In particular, GM technology, coupled with important developments in other areas, should be used to increase the production of main food staples, improve the efficiency of production, reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, and provide access to food for small-scale farmers. As the report above makes clear, biotechnology has the potential to be a very valuable tool in the development of new crop varieties that can reduce hunger, enhance health and nutrition, preserve the environment, and improve the lot of farmers in developing countries. Researchers around the world, not just in the U.S. but also in Kenya, India, Mexico and the Philippines, are developing staple crops that are able to resist disease and survive harsh conditions such as drought and floods. By increasing crop yields biotechnology could reduce the food shortages that lead to hunger. Each year, nearly one million child deaths and 14 million cases of child blindness and other eye problems are linked to vitamin A deficiency, particularly in poor nations.
Research is underway to enhance the vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient content in many other crops.
Biotechnology allows farmers to reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides that harm the environment. Reduced herbicide and pesticide use means a smaller risk of toxic contamination of both surface and groundwater. In addition, the herbicides that are used on genetically engineered plants are often safer for farmers and the environment than those they replace. Biotech crops may also reduce the need for tillage and other farming practices that result in soil loss. The United States is committed to the safe use of biotechnology U.S. regulatory authorities constantly evaluate procedures for ensuring the safety of biotech products.