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Terry Wanzek


Major Crops: Corn, soybeans, barley, wheat

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

Years Farming: 30+

First Planted Biotech Crops: 1999

Favorite Benefits: More time with family, better for the environment, productivity gains

Family: Married, 3 children

Notable: North Dakota State Senator, Vice Chairman of the North Dakota State Senate Agricultural Committee

What are the risks of not moving forward with biotechnology?
What are the risks of not moving forward with biotechnology?
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Video Transcript


My name is Terry Wanzek. I'm a husband and a father. …

At one point here about two years ago, ... my wife came up and gave me a hug and says, "You know what is it? We farm even more acres than you used to, yet it seems like we have more free time. ... And it's like we're more of a family, and we have more time together."

I said, "You really want to know? ... It's biotech." … It's allowed us again to get closer to family. …. I get to know my kids. I think it improves the quality of their life as well. They get to see Dad more often. I think my wife would recall the days when I didn't come home till 10 o'clock at night. …

Those of us who farm care deeply about, you know, the total environment – the total surroundings. If we contaminate or destroy or ruin our soils and our environment, we only hurt ourselves. … We have a vested interest in seeing that there's good stewardship and good environmental practices occurring in our farms. …

… Everybody questions, "What's … the risk of biotechnology?" Well, I would like to rephrase the question and ask them, "What are the risks of not moving forward with biotechnology?"

In my mind, we face a much greater risk of not moving forward. Where all of a sudden, we could be faced with the inability to produce the food that this world's going to need. …

The only other alternative to productivity gains through technology is to farm more land to feed the world. And when you go out and start tilling or plowing more vulnerable, fragile land, you're exposing the environment to risk. …

I just can't imagine sitting on my porch some day in my rocking chair telling my grandkids that I fought biotech.To me, it'll sound as absurd as saying — I fought Louis Pasteur, or I fought Thomas Edison.

© 2008 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.