The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released an updated report produced in partnership with the International Council of Biotechnology Associations (ICBA) that highlights biotechnology’s role in meeting the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.The report, “Biotechnology: Driving Solutions for Sustainable Development,” underscores the solutions required to confront climate challenges and emphasizes the pivotal role that biotechnology can play in overcoming these challenges.“Societies around the world face a growing number of challenges in terms of enhancing food security, reducing pollution and emissions, and improving health outcomes. Biotechnology can – and often already is – providing tools needed to feed, fuel, and heal communities worldwide. This important research details how best to leverage biotechnology for advancing equity and more sustainable development,” said John Murphy, chief policy officer at BIO.Some key areas outlined in the report where biotechnologies can have an impact include:Contributing to poverty reduction by supporting the resilience of crops and farmers, improving living conditions and health outcomes, and increasing access to affordable medical therapies;Substantially transforming the efficiency of food production with innovations that improve crop yields and the nutritional values of food crops;Enabling the rapid introduction of clinical trials of vaccines, the search for effective therapies, and a deep investigation of both the origins and the ways in which viruses spread;Developing solutions that reduce water usage and waste, and ensure that water is safe from contaminants;Producing fuel alternatives like biofuels and microbial fuel cells, which provide a cleaner and more-sustainable source of energy and can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions; andDeveloping bio-based materials that are biodegradable and reduce waste.Read the full report here.About BIO:BIO is the premier biotechnology advocacy organization…

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) today welcomed the United Nations (U.N.) Food and Agriculture Organization’s announcement of a new roadmap outlining how the world can attain global food security by 2050 without breaching the global warming temperature target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. “BIO applauds the iterative approach outlined by the U.N. Defining specific milestones and setting realistic — yet ambitious — goals to transform agri-food systems will allow us to address climate challenges without endangering food security or agriculture-based livelihoods,” said BIO Chief Policy Officer John Murphy. The U.N. report highlights the pressing need for innovative and sustainable approaches to agriculture, aligning closely with BIO's mission and membership. Biotechnology plays a pivotal role in enhancing agricultural productivity, improving nutritional content, and fostering environmental sustainability — key elements essential to addressing the complexities of global food security, which climate change exacerbates. Specifically, BIO supports these elements of the roadmap: Recognizing the important role that livestock plays in nutrition and employment, while committing to reduce harmful emissions from livestock production through improved genetics, better feed, and other actions; Enhancing the sustainability of aquaculture, a “nutritional powerhouse” according to the FAO that is already low in greenhouse gas emissions; Improving soil health and water quality through regenerative farming practices, reduced chemical usage, better irrigation management and other changes; Reducing deforestation; Decreasing food loss and waste across the value chain from farm to consumer; Lowering emissions from crop production and protecting crops from climate impacts through improved crop breeding and genetics, among other actions; Accelerating bioenergy production, distribution, and adoption; and Protecting an open and rules-based global trading system while…