Plant Biotechnology Can Enhance Food Security and Nutrition in the Developing World Part 1.

The world’s demand for food production will increase markedly in the coming years. Meeting this demand will require that we employ all manner of approaches, including the use of biotechnology, to produce results that cannot be achieved using traditional methods. This 2-part article reviews ongoing experiences in developing countries where crop biotechnology is being used to enhance the availability and/or nutritional value of local crops.

The developing world benefits from plant biotechnology.

This article presents the view that the developing world benefits from plant biotechnology. To support this view, evidence is presented showing that plant biotechnology has already had a beneficial impact on millions of farmers of the developing world who have chosen to grow Bt cotton, resulting in fewer pesticide sprayings and increased yields and profits. Leaders, scientists, and farmers in developing countries have expressed their need for plant biotechnology, and in some developing countries, ongoing projects are applying plant biotechnology to improve indigenous crops.

The application of biotechnology to nutrition: an overview.

Crop biotechnology is being used in two major ways to enhance human nutrition: to improve global food security by making more food available, especially locally grown and familiar foods in the developing world, and by enhancing the nutritional composition of foods that would interest both the developed and developing worlds. Since the first commercialized products of biotechnology are major commodity crops grown primarily in the US, Canada and Argentina (soybeans, corn, canola and cotton), there is concern about whether and when crop biotechnology will help the developing world. There are, however, several on-going projects in Africa, SE Asia and Latin America where crop biotechnology is being used to enhance locally grown crops.