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Glimmer of Hope in the EU on Plant Breeding Innovations

By Elizabeth Westendorf, USW Assistant Director of Policy

Last week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) published a legal opinion from its Advocate General that gene editing techniques like CRISPR-Cas9 should not be included in the EU’s regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While the ECJ is not required to follow this legal opinion, in practice they often do. The ECJ will rule on the issue in the coming months.

This news is important because when the regulatory status of plant breeding innovations that are different from biotechnology is uncertain, scientists have trouble moving forward with new trait development. While transgenic biotechnology (GM or GMO) involves inserting foreign DNA into the target plant, these new techniques allow for gene deletion or modification without the presence of foreign DNA.

Innovation is an important evolution in the plant breeding process in that it involves precise changes in a plant’s genome in a controlled manner. Over-regulation of these technologies could stifle scientific advancements that the agricultural community needs to continually improve food supply in a sustainable way. If these advanced breeding methods were automatically regulated as GMOs, this would make it nearly impossible for non-commercial researchers and small companies to use them to develop new varieties for the market.

For wheat, the effect of not having commercialized advanced breeding traits can be seen in the concerning decline in both planted area compared to other crops and in research funding. Wheat yields have not increased at the same rate as other crops, and the potential for quality improvements has not been realized.

Additionally, these new breeding innovations would allow scientists to develop traits that are consumer-facing, with the potential to improve everything from milling quality to nutrition and health benefits that would be good for the entire supply chain.

Plant breeding innovations like gene editing have the potential to create new varieties of wheat that meet pressing needs both for farmers and customers, so it is important that any regulation of these new technologies be science-based.

To read more, visit https://seedinginnovation.org/.

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Wheat Food Trending in the Right Direction

The New Year always brings out trade and consumer media coverage of best products and trends from the previous year and the year ahead. As 2018 dawned, some pundits put wheat foods in a prominent place.

The media company Bloomberg, for example, named bread as its “Dish of the Year for 2017.”

“Restaurants and bakeries have shown what can truly be done to make bread a culinary wonder,” they wrote.

Freshly ground, whole wheat flour gets a lot of credit for the trend (obviously a narrow slice of the U.S. market), but Bloomberg took a longer view, also.

“One of the biggest cookbooks in 2017 had bread as its focus. ‘Modernist Bread,’ a sprawling, five-volume work, provides a revolutionary new understanding of one of the most important staples of the human diet, bread,” Bloomberg noted. “The collection offers comprehensive information on the subject of bread, from its history, to its science and physics, to techniques and recipes that will astound bread enthusiasts.”

The U.S.-based National Restaurant Association raised the humble doughnut to celebrity status in its “What’s Hot – 2018 Culinary Forecast,” a survey of 700 professional chefs on “hot trends on restaurant menus in the year ahead.”

Specifically, the list suggests restaurants will make more doughnuts with “non-traditional” fillings.

“When we think of doughnuts, we tend to conjure up images of glazed treats filled with vanilla cream,” the association noted. “But in 2018, more creative options abound. How does a cheesecake-stuffed doughnut, topped with raspberry jam, sound? … that’s what we’re talking about.”

“Fortune” magazine’s food trends for 2018 suggested an “era of permissibility” is afoot with a fusion of different foods including sushi croissants to pasta donuts.

“The salmon roll wrapped inside croissant dough, sometimes called the “croissushi,” debuted this year at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in Los Angeles,” editors exclaimed. “The spaghetti donut hails from the East Coast, made from pasta, eggs, and cheese fried into a donut shape for hand-held ease.”

We suspect the farmers USW represents, flour millers and wheat food companies around the world like the direction this is headed.

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“EatWheat” Campaign to Help U.S. Consumers Better Understand Farming and Wheat Foods

By Marsha Boswell, Director of Communications, Kansas Wheat Commission

In an effort to increase consumer trust in the domestic wheat industry, U.S. wheat farmers have created a consumer-minded marketing campaign called “EatWheat” to increase awareness of farming and production practices as well as the practical benefits of wheat in the United States.

This campaign will allow the U.S. wheat industry to speak with one voice in an effort to reclaim the national conversation on wheat and share one primary message among numerous influencers while dismantling the false promises of diets without wheat.

Wheat foods are eaten all over the world and U.S. wheat is exported to all parts of the globe. Food is an expression of cultural identity and many favorite family memories from celebrations and holidays are often associated with wheat foods. Food is also a great unifier across cultures. And “to break bread together” is symbolic for bonding relationships.

