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Juan (Johnny) Avellaneda


Major Crops: Corn, soybeans, cotton

Farm Size: 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares)

Years Farming: 30+

First Planted Biotech Crops: 1996

Favorite Benefits: Food security for humanity.  Higher yields.  Innovative technology.

Family: Married, five children

I like farming with new expectations.
I like farming with new expectations.
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AVELLANEDA DISCUSSES ADVANTAGES OF GMO CROPS
Cites Increased Yields, More Time with Family and Potential for Better Food Security

Argentine farmers are principal adopters of genetically modified (GM) crops — growing more than 42 million acres (17 million hectares) in 2005.  After more than 30 years of farming, Argentine family farmer Johnny Avellaneda was one of the first adopters — planting and experiencing the advantages of GMO crops when they became available in 1996.

"Biotechnology, I think is something very important. ... And, Argentina was one of the countries that accepted this knowledge more rapidly," says Avellaneda, who today farms approximately 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of GMO corn, cotton and soybeans. “90 percent of our corn is Bt. ... In soybeans, it’s extraordinary.”

The advantages of GMO crops have been tremendous for farmers in Argentina. Between 1996 and 2004, farmers in Argentina boosted their net farm income by US$10.1 billion growing biotech crops.  “If you do things, the right seed and the right moment, it makes a hell of a difference in yields,” says Avellaneda.  “I would say we’ve had in some small places, the highest yields in the world.”

However, as a husband and father of five, Avellaneda finds some of the greatest advantages of GMO to be the simplicity of the crop and potential to increase food security.  “And here, with this kind of technology also, you should use half of the hours of tractors in the field.  So someone will be more in his house, I would say, with his family.

“I believe that technology can do a lot of things. ... It will help humanity,” continues Avellaneda.  “That is why I don’t see why there are a lot of people that are against this biotechnology.”

© 2006 Monsanto Company.  All rights reserved.  The copyright holder consents to the use of this material and the images in the published context only and solely for the purpose of promoting the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.

Video Transcript



They call me Johnny Avellaneda. … I work on a family farm, a big farm.  And since the beginning, I was very enthusiastic working in high technology.  If we didn’t have technology, I wouldn’t be working on the farm. … 

… Biotechnology, I think is something very important. … And, Argentina was one of the countries that accepted this knowledge more rapidly. … 

… 90 percent of our corn is Bt. … In soybeans, it’s extraordinary. … 

… If you do things, the right seed and the right moment, it makes a hell of a difference in yields. … 

… I would say we’ve had in some small places, the highest yields in the world. … 

… I believe that technology can do a lot of things. … It will help humanity. … 

… And here, with this kind of technology also, you should use half of the hours of tractors in the field.  So someone will be more in his house, I would say, with his family. … 

… That’s why I don’t see why there are a lot of people that are against this biotechnology. …

… I think it’s important to have your mind open to new things. … I like investigation.  I like farming with new expectations.

© 2005 Monsanto Company.  All rights reserved.  The copyright holder consents to the use of this material and the images in the published context only and solely for the purpose of promoting the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.