Corn and bred

Last summer, I had the chance to visit one of our soybean field trial locations in the northern Midwest of the US. The plot was relatively nondescript. The soybeans looked great, as did many of the soybeans in the surrounding fields. But these beans were better. Their benefit just wasn't visible to the eye.

This was a field trial plot of our omega-3 enriched soybeans. We have heard the benefits of eating certain types of fish. Wild salmon, and other types of fish, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial to cardiovascular health, as well as providing other benefits. These soybeans contain a land-based source of omega-3 fatty acids. As our global population continues to climb, and we face problems of overfishing in some parts of the world, we think that soybeans like this will play a valuable role in providing benefits to consumers.

This would not be the first crop providing benefits directly to consumers, though. As a matter of fact, in 2005 Monsanto commercialised a new line of soybeans, trademarked as Vistive low-linolenic soybeans. These soybeans produce oil that has lower levels of linolenic acid, and as a result don't require hydrogenation, which leads to the production of undesirable trans-fats. Through modern breeding technologies, together with the benefit of the Roundup Ready biotechnology trait for improved agronomic performance, these Vistive soybeans are providing companies like KFC and Kellogg with a high-quality alternative for baking and frying purposes that helps produce healthier food. Today, these soybean varieties are grown on more than 600,000 hectares in the US - or about the same as the total area of oilseed rape grown in the UK.

The success of Vistive in the US wouldn't have been possible without both breeding and biotechnology to improve plants. What's the difference between the two methods? Breeding is a shorthand term that encompasses a variety of approaches that can be used to refine germplasm (the genetic 'raw material' contained in all the plants of a species) to select the best attributes that exist in a crop's genetic stock. Plant breeders select desirable traits from germplasm collections and combine them into a single crop plant with commercial potential.

What does GM mean?​

The breeding method works well, and continues to improve, but there are limitations. That is where biotechnology comes in. Biotechnology has become shorthand for a process that begins with the discovery of a new gene, proceeds through the introduction of genes into plants and through the extensive testing and regulatory review, and culminates in the delivery of breakthrough products.

Biotech has led to entirely new products that have not been available in agriculture until the last decade. Since then, biotechnology traits have been used commercially around the world, establishing a record of proven benefits for farmers, consumers and the environment.

Essentially, what biotechnology does is enable the identification of attributes that accomplish something that may not be as efficiently - or at all - possible by breeding. For example, biotechnology has allowed the ability to spray glyphosate herbicide, such as Roundup agricultural herbicides, over the top of a crop field to kill weeds, but leave the plant unharmed. The Roundup family of herbicides can be used as part of an environmentally responsible weed control program, and soybean varieties that are Roundup Ready have a biotechnology gene that allows them to withstand the herbicide. The lower-linolenic oil profile is conveyed through breeding.

The two attributes together in one seed combine for a great opportunity for the farmer, processor and consumer. Farmers get the benefit of the Roundup Ready system for weed control and a premium opportunity to grow the speciality soybeans. Processors are able to source better oil, and consumers are able to purchase products that have lower or no trans-fats.

Health benefits​

This is just the first of several consumer-oriented products that we are developing. However, in the future, we think that the consumer benefit will likely be derived directly from biotechnology.

Building on the success of the Vistive program, we are developing Vistive III, which has the same low linolenic benefits of the first-generation version, but with a high oleic and low saturate profile. This product would be stacked with the benefits of the next generation of Roundup Ready weed control, and the oil would offer a zero trans-fat solution for food products that require frying by combining higher monounsaturated fats, lower saturated fats, zero trans-fats and improved stability. This product is in Phase 3 of our research-and-development pipeline, meaning that it will likely be commercialised sometime after the turn of the decade.

Another important project in about that same commercialisation timeframe is the product I saw in field trials last year. Monsanto's omega-3 soybeans will represent a land-based supply of essential omega-3 fatty acids. With soybean oil that would contain 20% stearidonic acid, the goal is to provide a functional oil with the taste, shelf-life and stability of soybean oil, combined with heart health benefits similar to fish oil. This will provide food formulators with the ability to provide omega-3 enriched foods, without compromising either flavour or shelf-life. As our world grows and the need for additional sources of omega-3s increase, we think a product like this could be extraordinarily beneficial.

Better yields​

But it's important to point out that, at the end of the day, consumers and food companies are really benefiting from biotechnology today. The benefits may not be immediately apparent, but they are there. The technology has enabled the production of more food for our growing world, at lower production cost, and done so safely.

According to the UK's PG Economics, global production of corn, cotton, canola (rapeseed) and soybeans in 2006 were respectively 1.4%, 5.2%, 0.5% and 5% higher than levels would have otherwise been if biotech had not been used by farmers. This amounted to additional production of 9.65Mt of corn, 1.38Mt of cotton lint, 0.21Mt of canola and 11.6Mt of soybeans.

Biotechnology does enable greater crop yields, and the most dramatic yield gains were seen in developing countries. For example, farmers in the Philippines who planted insect-resistant corn saw an average yield increase of 24%. Real and quantifiable increases in yield potential - such as examples like these - will continue to grow in importance. Arable land isn't increasing. Both global population and food demand are. As diets continue to advance around the world, we will need all tools at our disposal to feed our growing world. The benefits of biotechnology in this area are too great to ignore.

In terms of safety, foods derived from biotechnology are among the most studied foods on grocery store shelves today. In the more than 10 years that biotech foods have been consumed, there has been no credible evidence that they are less safe than their conventional counterparts. In a 2000 report, a committee of the National Academies of Science noted: "The committee is not aware of any evidence that foods on the market are unsafe to eat as a result of genetic modification." Other groups have reached similar conclusions.

As an agricultural company, Monsanto remains focused on enabling farmers to produce more from their land, while conserving more of our world's natural resources such as water and energy. Biotechnology is a key component for doing just that. As our experience with biotechnology has grown over the years, we're beginning to see the true potential that technology like this can provide.

Soybeans with omega-3 fatty acids? They may have seemed just a dream a decade ago. A decade from now, I think they will be widely grown in the soybean fields of the US.

Ben Kampelman is oilseeds communications lead with Monsanto