ABSTRACT
Technological advances in biotechnology, including genetic engineering, have enabled transfer of genetic traits both within species and between entirely different plant and animal species. Currently, biotechnology techniques are being used in various fields, including agriculture, veterinary medicine, pharmaceutical development, forestry, energy conservation, and waste treatment (BIO 1990). These techniques, if applied responsibly, have the potential to increase productivity in crops and livestock, control pests, produce new food and fiber crops, and develop effective medicines (Paoletti and Pimentel 1996). Potential environmental and economic benefits from biotechnology include the reduction of fossil fuel in agriculture and forestry through improved nutrient availability in crops and livestock, use of fewer artificial inputs (e.g., synthetic nitrogen fertilizers, insecticides, and fungicides), and more cost-effective and environmentally friendly waste management practices, such as bioremediation.
