Washington, D.C. (October 28, 2022) – BIO is disappointed to hear Mexico intends to proceed with its plan to arbitrarily restrict imports of biotech corn. While Mexico states that Brazil, Argentina, and other countries may appear to be alternative sources of non-biotech corn, supplies are not enough to replace current biotech corn exports to Mexico, which would adversely impact food security and raise prices for Mexican consumers as highlighted in a recent study from BIO and Mexican and U.S. food and agriculture stakeholders.   The fact is 93 percent of U.S. corn production is genetically engineered, while 92 percent of Argentina’s and 88 percent of Brazil’s corn production is biotech. Farmers there and in the U.S. have overwhelmingly adopted biotech traits because of their outstanding yields and environmental benefits compared to non-biotech corn, and they have no interest in going backward due to Mexico’s rejection of science.   We urge U.S. and Mexican agriculture and trade officials to resolve this issue before it’s too late to prevent a food security crisis for the Mexican people.  

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) and the Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) today released new data on the bioscience industry in the United States.The new report, The U.S. Bioscience Industry: Fostering Innovation and Driving America’s Economy Forward, examines the bioscience industry’s economic performance and its footprint across the nation and individual states during the COVID-19 pandemic.Some key takeaways:The nation’s bioscience industry employed 2.1 million employees across more than 127,000 U.S. business establishments in 2021.As the overall economy shed 1.5% of it’s job base, the biosciences industry increased employment by 11% since 2018.In total, the bioscience industry’s economic impact on the U.S. economy amounted to $2.9 trillion dollars in 2021, as measured by overall output.Biotech companies – especially small – and mid-sized – undertook a monumental effort to develop COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics; there are 747 novel compounds in development currently.“This data highlights the vital role U.S. bioscience companies have in creating jobs and stimulating the economy. The report further shows the industry’s enormous role in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, both in terms of getting life-saving therapies and vaccines to patients, as well as economic recovery,” said Pete Pellerito, BIO Senior Policy Adviser for Federal and State Economic Development and Technology Transfer Initiatives.“Even during the pandemic, bioscience employment grew as other industrial sectors faltered. Looking forward, the industry will continue to play a critical role, not only in addressing global health challenges but in helping to grow the U.S. economy by generating high-quality jobs,” said Ryan Helwig, Principal and Project Director with TEConomy Partners.The state-by-state industry assessment is the tenth in a biennial series, developed in partnership by TEConomy Partners and BIO, and studies the state of the U.S. bioscience…