Research is bringing to the pipeline a wide range of agricultural applications of modern biotechnology, including nutritionally enhanced crops and genetic modification of plant varieties for greater resistance to insects, herbicides, and diseases, and for increased tolerance to drought and to soils contaminated with high concentrations of salt or heavy metals. Technologies alone cannot solve the complex problems of hunger and poverty, but some do have great potential to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. It is therefore essential to assess the prospects of agricultural biotechnology and biosafety systems to regulate it.
The likelihood of transgenic plants causing harm to the environment or to human health has led to the development of regulatory regimes that are specifically applied to assessing the biosafety of these products. Development of an effective biosafety system is important to protect consumers and the environment as well as to ensure safe access to new products and technologies developed in-country or elsewhere. The Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) addresses these challenges through an integrated program of research, capacity development, and outreach.