Prospects for agricultural biotechnology to 2030

Abstract

Though not a silver bullet, agricultural biotechnologies represent an important tool for meeting future food demand. Transgenic and non-transgenic biotechnologies are used in agriculture in developed and developing countries. Non-transgenic techniques are pervasive and will likely permeate some part of the development or production of nearly all commercial crops in the medium term. Transgenic technologies, at present, have been primarily used to impart herbicide tolerance (HT) and pest resistance (PR) in crops used for processed foods, cloth production and animal feed. Analyses of research pipelines indicate that in the near future, transgenic crops will be commercialized with agronomic traits (e.g. increased yield and environmental stress tolerance). This development has the potential to increase efficiency of agricultural production and decrease intensive agriculture's environmental impacts. Realizing the full potential will require addressing non-technical challenges related to business models, regulations and public opinion. If productivity increases outpace demand, agricultural products could supply the world's food needs and become an even more important sustainable primary material for the production of a variety of materials and products.