Print This PageBiotechnology
What has come to be called "biotechnology", the genetic manipulation of agricultural products, is nothing new. Indeed, it may be one of the oldest human activities. For thousands of years, from the time human communities began to settle in one place, cultivate crops and farm the land, humans have manipulated the genetic nature of the crops and animals they raise. Crops have been bred to improve yields, enhance taste and extend the growing season.
Each of the 15 major crop plants, which provide 90 per cent of the globe's food and energy intake, has been extensively manipulated, hybridised, inter-bred and modified over the millennia by countless generations of farmers intent on producing crops in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
Today, biotechnology holds promise for consumers seeking quality, safety and health benefits in their food choices; for farmers seeking new methods to improve their productivity and profitability; and for governments and non-governmental public advocates seeking to stave off global hunger, assure environmental quality, preserve bio-diversity and promote health and food safety.
Conversations about Plant Biotechnology
To hear about the benefits of genetically modified foods and crops from people who know best – the farmers and families who grow GM crops and the experts who research and study the benefits of biotechnology in agriculture.
The global population is projected to be nine billion by the year 2050. This trend, combined with dietary shifts taking place in emerging economies, means that to meet the world's food demand, agriculture must double food production. Experts predict that we need to produce as much food in the next 40 years as was produced the previous 10,000 years. The food must be produced in a manner that conserves resources.
At the same time, we must address the needs of farmers around the world, particularly those resource-poor farmers who live on less than $1 a day.
After a decade of use on more than two billion acres, plant biotechnology delivers proven economic and environmental benefits, a solid record of safe use and promising products for our future.