The EatWheat campaign provides an opportunity to share the story of food culture and customs and helps foster a connection between people, including U.S. wheat and their customers. There are many popular wheat foods around the world made with U.S. wheat. Pan de muerto is a type of sweet roll traditionally baked in Mexico as part of the Dia de los Muertos observance. Agege bread is one of the most popular Nigerian breads, known for its soft, stretchy and chewy texture. In Japan, U.S. wheat is used in ramen or udon noodles, and in China it is used for Chinese wheat noodles and steamed buns. Pancit or noodles is probably one of the most well-known Filipino dishes. In Filipino vernacular, pancit simply refers to noodles. When Brazilians ask for “o pão nosso de cada dia” (our daily bread) most think of a roll with a crisp brown crust and a light-as-air crumb that fits neatly in the palm of a hand, known as pão francês. In Indonesia, traditional breads might include Bagelen bread, crocodile bread or gambang bread.

All too often, when urban consumers in the United States look down at their plate, they may not know how that food came from the farm to their table. While it may not be top of mind, many are wondering about the farmers who produce the food they consume and the processes used to grow it.

The website aims to create awareness of farm and production practices through the lens of food as an identity. And the food that we think can connect best is, of course, made with basic, simple and versatile wheat flour. And it does not matter if it is homemade for hours, or picked up at the supermarket ready-to-go — wheat food is a natural way to connect to others and yourself. EatWheat.org launched in November 2017, just in time for the holiday season.

On the site, consumers can find answers to their questions about wheat production practices, share their values with wheat farmers and engage.

Kansas wheat farmers are the driving force behind the EatWheat.org campaign and want to share the farmers’ side of the story through the website, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. The site features stories of family farmers including Justin Knopf, who farms with his dad, Jerry, and his brother, Jeff.

“Our farm today looks much different than when I was a kid,” said Justin, a fifth-generation farmer focused on a sustainable future. “We are farming more acres because now, instead of just one family, there are three families to support. The machinery we use is different. Just like anyone’s life or job, we are using technology so we can better understand the biology and soils. All those things point to continual improvement which is important. We’re thinking critically about how we produce, where it comes from…”

Jerry Knopf is proud of how far their family farm has come.

“I just farmed because it was what I needed to do,” said Jerry. “I thought it was pretty cool they were willing to go to college but then come back and farm, because now they knew the new way to do things and are way smarter than I ever was.”

To watch the video of Justin’s story, visit https://eatwheat.org/stories/justin-knopf/.

Finally, the site features quick and easy recipes geared toward moms on the go, using ready-to-eat wheat foods like tortillas, bread and buns, and short-cuts including refrigerated dough and pasta. The “Learn” section tackles questions such as, ‘what is gluten,’ ‘what are the different types of flour’ and ‘what are some of the tools farmers use.’ Consumers can also “Get Inspired” with family activities like salt dough handprint ornaments, gingerbread houses and wheat décor.

Please visit EatWheat.org to learn more and help amplify these messages by sharing social media posts at facebook.com/eatwheat.org, instagram.com/eatwheat/ and pinterest.com/eatwheatorg/.

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Sustained Demand for U.S. Wheat in a New Price Environment

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst

Six months into marketing year 2017/18 (June to May), total U.S. export sales of 19.5 million metric tons (MMT) are 8 percent behind last year’s pace according to USDA Export Sales data through Jan. 4. However, the estimated total value of U.S. wheat export sales is 4 percent greater than last year on the same date at $4.72 billion, due to slightly higher export prices according to USDA Export Sales data and USW Price Report data.

A deeper analysis of USDA data shows total sales to six of the top 10 U.S. export markets in 2016/17 are ahead of last year’s pace, demonstrating strong demand for U.S. wheat. Sales of soft red winter (SRW) and soft white (SW) are both ahead of last year’s pace. USDA projects total 2017/18 exports will fall slightly to 26.5 MMT, which, if realized, would be 8 percent below 2016/17 but 1 percent above the 5-year average pace.

