Food biotechnology, for example, is already boosting production of legumes, a major dietary staple in the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. Projections say biotechnology could boost food productivity in the developing world by 25 percent, feeding more people while consuming fewer natural resources. The European corn borer destroys nearly a third of the world's corn crop every year. But biotechnology crops can be produced with genetic characteristics that enable them to resist pests and disease, improving crop yields while reducing the need for chemical sprays. Biotechnology corn, which is already widely used in the United States, produces its own insecticide.
Research is under way on virus-resistant strains of sweet potatoes and other crops.
And biotechnology can also retard spoilage by allowing foods to ripen more slowly, a potentially life-saving innovation in developing nations that lack refrigeration. Biotechnology also could alleviate the epidemic of malnutrition by making crops that are already dietary staples more nutritious. Jennifer A. Thomson heads the department of microbiology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.