Use of genetically modified (GM) seeds is on the rise among U.S. farmers, according to an informal poll conducted at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting. The survey questioned 321 farmers without regard to farm size, state, or other criteria; the results suggest that GM corn plantings will soar this year, and that GM soybean plantings will also increase. Plantings of GM cotton will decline, but that is primarily due to a world cotton glut. The increase in the popularity of GM crops in the U.S. comes despite resistance from Asian and European agricultural organizations, farmers, and consumers, all of whom have thrown up obstacles to importing, planting, growing, or purchasing GM foods.
