Since the beginning of agriculture, farmers have always been looking at innovative ways to improve the characteristics and traits of plants to specifically select for more nutritious, tastier crops with better yields. Chantel Arendse, plant biotechnology lead at CropLife South Africa, gives insight into plant biotechnology, and the importance of quality and safety.
Improving crops is not something new, as the breeding process evolved, new tools evolved for the enhancement of plants/crops. Each year, millions of farmers around the world plant biotech crops for numerous reasons, but essentially to improve crop quality.
“Plant biotechnology is just a continuation of the breeding process, and it uses a collection of more advanced genetic tools that enable plant breeders to link a specific gene to a particular trait and introduces this directly into plants in a faster more efficient manner,” says Arendse.
Read the entire article at the South African agriculture website Food for Mzanzi.