Current and future importance of biotechnology to crop protection

Crop losses caused by pests continue to be major constraints on the increas ed production and productivity of the world's food grains. In the next 20 y ears, the need for increased production of cereals is estimated to exceed 8 0% over 1990 figures while productivity has to exceed 1.5% per year. Conven tional breeding is experiencing a plateau in potential yields, while increa ses in aggregate cereal production have slowed. Conventional breeding which was responsible for the spectacular successes of the first "Green Revoluti on" is experiencing a limitation in sources of genetic material to make the advances required. Biotechnology provides tools and material which make it possible to break the yield barriers needed and to reduce the crop losses experienced by farmers worldwide. Yet the use of this new technology to pro duce high yielding crop cultivars with effective resistance against pests h as raised debate among scientists and the lay public to levels never experi enced before for any new technology. The use of this new technology is just ified in the paper on its need and its relative safety in food. Issues of i ntellectual property protection are also discussed.