According to the United Nations, the global population is set to increase by more than 25 percent in the next 30 years, from 7.7 billion in 2019 to 9.7 billion in 2050. A growing population leads to a higher demand for food, both for people and for livestock, and it also puts pressure on the use of land as urban areas expand onto lands used for farming.
These global trends provide opportunities for biotechnology to improve agricultural yields. Gene editing, for example, could produce varieties of wheat or corn that can grow in harsher conditions or produce more grain in a smaller area than other crop varieties while providing the same nutritional value. In addition, the development of biological pesticides has the potential to protect crops without the use of harmful chemicals or environmental damage.
