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In Southeast Asia, hunger rationalizes benefits of biotechnology risks

[APRIL 4, 2003]  URBANA -- While well-fed countries engage in conversations about whether or not biotechnology should be used to prevent pests and boost the world's food production, developing countries in Southeast Asia express optimism toward the technology in hopes of saving their starving populations, according to a University of Illinois social scientist.

"In southeast Asia, key stakeholders believe that the benefits of biotechnology outweigh the risks," said Napoleon Juanillo, social scientist in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U of I. "They have many more mouths to feed than we do in the United States, so they are focused more on feeding the hungry than engaging in discourse about the moral and ethical dimensions. Although moral and ethical concerns are expressed, for the most part, that is an elite discourse and one they do not have time to engage in."

Juanillo recently completed a collaborative survey in five Southeast Asian countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. With help from approximately 250 university scientists in those countries, he surveyed urban consumers, businessmen, Extension workers, farmer leaders, religious leaders, journalists, policymakers and scientists about their opinions and perceptions on biotechnology.

"Those who participated in the survey are the key stakeholders of these countries," said Juanillo. "But, they are also rational people who are looking realistically at their starving population and seeing the benefits of biotechnology as a way to feed the masses.

"Anything new and promising is welcome news to them. They seem to be saying, 'Our people are starving and you're telling me to consider the risks?' It's an elite discourse."

By way of comparison, as of July 2002, the United States had a population of a little over 280 million. Indonesia is about three times the size of Texas and has a population of over 231 million. The total population of the five Southeast Asian countries Juanillo surveyed is estimated at 481 million people.

"The message to Illinois farmers is that Southeast Asia is a big market for corn and soybeans and there is not much opposition to biotech products in those countries," said Juanillo.

Currently, Vietnam experiments heavily with biotech products. Indonesia grows bitotech cotton. The Philippines recently approved field testing of biotech corn, while the Malaysian government is pushing for more experimentation and Thailand is just beginning experimentation.

"Although fear of the unknown typically drives up concern, the people of Southeast Asia are hopeful of anything new that will help their country," said Juanillo. "They welcome any technology that will bring more prosperity to their country. Developing countries are always behind, and they look at biotechnology as a potential tool to help them catch up.

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Juanillo said that there is a misconception that these Southeast Asian countries are just growing rice. "They're a tropical explosion. And, if biotechnology can help them to develop more varieties of mangoes or papayas, that's a good thing to them. Anything that can help them produce better crops, they're in favor of."

It all began with a talk at a conference in Thailand in 1999 about the role that culture and other social variables play in the public's perception of the risks of biotechnology. Napoleon Juanillo was asked by the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines to give a similar talk in the Philippines. This snowballed into more speaking engagements.

With assistance from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications and the International Rice Research Institute, Juanillo was able to coordinate studies in the five Southeast Asian countries.  The logistics alone involved monumental orchestration. The survey first had to be translated into three other languages besides English -- Thai, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese.

"I made one trip to Bangkok where the entire team gathered in order to describe the protocol for administering the surveys so that all of the data would be compatible. Later we met in Malaysia to look at the progress. The ISAAA served as coordinator of the project, and it was my job to analyze the data collected," said Juanillo.

Juanillo said that the project was partially funded by Hewlett Foundation, the University of Illinois, the Illinois Council on Food and Agricultural Research, and the agricultural universities in the five Southeast Asian countries in which the studies took place.

"These universities provided manpower consisting of geneticists, plant pathologists and molecular biologists who are interested in what people think and whether the work they are doing with biotechnology is relevant," said Juanillo. The survey was patterned after the Eurobarometer public perception surveys on biotechnology.

[University of Illinois press release]

[APRIL 1, 2003]  The Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce recently sponsored its fourth annual Ag Day breakfast as part of the National Agriculture Week observance. Agriculture community leaders, businessmen, industry leaders and students gathered at the new American Legion Hall in Lincoln. This year's breakfast was themed "Planting the Seeds for Progress."

The highlight of the annual breakfast is the presentation of the Ag Day scholarships. A total of $4,000 in scholarships was awarded to students currently studying or planning to further their studies in agriculture. This amount is double from the first Ag Day four years ago.

Blane Olson, a senior at Mount Pulaski High School, and Abrigail Sasse, a senior at Lincoln Community High School, were awarded $1,000 scholarships. (Click here for information about the students and a picture posted previously.)

Casey Davis, Natalie Coers, Kent Leesman and Jason Wrage were awarded $500 scholarships. (Click here for more information about the students.)

Those in attendance at the Ag Day breakfast also heard about the exciting research projects being conducted at Washington University by former scholarship recipient Elizabeth Stoll.

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Attendees also heard keynote speaker Dr. Steve Sonka, director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory and soybean industry chair in agricultural strategy, speak on the future of agriculture. Sonka, a renowned agribusiness academic, described innovative university research being conducted. Dan Kelley, chairman of the board and president of Growmark also gave comments on the future trends, and Rep. Rich Brauer provided insight into state agriculture programs and incentives.

Larry Huelskoetter, committee chairman for the breakfast, emphasizes that the scholarship program, free breakfast and other ag-related programs for the community would not be possible without the generous support of local businesses. This year's sponsors includes financial institutions, ag-related businesses, grain elevators, car and agriculture implement dealerships, and farm supply stores.

[Press release]

[APRIL 1, 2003]  In conjunction with Agriculture Day at the Capitol in Springfield on March 26, seven Hartsburg-Emden FFA members spent part of the day visiting with their state legislators, Rep. Bill Mitchell and Sen. Bill Brady.

