Biotech Crops in the Pipeline to Improve Food Quality and Bring Environmental Benefits

Transgenic crops have been planted in different countries for over twenty years, starting from 1996. About 191.7  million hectares were planted in 2018 to transgenic crops with high market value, such as herbicide tolerant soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola; insect resistant maize, cotton, potato, and rice; and virus resistant squash and papaya. With genetic engineering, more than one trait can be incorporated or stacked into a plant. Transgenic crops with combined traits are also available commercially.

To date, commercial GM crops have delivered benefits in crop production, but there are also a number of products in the pipeline that will make more direct contributions to food quality, environmental benefits, pharmaceutical production, and non-food crops. Examples of these products include triple stack trait biotech rice with better yield amidst abiotic stresses, biotech chestnut tree with resistance to chestnut blight, biotech citrus greening resistant citrus, potato enriched with beta carotene, biofortified sorghum, bacterial (Xanthomonas) wilt resistant banana, Bunchytop virus resistant banana, insect resistant wheat, among others.

Read more about Genetic Engineering and GM Crops from the updated ISAAA Pocket K 17. Other updated Pocket Ks include Q and A About Genetically Modified Crops (Pocket K No. 1) and Plant Products of Biotechnology (Pocket K No. 2).