However, in recent months, this issue has been the focus of an international debate. Concerns about the safety of biotechnology have been the main focus of the argument. Many of the issues raised are based on speculation and emotion, rather than on sound science. The following seeks to shed some light and provide the science behind some of the key questions being asked about food biotechnology. The application of biotechnology to crops and food is very different from traditional agricultural methods.
Biotechnology is an evolution of traditional agricultural methods.
In the past 10,000 years people have routinely used their knowledge of plants to improve food production. Biotechnology is simply the latest development in the evolution of agricultural methods. Farmers used to rely on plant breeding to add, or eliminate, specific genetic traits in a plant. For example, corn today looks nothing like it did one hundred years ago because of plant breeding. Genetic enhancement, a key feature of modern agricultural biotechnology, is a more efficient and precise way to achieve the benefits of crop improvement.