Although there are still heated debates on genetically modified foods, they have become a part of our lives. According to the Department of Agriculture, a third of the corn and more than half the soybeans and cotton grown in the U.S. last year were the product of biotechnology. More than 65 million acres of genetically modified crops will be planted in the U.S. this year. Yet, there are clearly some very real issues that need to be resolved. Like any new product entering the food chain, genetically modified foods must be subjected to rigorous testing. In wealthy countries, the debate about biotech is tempered by the fact that we have a large amount of foods to choose from. On the contrary, in developing countries that are desperate to feed the fast-growing and underfed population, the issue is simpler and much more urgent: are the benefits of biotech worthy of the risks?

转基因食品虽然引发了很多争议，但是它们已经成为我们生活中的一部分。根据农业部的估计，美国去年所种植的玉米的1/3，大豆和棉花的一半以上都是生物技术的产物。今年，美国转基因作物的种植量将达到6500多万英亩。然而，很显然，还有一些非常现实的问题有待解决。任何一种食品在进入食物链之前均必须经过严格的检验。在富裕国家里，由于可供选择的食物非常丰富，因而关于生物技术的争论相对缓和一些。然而，在人口迅速增大，果腹成为一大难题的发展中国家，问题比较简单，也更加紧迫，生物技术是否好处大于风险呢？

The U.N. estimates that by 2050, the world population will probably near 9 billion, almost all that growth will occur in developing countries. At the same time, the world's available cultivable land per person is declining. It is estimated that nearly 800 million people around the world are under-nourished. Various shocking diseases are caused by lack of food.

联合国预测，到2050年，世界人口可能增加到90亿，其中发展中国家占绝大多数。与此同时，世界人均耕地正在减少。据估计，世界上有近8亿人口营养不良。因食物匮乏导致的各种疾病触目惊心。

How can biotech help? Biotechnologists have developed genetically modified rice that is rich in beta-carotene and additional iron, and they are working on other kinds of nutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity in places where food shortages are caused by crop damage due to pests, drought, poor soil and crop viruses. Pest and viruses often cause large-scaled food crop failure in the developing countries. If pest-resistant genes can be put into seeds, the balance will be regained. Many scientists believe biotech could raise overall crop productivity in the developing countries as much as 25 percent, and help prevent the loss of those crops after they are harvested.