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Al Skogen


Major Crops: Soybeans, corn, wheat

Farm Size: 6,000 acres (2400 hectares)

Years Farming: 30+

First Planted Biotech Crops: 1998

Favorite Benefits: More choices.  More efficiency.  Less tillage.

Family: Married, three children

The environment is probably one of the greatest benefactors.
The environment is probably one of the greatest benefactors.
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Video Transcript


I’m Al Skogen, and I’ve been farming here for about 30, 35 years.  Actually living in the house that I grew up in.

...there’s a misperception out there about who’s producing the food today.  And our farm is very typical of the type of farm that is producing the bulk of the food for the world I believe.  It is a family farm.  My son farms.  My brother farms with me. ...

... And you see how the new technologies that are – that have – evolved in just the last few years, and then you start to envision what’s into the future.  And I think that we’re just going to become more and more efficient.  We’re going to be – we’re going to become more and more environmentally sensitive...

And it’s all due to the new technologies.  And that transition is just going to continue to take place...

...there’s two huge benefits that ... that roll right into the consumer. ... And one of them is food safety.  And the other one is the environment. ...

... And, we’re very careful about what we do in terms of safety – be it crop safety or safety in our own – for ourselves. ...

Through the advent of genetic modification of plants, which is allowing us to minimize our chemical use and so on, we’ve actually improved consumer safety tremendously. ... And I’m sure of this.  There’s not a case in the world where there’s been any health problems associated with biotechnology. ...

... And ... it’s not just a small benefit to the environment through this new technology.  It’s – it really is huge.  There’s no-till and minimum–till operations have just overtaken the landscape.  Things that we just couldn’t do before without these technologies.

... There’s less soil erosion, wind erosion. ...

...which is a great advantage to our water supply and a whole host of other things.  So I think the environment is probably one of the greatest benefactors. ...

...the technology that I have seen in the last 30, 35 years since I began to farm has been just amazing.  But I think what my son’s going to experience is going to be even more amazing. ...

... People are always going to need what we have to produce.  And I don’t say that from a market opportunity sense.  I say that from a – from a responsibility sense.  That it is our responsibility to see to it that this world gets fed.  And we take that responsibility seriously.

© 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.