Biotechnology provides new and powerful tools for research and for accelerating the development of new and better foods. The benefits of biotechnology are many and include providing resistance to crop pests to improve production and reduce chemical pesticide usage, thereby making major improvements in both food quality and nutrition. In addition to safer foods, biotechnology also has the potential to bring about the creation of more nutritious foods. Genetic modification offers the opportunity to decrease or eliminate the protein allergens that occur naturally in foods. An example is the development of a genetically modified rice variety developed through anti-sense technology, which dramatically reduced levels of the major rice allergen.
Agricultural biotechnology holds promise for a hungry and ecologically fragile world.
The development of new crop varieties that offer increased yields, reduced inputs, and offer specialized traits that meet end-user needs is merely the starting point. It is the position of The American Dietetic Association that biotechnology techniques have the potential to be useful in enhancing the quality, nutritional value, and variety of food available for human consumption and in increasing the efficiency of food production, food processing food distribution, and waste management. With this powerful new genetic knowledge, scientists have the capability to pack large amounts of technology into a single seed. We are increasingly encouraged that the advantages of genetic engineering of plants and animals are greater than the risks. The risks should be carefully followed through openness, analysis and controls, but without a sense of alarm.