For instance, take the tomato. Often, enzymes synthesized by the tomato causes them to spoil much before they reach the consumer. And in countries like India, where transportation of harvested crops is not streamlined, this spells disaster. Thus, a delayed ripening of the plant by introducing artificial genes gives them a longer shelf life. Another latent advantage is the improved crop yield.
More agricultural yield is absolutely necessary to feed the growing population of India.
And here s where biotechnology can help. Transgenic plants also have the potential to address malnutrition a problem commonly faced in developing countries. European researchers have reported that they had succeeded in incorporating three transgenes into rice that enabled the plants to manufacture beta-carotene. Such golden rice may be a useful tool to treat Vitamin A deficiency in young children. Scientists in the US meanwhile have developed a potato that can act as a vaccine against the Hepatitis B virus.