Gary Hartnell, Ph.D.

Former Senior Fellow, Monsanto Company

Company Expert Monsanto

Expert Bio

I have been connected to agriculture for over 60 years. I grew up on a farm in Southeastern Wisconsin where we had dairy and beef cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, rabbits and a horse. We raised alfalfa, corn, oats and wheat. My desire to help the farming community overcome obstacles led me to obtain a Ph.D. in Dairy Science from the University of Wisconsin with a focus on nutrition. I’ve spent the majority of my career working as an animal nutritionist for Monsanto. I’ve also served in leadership roles on scientific society boards and church boards. Above all, I am devoted to providing an abundant, affordable and safe food supply for this world but especially for my wife, children, and grandchildren.

Studies, Articles and Answers

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Question

Q: I understand GM maize is grown in the US for cattle feed. Is any of this sold to the UK agricultural sector for cattle feed? And if so, it is known that maize has a deficit of certain nutrients [which necessitate cattle fed on maize being also fed supplem

Answered By Gary Hartnell, Ph.D. - Jan 17, 2014

A: Thanks for your question. I’m going to break down my response to make sure I answer all of your points. First, contrary to some Internet rumors, GM maize is not just used for animal feed in the United States. GM maize is grown for the same uses as non-GM maize, and they are no different in their nutrient composition. According to USDA, approximately 45 percent of corn grown in the United States is used as feed for animals. In animal nutrition, individual feeds that make up the total diet are selected for specific reasons. The nutritional reason animals are fed maize is [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety

Question

Q: Few years back it was alleged that cattle which grazed in Bt Cotton field died in some villages in Andhra Pradhesh India ( How ever no such incidents reported any where else ). How far this allegation by the activists sustainable?

Answered By Gary Hartnell, Ph.D. - Aug 21, 2013

A: I think the allegation that you are referring to is one from 2006 by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) Sheep Growers association, which alleged that more than 10,000 sheep/goats died after eating Bt cotton leaves. It was unfortunate that farmers lost that number of animals. However, there are several interesting points about the allegations: There was no actual data presented that showed that Bt cotton was the cause of death. It was an easy correlation for the activists groups to make simply because there was Bt cotton grown in parts of the area where the a [...]

GMO Basics Health & Safety