Biotechnology

The Office of Agricultural Policy (AGP) keeps markets open for U.S. biotechnology products. Biotechnology has a proven safety record and benefits farmers, consumers and the environment by producing more food per acre while conserving water and reducing the need for chemicals, pesticides, and tilling. Biotechnology can also enhance the nutritive value of foods to improve overall nutrition and health.

Agricultural biotechnology can boost food production in both the developed and the developing worlds and is an important tool for combatting food insecurity and malnutrition. It can help reduce vulnerability to pests, viruses, drought, flooding, and other extreme weather events. The Department of State works with other agencies and organizations to promote understanding of this technology.

The Benefits and Challenges of Biotechnology

Increasing Food Security

The world’s population is expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. To meet the challenge of feeding that population, global food production must drastically increase while improving environmental sustainability. Biotechnology in agricultural applications protects crops from pests, conserves biodiversity, reduces erosion, increases tolerance to droughts and floods, and improves nutrition. For example, Golden Rice was developed to produce more beta-carotene to help combat childhood malnutrition and mortality in Asia and Africa, and Bt eggplant was developed to be resistant to the fruit and shoot borer, a pest that decimates crops in Southeast Asia.

Increasing Understanding and Acceptance

As of 2023, genetically engineered crops were grown in 32 countries while 46 countries imported these crops and their derived products. Of the countries that grow biotech crops, nine are in South America, nine are in Africa, three in North America, two in Europe, and nine are in Asia-Pacific. International acceptance will continue to grow as science-based, risk-proportionate, and transparent regulations are developed regarding the cultivation and trade of biotech products and people experience their benefits. However, widespread misunderstanding persists about the safety of this technology and the breadth of its potential. All food is regulated in the United States. Agricultural products that have been improved through genetic engineering undergo extensive risk assessment procedures by a variety of national bodies such as the United States Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug Administration. Biotech crops also undergo analysis by international entities such as the Codex Alimentarius. Any biotech crops approved by these bodies have been designated as safe for both people and the environment.