitable crops. Increasingly, those crops are being created not just by giant biotech firms but also by home-grown groups that know best what local consumers need...
What could be better for the environment than a cheap, simple way for farmers to double or triple their output while using fewer pesticides on less land? According to Rockefeller University environmental scientist Jesse Ausubel, if the world's average farmer achieved the yield of the average American maize grower, the planet could feed 10 billion people on just half the crop land in use today. Of course it's possible that some genetically modified foods may carry health risks to humans (although none have so far been proved in foods that have been brought to market...