Food & Agriculture

Disease resistant animals, environmentally friendly livestock, pharmaceuticals produced by goats - are these really possible?

Sustainable development is no small undertaking for international companies looking to meet today’s energy, food and environmental needs without compromising the Earth’s resources or its future. The innovative solution these corporate leaders are turning to is biotechnology, whether it’s to augment agricultural productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create an innovative disease therapy or diminish the use of pesticides.

At BIO’s recent Focus on Compliance workshop, participants learned about the responsible use of plant biotechnology during R&D.

Today's world population is more than 6.6 billion people and growing. Fast. By some projections there will be 9 billion people inhabiting our planet by 2050. That may sound far off, but it is less than a single lifetime away—meaning that many of us alive today will still be alive then. Perhaps even you.

Transgenic seed technology began to transform India's cotton industry in 2002. Genetically modified cotton acreage has increased three-fold since that year, and the lives of millions of Indian families have been improved as cotton farmers income has increased by $124 million (USD). Indian farmers today represent some of the world's most rapid adopters of biotech crops.

When we look at the challenges affecting our world today, many come to mind - energy demand, food security and climate change, just to name a few.   Biotechnology provides tools to meet all of these challenges.