The Potential of Biotechnology to Promote Agricultural Development and Food Security

To satisfy the food demand of—and provide purchasing power to—the additional two billion people to be born in the next 30 years, mostly in developing countries, technological innovation, be it biotechnology and/or genetic engineering, is required to improve agricultural productivity. In fact, some technological advanced developing countries are not only applying the diverse range of biotechnology tools in agricultural research but also allowing the cultivation of the controversial genetically modified (GM) crops. There is also increasing evidence that the first generation of GM crops, developed for industrial agriculture, is having positive impacts on smallholders in some developing countries. Most importantly, biotechnology tools allow tremendous progress in tackling major production constraints that conventional means have failed to solve, such as biotic stress caused by diseases and insect pests and abiotic stresses caused by high temperature, salinity, drought, flooding, and problem soils. Preliminary research also indicates that GM technology can help to raise yield potential and produce crops that are more efficient in nutrient uptake, thus reducing not only fertilizer requirements but also food production costs, hence lowering food prices and making food more affordable to more people and contributing to food security and agricultural development.