The humanitarian impact of plant biotechnology: recent breakthroughs vs bottlenecks for adoption

The deployment of genetically engineered (GE) crops in developing countries is regarded by some as a sinister manifestation of ‘big business’ in science. What is often overlooked, and sometimes even deliberately ignored by opponents of the technology, is that many researchers working in the field are not motivated by profits but by a desire to see such crops applied to humanitarian purposes. GE crops could help to address many of the world's most challenging, interrelated problems, including hunger, malnutrition, disease, and poverty. However, this potential will not be realized if the major barriers to adoption – which are political rather than technical – are not overcome.