Science Sessions, the podcast series from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, recently featured an interview with ASPB member Roger Beachy on genetically modified crops and their role in feeding the world's growing population.

"...we have to find ways to increase agriculture  productivity in those parts of the globe where there’s poor productivity, and to create crops or develop crops that have increased nutrient value. There are a lot of challenges that farmers meet. They need more water or less water, they need to have the ability to use nitrogen more efficiently, and they need higher yielding seeds and those seeds must be free of pathogens and pests. And standard agricultural practices, crop breeding and advanced plant breeding, will answer many of those questions. Organic fertilizers or chemical fertilizers will answer other questions. Biotechnology will be brought to bear when other solutions can’t be imposed."