The US believes that we should pursue the benefits of biotechnology, not just the risks. Biotechnology offers tremendous benefits for the environment and for the fight to eradicate hunger and meet the vital nutritional needs of poor people around the world. Biotechnology has already shown that it can reduce the need for pesticides in some parts of the United States, particularly areas where BT cotton is being grown. This, of course, can lead to reduced runoff and contamination. It also helps protect human health by reducing exposure of agricultural workers to chemicals that are by definition toxic.
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.