Biotechnology
Food and Agriculture Biotechnology shows potential to improve the quality, nutritional value, taste and above all safety for the animal and agricultural food products. A range of research tools is used to understand and manipulate the genotype and thus the phenotype of organisms. Recombinant DNA techniques, also known as genetic engineering, is the modification of an organism's genotype using transgenesis method. Biotechnology is much broader a term to include genetic engineering, but applies to any technology that uses living organisms to manufacture or extract commercially viable products from them mostly aimed to enhance human living standards. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are recombinant organisms, in which a gene fragment is incorporated into the host genome or a gene manipulation is performed to change expression level.
The applications of food and agriculture biotechnology include crops, livestock, forestry and fisheries. There have been no animal, fish or human GM products approved for use in GM food anywhere in the world. In some countries like the USA, Canada, many processed foods, such as biscuits, cooking sauces etc. includes GM ingredients (soybean and maize) at a very low level.
Transgenic crops were first commercialised in the 90's and the global area of transgenic crops has since grown about forty-fold from the year 1996 to 2003.
The agronomic benefits such as pest and weed control, higher productivity, controlled growth etc. have driven its adoption by the farmers. Also the growing world population and concerns within developing countries will boost the adoption of this technology in the coming years.
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