Biotechnology can also help reduce pressure on tropical rain forests. Biotechnology can enhance agricultural productivity, thereby reducing the need to clear forests for farmland in many parts of the world. Another very important benefit of biotechnology is its contribution to the fight against world hunger. If we hope to feed an increasing world population, we must increase crop yields per acre. Biotechnology offers the potential to increase yields by reducing crops lost to pests and disease and by producing crops that can tolerate a wider variety of soil and climate conditions.
Biotechnology can also help address critical issues of malnutrition worldwide.
Scientists in both the developed and developing world are working to add critical vitamins and micronutrients and even vaccines to stable crops. At the same time as we pursue the benefits of technology, we also must manage the risks. Like any new technology, biotechnology presents risks that must be addressed. In the United States, we have a regulatory system that is doing that and doing that effectively. Refinement and improvements are always needed, and we are always looking for ways to improve the regulatory system and to address risks as they emerge.