This has to take place at a time when attention to agricultural development and rural well-being has been curtailed both in terms of government support and development assistance. An essential aspect of response to this challenge is to harness all instruments of sustainable agricultural growth. Agriculture biotechnology is one such instrument. Biotechnology is not the silver bullet for achieving food security. However, used in combination with conventional agricultural research methods, biotechnology can help develop crops that are higher yielding and require fewer inputs, such as fertilizers.
Biotechnology also offers other potential benefits for poor people in developing countries.
Often women toil in the fields for hours ever day pulling up weeds. Crops can be genetically engineered to have built-in resistance to weeds and pests. Planting these crops would decrease the workload of women, so they would have more time for child care, a critical factor in reducing early childhood malnutrition. But sharing the benefits of biotechnology with the developing world is not enough. And Canada is taking an active role in doing just that.