Biotechnological interventions for crop improvement in the context of food security

Abstract

Crop productivity is limited by a number of important constraints that need to be addressed urgently in order to avoid an imminent humanitarian crisis. My thesis provides three diverse yet converging examples of biotechnological solutions that can deliver fundamental knowledge, tools and potential products in the form of improved/enhanced crop plants. I conclude my thesis by discussing the potential of biotechnology to address the MDGs. My key conclusion is that although biotechnology can contribute positively and substantially towards many of the MDGs, political expediency and an over-burdening regulatory system threaten to prevent those needing the technology from gaining access, i.e. impoverished subsistence farmers and their families in the developing world.