USDA reported hard red winter (HRW) year-to-date exports at 7.79 MMT, down 10 percent from the prior year. Still, 2017/18 export sales are 10 percent ahead of the 5-year average due to competitive prices for medium protein HRW and the good, overall quality of this year’s crop. The estimated value of year-to-date HRW export sales is 6 percent above 2016/17 due to a 14 percent increase in the average U.S. HRW free-on-board (FOB) price that is supported by the increased premiums for HRW with higher protein. Mexico is currently the number one HRW purchaser. As of Jan. 4, HRW sales to Mexico totaled 1.58 MMT, up 28 percent from last year’s pace. Sales to Indonesia are also up 28 percent year over year at 430,000 metric tons (MT). HRW purchases by Algeria total 456,000 MT, more than double last year’s sales on this date. To date, HRW sales to Venezuela totaling 120,000 MT are nearly four times great than the 2016/17 pace.

Both export sales volume and value of SRW for 2017/18 are up due to the excellent quality of this year’s crop and relatively competitive pricing. Export sales are up 7 percent year over year at 2.02 MMT, boosting estimated export sales value to $400 million, or 12 percent more so far this year. As of Jan. 4, total sales to 11 of the top 20 U.S. SRW export markets from 2016/17 are higher than last year. Sales to Colombia are 12 percent ahead of 2016/17 at 198,000 MT. Nigerian SRW purchases total 234,000 MT, up 12 percent from last year. Sales to other Central and South American countries, including Brazil, Peru, Panama, Venezuela and El Salvador, are also ahead of the 2016/17 pace.

Hard red spring (HRS) sales of 5.15 MMT are down 25 percent year over year and 7 percent below the 5-year average. Higher prices due to smaller 2017/18 production have slowed HRS exports thus far in 2017/18, but global demand for HRS is strong. Year-to-date in 2017/18, the average FOB price of HRS is $293 per metric ton ($7.97 per bushel), compared to $241 per metric ton ($6.55/bu) in 2016/17, according to USW Price Report data. As of Jan. 4, buyers in Japan purchased 878,000 MT, up 20 percent from 2016/17. Sales to Taiwan of 518,000 MT are up 17 percent from last year’s sales on the same date. The Philippines continues to import the largest volume of HRS, though at a 6 percent slower pace so far.

As of Jan. 4, exports of soft white (SW) wheat are up 22 percent year over year at 4.30 MMT. That is 28 percent greater than the 5-year average. Sales to the top 10 SW customers are ahead of last year’s pace, supporting an estimated export value of $896 million, up 25 percent from the prior year. Philippine millers purchased 946,000 MT, up 16 percent compared to last year’s sales on the same date. South Korean sales are up 43 percent at 674,000 MT. U.S. SW sales to China, Thailand and Indonesia are also up. Year-to-date, Indonesia has purchased 515,000 MT, compared to total 2016/17 purchases of 270,000 MT. Thailand sales are up 18 percent year over year at 217,000 MT. Chinese purchases of 306,000 MT are already greater than 2016/17 total SW sales.

Year to date durum exports total 272,000 MT, down 32 percent from the same time last year, and below the 5-year average, with tighter supplies and resulting higher prices. The average export price for U.S. durum is up 5 percent over last year at this time according to USW Price Report data. To date, Nigeria, the European Union (EU), Algeria and Guatemala are the top durum buyers. A significant portion of the first quarter 2017/18 sales is designated as “sales to unknown designations.

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Cold Temperatures in HRW Country Gets Attention; Dry Conditions Could Be Worse

Last week in the United States, the potential effects of severe cold over most of the U.S. hard red winter (HRW) and soft red winter (SRW) crops got the lion’s share of attention in media covering wheat production and markets.

To be sure, bitterly cold temperatures across the United States may have hurt some wheat in parts of the Plains, southern Midwest and Southeast without snow cover. A senior agricultural meteorologist was quoted saying “damage occurred in about a quarter of the hard red winter wheat belt in the Central Plains, with about 5 percent of the soft red wheat belt in the Midwest seeing impacts.”

Agronomists with Kansas State University confirmed that winter kill may be an issue in north central Kansas, where soil temperatures were sustained at potentially damaging levels for the longest time.

“It is difficult to truly assess the extent of the damage at this point,” they reported. “Provided that the crown is not damaged, the wheat will recover from this foliar damage in the spring with possibly little yield loss.”

Winter kill potential and the logistical problems with such cold did spark a brief uptick in KCBT and CBOT futures prices last week. Yet of all the threats to wheat, winter kill is not making the top of the list for farmers. What is keeping more of them up at night now is the lack of moisture.