Annie Sanders, Nicole Buse, Blaine Hellman, Jacob Moehring, Scott Ubbenga, Curtis Conrady and Kasey Hoerbert also had the opportunity to sit in on a press conference where Senate Republicans were stating their opposition for reinstating the farm equipment sales tax.

Lastly, these FFA members assisted in delivering lunches and agricultural commodity baskets to all legislators.

[FFA news release]

(Left to right) Jacob Moehring, Sen. Bill Brady, Kasey Hoerbert, Annie Sanders, Nicole Buse, Curtis Conrady, Scott Ubbenga, Blaine Hellman and Rep. Bill Mitchell.

[APRIL 1, 2003]  URBANA -- Two USDA reports issued March 31 were termed supportive of the corn market, somewhat negative for soybeans and generally friendly toward wheat, said a University of Illinois Extension marketing specialist.

However, Darrel Good noted there is a major mystery.

"For the major crops for which pre-report guesses were reported -- corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat and cotton -- planting intentions total 237.605 million acres," he said. "That is 892,000 more than planted to those crops in 2002. The average of the pre-report guesses reflected expectations of a combined increase of 2.275 million acres in those five crops. The source of such a large expected increase was never explained."

Good's comments came as he reviewed the March 31 "Grain Stocks and Prospective Plantings" reports.

March 1 inventories of corn were estimated at 5.132 billion bushels, 64 million bushels below the average trade guess and 663 million below the level of stocks a year earlier. March 1 stocks were at the lowest level in five years and implied a record 2.509-billion-bushel disappearance in the second quarter of the 2002-03 marketing year. Domestic use of corn was 4 percent larger than during the same quarter last year, while exports were off about 9 percent.

"The big shock came in the form of farmers' corn planting intentions for 2003," said Good. "Intentions were estimated at 79.022 million acres, 32,000 less than actual plantings in 2002. The market had expected an increase of nearly 1.5 million acres.

"More acreage is expected in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio. Intentions are for less acreage in Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas. Acreage in Iowa is expected to be equal to that of last year."

With planted acreage near intentions, corn acreage harvested for grain should be near 72 million. A trend yield of 140 bushels would result in a 2003 harvest of 10.08 billion bushels, while a repeat of last year's yield of 130 bushels would produce a crop of only 9.36 billion bushels, underscoring the importance of 2003 growing season weather.

Sorghum acreage is expected to decline by 129,000 acres, while harvested acreage of oats is expected to increase by 106,000, and planted acreage of barley is expected to be up by 306,000.

March 1 stocks of soybeans were estimated at 1.202 billion bushels, only about 10 million above the average trade guess but at the upper end of the range of guesses. Stocks on March 1 were about 134 million bushels smaller than on the same date a year ago and at the lowest level for that date in six years.

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"Disappearance of U.S. soybeans during the second quarter of the 2002-03 marketing year totaled about 912 million bushels, about 28 million less than during the same quarter last year," said Good. "Use during the first half of the year is down about 67.5 million bushels. The domestic crush declined by nearly 35 million, exports were off 71 million, and seed, feed and residual use increased by 38.5 million bushels."

Producers reported intentions to plant 73.812 million acres of soybeans in 2003, only 576,000 less than planted in 2002. The trade had expected a decline of 1.2 million acres. Acreage declines are expected in Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio. More acreage is expected in Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Intentions in Iowa are equal to 2002 plantings.

"With planted acreage near intentions, harvested acreage should be near 72.1 million," said Good. "A trend yield of 40 bushels per acre would result in a crop of 2.884 billion bushels, 154 million larger than the 2002 crop.

"A repeat of the 2002 yield of 37.8 bushels would result in a crop about the same size as the 2002 crop. Canola acreage is expected to decline by 210,000 acres, to a total of 1.249 million acres. Intentions for sunflowers are at 2.517 million acres, 68,000 below last year's acreage."

March 1 stocks of wheat were estimated at 905 million bushels, 305 million less than stocks of a year earlier but very near the average trade guess. Area planted to winter wheat is estimated at 44.308 million acres, 2.511 million more than seeded a year earlier and 62,000 above the January estimate. In contrast, durum acreage is expected to decline by 1.158 million. Intentions for all classes of wheat total 61.697 million acres, 1.339 million more than seeded last year but nearly 800,000 less than the average pre-report guess.

"Acreage of wheat harvested for grain, as well as average yield, will be determined by weather conditions over the next few months," said Good. "Given the large abandoned acreage and low yields of a year ago, more normal weather conditions would result in a large increase in U.S. wheat production this year.

"With harvested acreage near 51.5 million -- reflecting the level of non-harvested acreage in 2000 and 2001 -- and an average yield of 41.1 bushels per acre -- the average of 2000 and 2001 -- the 2003 crop would total 2.12 billion bushels, 500 million larger than the 2002 harvest."

[University of Illinois news release]

Illinois agriculture could benefit
by refining vision

[MARCH 31, 2003]  URBANA -- A new definition of "agriculture" is being created by fresh demands on a broad front, noted Robert A. Easter, dean of the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

While Illinois has significant competitive advantages in agriculture, including soils, climate and transportation, appearances can be deceiving. Easter offered an example used by Juan Enriquez in his book, “As the Future Catches You: How Genomics & Other Forces Are Changing Your Life, Work, Health & Wealth.”

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[University of Illinois news release]

Honors & Awards

Ag Day scholarship winners

[MARCH 25, 2003]  Six area students received a total award of $4,000 in local Ag Day scholarships -- double the amount awarded four years ago on the first Ag Day.

$1,000 scholarship winners

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Ag Announcements

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