Applications of biotechnology in agriculture are in their infancy. Most current genetically-enhanced plant varieties are modified only for a single trait, such as herbicide tolerance or pest resistance. The rapid progress being made in genomics may enhance plant breeding to help secure better and more consistent yields. This would be of great benefit to those farming marginal lands worldwide. Arable land is disappearing and even if every acre is maximized using conventional agriculture, we start to come up short if we have to feed 8 billion people in 2025 and beyond.
Valuable work is already well underway on a number of fronts.
The following examples represent the breadth of work and organizations involved. The Rockefeller Foundation is addressing many of the food supply needs in developing economies. In India, scientists have added two genes to rice which appear to help the plant survive being submerged for long periods, a common problem in Asia. A team of scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has inserted seven new genes into rice. These genes, which come from different plant and microbial sources, encode enzymes and proteins that give rice the ability to make beta carotene and also allow the kernels to accumulate extra iron in a form that the human body can better absorb.