Robb Fraley isn’t our typical SMART Farmer, but after growing up on a small Illinois farm, his work has helped farmers around the world produce food more sustainably with science and technology that has helped increase yields by decreasing threats to crops. That technology is genetic modification of plants, creating GMO crops that are resistance to insects and disease, able to tolerate extreme variations in climate, and even provide human health benefits.
As executive vice president and chief technology officer for Monsanto Company, Fraley has made a commitment to broader open dialogue to address consumer concerns innovations in agriculture, including biotechnology, and one way Monsanto has done that is to help the efforts of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA). “Working together as an industry we need to share more background and more information on food innovation and GMO safety with the millions of people out there who have legitimate questions,” Fraley said.
Listen to our SMART farmer conversation with Robb Fraley – SMART Farmer Podcast with Robb Fraley, Monsanto