Joel Ebbertt
Farmland Industries, Inc.

In this paper, the initial impact of biotechnology in the grain industry is discussed. It is argued that the expected “going-in” value of grains bioengineered for quality improvements has not been fully realized. Anticipation of this value, however, has induced innovation for more cost-effective ways of extracting added value from common grains through information technologies. In the future, however, the emergence of higher-value grains will lead to the expected value creation; and will promote the development of high-efficiency, dedicated processing facilities that promote the extension of value through to the end customer.
Key words: Biotechnology; value-added; grain processing.