The American Soybean Association (ASA),  as part of the larger U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA), sent a letter this morning to leadership at Dannon in response to the company’s recent pledge to eliminate the use of safe and proven agricultural biotechnology to feed the dairy cows that supply milk for its yogurt products.

Together with fellow USFRA members, ASA in the letter urged Dannon and other food companies to recognize that their sustainability goals, intended to reduce the use of natural resources, cannot be achieved without the use of modern agricultural practices, despite any misleading assertions to the contrary. Dannon is one of several prominent food manufacturers and retailers that in recent years have taken steps to eliminate genetically-modified ingredients (GMOs) from its supply, claiming that such a move improves the sustainability of its products.

In the letter, the groups argued that Dannon’s strategy to eliminate GMOs “is the exact opposite of the sustainable agriculture that [Dannon] claim[s] to be seeking. [Dannon’s] pledge would force farmers to abandon safe, sustainable farming practices that have enhanced farm productivity over the last 20 years while greatly reducing the carbon footprint of American agriculture.”

“Just as every one of our farmers believes strongly in sustainable biotechnology, we also believe in the competition of a free market,” said ASA President Richard Wilkins, a farmer from Greenwood, Del,“But Dannon isn’t competing in good faith; Dannon is making false marketing claims to boost the sale of its products. We can’t afford to stand by and allow this technology to be further denigrated by untruthful claims like Dannon’s.”

During the last 20 years, advancements in agricultural technology have allowed farmers to use less pesticides and herbicides, fossil fuels, and water, and prevent the loss of soil to erosion. Taking away this technology is akin to turning back the clock and using outdated technology to run a business. Additionally, numerous studies over the last 20 years prove the safety of GMO food and the environmental benefits of growing GM crops, and most recently, 109 Nobel laureates announced their support of GMO technology.