By being innovative and progressive, California has remained the leading agricultural state in the nation for more than 60 years. Our belief in the advancement of research and the development of new sciences has improved our farming practices and the quality of our products. The use of biotechnology allows growers to produce more crops on less land and to reduce the use of crop protection materials and fuel. In recent years, efforts by activist organizations to ban biotech crops via the ballot box have raised the question as to whether or not biotech crops are safe. The Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and health agencies around the world say they are in fact safe to consume--and based on the defeat of several county ballot campaigns, voters think so, too.