New Science-Based Crops to Benefit Developing Countries

Research in agricultural biotechnology holds “immense promise” and can lead to new crops that will help fight human diseases and increase productivity in marginal areas affected by drought and poor soil. This is the consensus of scientists interviewed by the United States Bureau of International Information Programs (USINFO).

Among potential possibilities include the development of "functional foods" -- those with components associated with the prevention or treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, arthritis and improved mental alertness, said Martina Newell-McGloughlin, director of the University of California’s biotechnology research and education program. Others include plants modified to deliver anti-oxidants, which protect against cancer; lipids, which contain essential fatty acids that serve as energy sources; vitamins, such as beta-carotene or vitamin A, which protect against premature blindness and susceptibility to other illnesses; and iron, whose deficiency results in fatigue and decreased immunity.

For more information on second generation biotech crops, go to
http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=February&x=20070212150633AKllennoCcM0.9100153