“I think if we lose wheat, it will be from dry conditions rather than winter kill,” said Don Schieber, a Ponca City wheat farmer and a past chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates (USW). “Some of the wheat that was planted early is big, but some is hurting and turning blue. It is so dry that some farmers have stopped grazing their fields because the cattle are pulling whole wheat plants out of the ground.”

The National Agricultural Statistics Service indicates that drought conditions in Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle and much of southwestern and central Kansas are very dry, noting that for the month of December 2017, topsoil moisture in Kansas was rated 28 percent very short, 49 short, 23 adequate, with no surplus in the state. In northeastern Colorado, dry conditions increased concerns that cold snaps without the benefit of snow cover may have hurt fall-seeded HRW wheat.

Wheat is a hearty crop and Kansas State agronomists made the point that we will only be able to assess the true extent of any damage at spring green-up. But this continues to be a challenging season for HRW in the Plains.

On Jan. 9, Kansas Wheat Marketing Director Aaron Harries shared photos of a field of stunted wheat in south-central Kansas on Twitter that, he suggested, was “one of the better-looking fields in the area.” It was 65° F when he took the photo and wrote that “48 hours from now: 50 mph north wind and single digit temps with no snow cover – #sad, #drought, #prayforrain, @KansasWheat.

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The Year Ahead in Trade Policy

By Ben Conner, USW Director of Policy

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) prioritizes trade policies that support reducing the cost of getting wheat from U.S. farmers to their customers around the world. A time-tested method for doing that is through trade negotiations and agreements. USW will be looking for a more forward-looking trade negotiating agenda from the United States in the coming year, while holding our ground when we believe certain actions might raise the costs of wheat trade.

The biggest item on the trade policy agenda remains the negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). There are some notable improvements that can be made to the agreement through a modernization process, but the absolute priority for USW and most of U.S. agriculture is to prevent dissolution of the agreement – a potentially devastating blow to the U.S. farm sector and potentially to their customers in Mexico and Canada.

The agreement with South Korea (KORUS) is also on the agenda, but it is expected that the scope will be much more limited than the NAFTA negotiations. Hopefully the modification process for KORUS will help stave off a concerning push by some to withdraw entirely.

A serious problem to date is the lack of new bilateral trade agreement negotiations with potential trade agreement partners. KORUS was the last completed trade agreement the United States negotiated, and it was first signed in 2007. The United States continues to fall behind in trade negotiations with competitors in the European Union, Canada and elsewhere. Emphasizing this challenge will be an important priority of USW in 2018.

At the World Trade Organization (WTO), there will be continued fallout from the United States’ successful efforts to prevent a severe weakening of WTO rules in agriculture, which had the predictable but unfortunate effect of shutting down virtually all positive negotiations in this forum. In our view, this was a necessary development if the WTO can ever return to being a dynamic forum for trade negotiations. There will also be progress on the dispute settlement cases against some of China’s policies restricting wheat trade.

If nothing else, 2018 is shaping up to be another roller coaster year for trade policy. In addition to weighing in on the high-profile negotiations discussed above, USW will continue to work on a number of issues with individual markets on behalf of wheat farmers and buyers.

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Let’s Level the Playing Field for Wheat

By Gordon Stoner, President of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) and a wheat farmer from Outlook, Mont. This op-ed first appeared in “The Hill.”

The United States is known for producing the highest quality wheat in the world, yet when U.S. farmers market their wheat at a Canadian elevator, it is automatically labeled as “foreign wheat” and given the lowest possible grade (a way to measure grain quality). Cross-border wheat faces major hurdles in Canadian marketing channels, primarily due to the country’s grain grading system. Conversely, Canadian wheat has full access to the U.S. bulk grain handling system. U.S. wheat farmers should be treated the same when delivering to Canadian grain elevators as their neighbors to the north are when delivering to U.S. elevators. The modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a ripe opportunity to level the playing field.

I grow hard amber durum wheat primarily used in pasta production. This high-quality wheat class is valued for its premium protein and gluten strength, within 10 miles of the Canadian border. When prices are higher in Canada, it would not be difficult for me to take advantage of those price premiums and drive across the border to deliver my wheat. But until this grading issue is resolved, that is not an option. My neighbors just on the other side of the border do not have this problem; if prices are higher at a U.S. elevator, they can easily drive south to deliver their wheat. This kind of disparity is frustrating for farmers in Northern Tier states, especially given declining wheat prices and thin profit margins in recent years.

