Alliance Formed to Fight for Food and Fuel
Posted: July 25, 2008
Some of the most respected names in agriculture are teaming up to make the case that the world can produce both food and fuel and do so abundantly and sustainably.
The Alliance for Abundant Food and Energy includes Archer Daniels Midland, DuPont, John Deere, Monsanto, as well as the Renewable Fuels Association, who are all committed to “improving diets and reducing dependence on fossil fuels through agricultural productivity worldwide.”
Recently, critics have tried to frame the debate as an “either/or” decision, making people feel they must choose between food and energy security. The Alliance believes this is a false choice that ignores both the capabilities of agriculture and our nation’s history of using innovation to solve our problems. The Alliance realizes both are possible - and can be accomplished using less land and fewer resources than generally understood.
They point out the important innovations that these companies have already made to improve agricultural productivity, such as “seeds that yield more per acre, tractors that use GPS technology to avoid re-seeding rows, and processing techniques that allow us to make even more from a simple grain of corn. At the same time, these companies have sought to share their advances with farmers through donations and training programs in the U.S. and worldwide.”
The alliance plans to actively promote this message through advertising, lobbying and public relations efforts.