Key Issues In Biotechnology
by UNCTAD
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Biotechnology is a collective term for a group of technologies that use biological matter or processes to generate new and useful products and processes. As such, it ranges in complexity and maturity from ancient brewing and bread-making techniques to genetic modification through hybridization and interbreeding of plants and animals, as well as the manipulation of individual genes in humans, animals, plants and micro-organisms.
Biotechnology is a key technology for the new millennium. It has an immense range of applications in agriculture, medicine, food processing, environmental protection, mining, and even nanoelectronics. On the other hand, the potential for altering the genetic structure and characteristics of living organisms, including humans, plants and animals, has resulted in many concerns about safety and ethical implications of the new technologies. So far, most of the safety issues have emerged from agricultural biotechnology, but some cutting-edge developments in medical biotechnology are now presenting the major ethical concerns.
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