Rice is a particularly important food source for Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
In fact, rice provides half of the world's people with 80 percent of their diets. More research is needed to focus the benefits of biotechnology on poor farmers and consumers in developing countries. Genetic research can assist the development of crops that need fewer expensive inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers. This research could also boost productivity, which would increase farmers' incomes and make food more affordable for poor people. Research to enhance the nutritional content of staple foods is especially important for developing countries, where more than half of the population suffers from deficiencies in micronutrients, such as vitamin A and iron.