The fruits, vegetables and animal products we see on supermarket shelves today are the result of countless iterations of selective breeding. In fact, farmers have been using this methodology to improve plant and animal characteristics for thousands of years. Breeding methods have become increasingly sophisticated — today, not only can scientists can use biotechnology as a tool to accelerate the improvement of these commodities, but they can create entirely new ones.
We’re only just beginning to explore the full spectrum of applications in our food system. Advances in biotechnology have the potential to help protect our environment, feed our ever-growing population and to do so in the face of a future which is significantly impacted by climate change.
But along with these incredible opportunities to transform the way we grow and eat food come big challenges, especially around the adoption and the public perception of some of these technologies.
We're going to unpack some of these opportunities and learn about what the future of food is going to look like.
