The U.S. Grains Council, along with the National Corn Growers Association, MAIZAR, representing Argentina producers and the maize supply chain, and ABRAMILHO, the Brazilian Association of Corn Producers, have signed a memorandum of understanding to form an alliance of North and South American corn producers to collaborate on a global basis to address key issues concerning food security, biotechnology, stewardship, trade and producer image. The organizations will function under the name MAIZALL - The International Maize Alliance.
The primary focus of the new alliance is to emphasize the need for better consumer understanding of production agriculture, including the benefits of biotechnology and advancing the global acceptance on the capacity to produce maize for feed, food and fuel. MAIZALL will also conduct outreach to governments and stakeholders on the need for trade-enabling biotechnology policies and regulatory procedures.
Signatories to the memorandum representing the producer organizations included Don Fast, chairman, USGC; Pam Johnson, president, NCGA; Alberto Morelli, chairman, MAIZAR; and Sergio Luiz Bortolozzo, 2nd vice president, ABRAMILHO. The MAIZALL alliance was launched as part of the MAIZAR 2013 Congress meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
"As both populations and economies continue to grow, the global middle class is expanding rapidly," said Fast. "The world population is expected to increase more than 30 percent in the next 40 years, from 7 billion in 2012 to more than 9 billion in 2050. The increase in population and buying power has led to an ever-growing demand for maize and other food and feed ingredients as diets are improving globally."
As the world's population increases, farmers in exporting countries will be challenged to grow more with less while improving stewardship and sustainability. "In the three countries where it is embraced, biotechnology has boosted yields and grain quality, reduced the intensity of chemical and fertilizer application, conserved soil, organic content and moisture, and enhanced returns to producers," said Morelli. "Agricultural biotechnology is a critical component of the larger bio-economy that is necessary to sustainably provide for the needs of the growing global population and mitigate the impacts of climate change."
