Dramatically increasing agricultural productivity in an environmentally-sustainable manner is a major challenge if we are to feed a growing global population. Agricultural biotechnology allows plant and animal breeders to make genetics changes to impart beneficial traits and lead to greater productivity, diversity and sustainability in global food production.

The general principle of producing a genetically modified organism (GMO) is to alter the genetic material of an organism's genome. Genetic modification caused by human activity has been occurring for thousands of years. Modern day GMOs are simply a refinement using biotechnology processes to genetically engineer the strongest, most desirable traits in a very precise manner.  Today, we can incorporate new genes from one species into a completely unrelated species as a way to optimize agricultural performance or facilitate the production of valuable pharmaceutical substances.

MichBio supports policies that allow the best use of genetic engineering for plants and animals. GMOs have the potential to benefit mankind by alleviating hunger and disease worldwide. However, any policies regulatin GMOs should be enacted following thorough and scientific rigor rather than misinformation.

Related Resources

GMOAnswers.com

Why We Need GMOs - Genetic Literacy Project (pdf)

The World Needs Genetically Modified Foods - WSJ 2013 (pdf)

Op-Ed Contributors: Genetically Engineered Distortions - NYT 2010 (pdf)