Biotechnology and the Future

More than 2,000 field trials have been completed or are in progress in the United States on genetically engineered versions of cotton, corn, alfalfa, oilseed rape, cucumber, asparagus, apple, melon, cauliflower, and sugarbeets. And this is just a start: agricultural biotechnology, embracing safer, less-toxic agricultural practices and the conservation of genetic biodiversity, can bring many solutions to important problems in agriculture and environment. An intriguing future for agricultural biotechnology is on the horizon, replete with all the potential benefits and possible pitfalls of "changing" nature itself.