Entine: Biotechnology Should Be Central to Food Security

Scientists worldwide believe that genetic engineering is very important to meet the increasing global demand for food, says Jon Entine, founder of the Genetic Literacy Project.

"Modern conventional technology alone is not enough," Entine said on June 4, 2013 at the Cato Institute, a Washington policy research organization. He also added that by 2050, the world's farmers will need to produce 70 to 100 percent more food than what they produce at the present.

Entine further explained the difference between conventional breeding and genetic engineering. Conventional breeding has transformed inedible wild grains like corn and wheat into delectable varieties over the years. However, the technology is imprecise and takes a lot of time to come up with favorable varieties. On the other hand, genetic engineering is precise in terms of producing seeds with the desired characteristics such as high yielding and pest resistant.

Read the original article at http://london.usembassy.gov/food_security045.html.