Canada’s grain policies require all wheat not grown domestically to be segregated and classified as “foreign grain” and therefore automatically demoted to “general purpose” or feed wheat. Canada’s grading system even discriminates against wheat grown in the United States that is identical to varieties of wheat approved for planting in Canada (Canada regulates the varieties of wheat plants that can be graded, unlike the United States, where we only grade based on the intrinsic properties of the grain). Such classification results in a substantial price discount regardless of the quality of the wheat, and segregation costs provide little incentive for elevators to handle U.S. wheat of equal or better quality.

An updated NAFTA should remove Canada’s discriminatory grading treatment. All U.S. wheat moving into Canada should be evaluated on quality parameters without regard to country of origin. Canada’s policies are clearly national treatment issues, which Canada has a current obligation to resolve under its World Trade Organization commitments. However, NAFTA can also be the vehicle to fix the grading issue. Canada’s grain policies deprive U.S. wheat farmers near the border of significant marketing opportunities, while millions of bushels of Canadian wheat stream uninterrupted across the border.

Trade agreements have the potential to create a level playing field where individuals, families and companies can make their own decisions about what to buy and sell. The role of trade agreements is to provide that opportunity, and that benefits both U.S. wheat buyers and wheat producers. Industry groups on both side of the border agree that this is an issue that needs to be resolved.

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World Wheat Conditions Roundup

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst

With the Northern Hemisphere 2017/18 wheat crop now safely in the bin, all eyes are now watching Southern Hemisphere harvest progress and the condition of the Northern Hemisphere’s winter wheat. Here are brief summaries of current harvest progress and winter wheat crop conditions around the world.

Southern Hemisphere Harvest.

Argentina. On Dec. 7, Bolsa de Cereales, the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange, reported Argentine wheat harvest is 45 percent complete, up from 31 percent complete last week and significantly ahead of last year’s pace. To date, Argentinian farmers have harvested 6.10 MMT with an average yield of 2.56 metric tons (MT) per hectare (38.1 bu/acre). Bolsa forecasts total Argentine wheat production at 17.0 MMT. If realized, that would be 8 percent below 2016/17, but 34 percent above the 5-year average.

Australia. According to Grain Central, an Australian farm publication, harvest has resumed after heavy rains fell last week on mature wheat, damaging yield potential and quality. The Australia Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) forecast 2017/18 Australian wheat production to fall 20.3 MMT. If realized, that would be 20 percent below the 5-year average.

Northern Hemisphere Winter Wheat Planted Area and Conditions.

European Union. Strategie Grains forecast 2018/19 European Union (EU) planted winter wheat area at 23.3 million hectares (57.5 million acres), down slightly from 2017/18 due to reduced planted area in the Baltic States. Dry conditions in Spain, which hindered wheat emergence this fall were also noted. On Dec. 13, FranceAgriMer rated 95 percent of French winter wheat in good to excellent condition in its last crop condition report for 2017.

Russia. Russian farmers planted winter grains on 17.1 million hectares (42.2 million acres) for 2018/19, down 1 percent from the prior year according to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture. In recent years, winter wheat accounted for an estimated 87 percent of winter grain planted area. Reuters reports that additional snow is needed to protect the crops and replenish soil moisture after a dry autumn.

Ukraine. UkrAgroConsult reported winter wheat planted area for 2018/19 at 5.9 million hectares (14.6 million acres), down 3 percent from 2017/18 due to unfavorable planting conditions. Forty-seven percent of winter grains were rated in good condition, up from 38 percent in 2016. The share of winter grains rated as satisfactory is 36 percent, compared to 45 percent last year.

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Wheat Futures Tumble, While Protein Premiums Soar

By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USW Market Analyst

As the Dec. 12 World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate (WASDE) confirms, global wheat supplies are at a record high this year. USDA increased its estimate for 2017/18 global wheat production to 755 million metric tons (MMT), up slightly from 2016/17 and a new record high. If realized, it would be the fifth consecutive year of increased global wheat production.

The record large global wheat production has pressured U.S. wheat futures to six and twelve-month lows. Since the beginning of the 2017/18 marketing year, the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soft red winter (SRW) wheat futures and the Kansas City Board of Trade (KCBT) hard red winter (HRW) wheat futures have fallen 37 cents and 32 cents, respectively to levels not seen since last December. The Minneapolis Grain Exchange (MGEX) hard red spring (HRS) wheat futures climbed in July, supported by concerns over severe drought in the U.S. Northern Plains, but has since fallen to within 14 cents of the June 2 price. This decline in wheat futures prices represents a significant opportunity for customers to lock in low futures values to hedge the risk of growing protein premiums due to the tight global supply of high protein wheat.

The USDA report also noted that lower year over year wheat production for 2017/18 was reported in Canada, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and the United States, and is also expected in Australia. This is important for customers needing high protein wheat, because nearly all the world’s high protein wheat exports (13 percent protein on a 12 percent moisture basis (mb) or higher) originate from those five countries plus Russia.

While Russian wheat yields exceeded expectations and boosted total production, high protein wheat supplies are very limited according to the Federal Centre of Grain Quality and Safety Assurance for Grain and Grain Products (Centre) preliminary data for winter wheat. According to Centre data, 25 percent of samples graded as Russian 3rd class wheat (10.5 to 11.9 percent protein on a 12 percent mb); 44 percent of the samples graded as Russian 4th class wheat (8.8 to 10.5 percent protein on a 12 percent mb); and 31 percent as 5th class wheat (feed wheat). Less than 1 percent of samples graded as Russian 2nd class wheat (11.9 to 12.8 percent protein on a 12 percent mb).

With global high protein wheat supplies shrinking for the second consecutive year and demand continuing to be strong, the premium between MGEX and KCBT wheat futures has continued to widen. In 2016/17, the inter-market spread between MGEX and KCBT averaged $1.05 compared to just 40 cents the prior marketing year. Year to date in 2017/18, the MGEX to KCBT spread averages $2.09.

The demand for higher protein wheat also supports HRW protein export basis spreads, which have widened significantly this year at both Gulf and Pacific Northwest (PNW) ports. Over the past 15 years, the average premium for 12 percent protein (12 percent mb) at the Gulf has been 14 cents per bushel. This year that premium is $1.96 per bushel. The 15-year average premium for 12 percent protein HRW at the PNW is $1.09 per bushel. Since the beginning of the 2016/17 marketing year on June 1, that average premium is $1.94 per bushel.

Despite the increased premiums for high protein HRW and HRS, a review of USDA Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) data reveals an increased percentage of high protein exports. Seventy-seven percent of 2017/18 HRS exports have at least 14 percent protein (12 percent mb), compared to the 5-year average of 70 percent. The percentage of HRW exports of 13 percent protein and above (12 percent mb) is double the 5-year average.

With six months left in the marketing year, many customers are securing their high protein wheat demands for the year. While premiums for high protein continue to grow, U.S. wheat futures markets have fallen for four straight weeks, which offers a good opportunity for customers to lock in the lowest HRS futures prices seen since June and the lowest SRW and HRW futures prices since last December.

Please call your local U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) representative if you have any questions about the U.S. wheat marketing system or U.S. wheat supply.

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Hoping the Good News on EU Re-registration of Glyphosate is Not Meaningless

By Ben Conner, USW Director of Policy

Many European farmers breathed a sigh of relief this week as the European Commission chose to extend registration of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate for five years. But farmers in Europe and elsewhere around the world are justifiably worried about the challenges represented by the European Union’s pesticide policy.

The extension of glyphosate approval is good news — even a bit surprising. The European Food Safety Authority has been emphatic in its position that glyphosate presents no human safety hazard when used in compliance with regulations. Yet the Commission only extended the registration for five years based only on a political compromise rather than sound scientific evidence or and accepted risk assessment standards. The activists trying to derail the glyphosate approval process are ignoring the integrity of that agency’s risk assessment process, which undermine the principles of scientific approaches to regulation.

The fight over glyphosate re-registration is symptomatic of broader concerns about pesticide policies in the European Union. Its so-called “hazard-based” approach to registration of certain pesticides and innovative plant breeding ignores scientific risk assessments that lead to standards for proper use of pesticides. This creates a greater risk of major trade disruptions, potentially including wheat and certainly including other food ingredients.

It should be noted that there are many well-meaning individuals who are sincerely concerned about the safety of their food supply and environment. As the father of two small children, I can certainly understand that. But to my mind, being able to put food on the table and ensure our planet can support future generations clearly outweighs immeasurably small odds of harm. My children deserve to live in a world that is willing to thoughtfully evaluate the risks and rewards of progress, based not on fear, but rather on accepted scientific evidence and standards.

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