Biotechnology Management

Using biotechnology in farming, animal husbandry, and microbial systems has the potential to improve health, health care, enhance sustainable farming practices, support sustainable methods of afforestation and reforestation, and to improve industrial processes for transforming raw materials and detoxifying hazardous wastes. Responsible use of biotechnology and local level participation and management of biotechnology safety and review is therefore important to address for the benefit of all concerned.

OVERVIEW

• Increasing the availability of food resources
• Improving and supporting human health
• Enhancing protection of the environment
• Establishing sustainable farm practices integrating biotechnology

INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD RESOURCES

To meet the growing consumption needs of the global population, we have the ability to teach people how to become food independent. People interested in localizing food production help support a cooperative environment wherein labor and energy costs are reduced while the nutritional value and freshness of food is raised. Simple methods of implementing biotechnology approaches can assist with this.

Ideas for those interested in implementation

• Biotechnology application doesn’t require a laboratory bigger than your back yard; plant your own garden, start paying attention, and practice seed saving from the plants that do the best. Share your knowledge and your seeds with others.
• Plant different varieties of the same plant or tree to support biodiversity and improve yields.
• If you are planting fruit trees (here’s a good resource), consider trees that will produce their harvest at different times and/or ‘graft trees’ (here’s another good resource and a video). With other plants, consider succession planting to spread out yields and reduce waste.
• Communities can explore and develop eco-farming systems as well as selecting seeds and cuttings from plants that do well in these systems for sustainable productivity increases. This also allows for evaluating the agricultural potential of marginal lands in comparison with other potential uses. Share your knowledge with others.
• Explore composting! (here’s a good resource).

IMPROVING AND SUPPORTING HUMAN HEALTH

Biotechnology is one of many tools that can play an important role in supporting and improving individual health through our food and addressing communicable diseases and other disease-transmitting factors in animals, plants, and people.

Ideas for those interested in implementation

• Do your homework and get educated on all aspects of the biotechnology debate so you can make educated food purchasing decisions (click here for a Wikipedia timeline of bio-tech developments).
• Get educated on both traditional and non-traditional methods of improving food quality through biotechnology.
• Learn about the Center for Disease Control’s Framework Preventing Infectious Diseases. Also, learn about the CDC’s Vector Borne Diseases Surveillance Program that works to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

ENHANCING PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT  

The environment, with all of its biotic and abiotic components, is constantly under stress. Ecosystems are composed of biological diversity like animals, plants, microbes, water, soil, air, as well as all the interactions between these different components. Biotechnology can contribute to the development of new techniques for reforestation and afforestation, germ plasm conservation, cultivation of new plant varieties, and rehabilitating degraded landscapes and ecosystems. This is accomplished through reaping the benefits of a diverse genetic pool of plant, animal, and microbial germ plasm for sustainable development.

Ideas for those interested in implementation

• Explore bio-technologies with emphasis on bio-remediation of land and water, waste treatment, soil conservation, reforestation, afforestation, and land rehabilitation.
• Explore alternatives to environmentally damaging production processes. For treatment of sewage, check out composting toilets! For working with organic waste, check out this composting resource.
• Get educated on the availability of stress-tolerant planting material for land rehabilitation and soil conservation in your specific area.

ESTABLISHING SUSTAINABLE FARM PRACTICES INTEGRATING BIOTECHNOLOGY  

The accelerated development, application, and sharing of bio-technologies and sustainable biotech management has the potential to transform eco-farming and conventional farming into a foundation of sustainable farming of the future. Regardless of whether a person or group is interested in new biotechnological advances, more traditional approaches like composting and trait promotion, or a combination of both, we have the ability to dramatically affect the future of farming through biotechnology.

Ideas for those interested in implementation

• Understand the difference between traditional biotechnology and newer biotechnology developments. Here’s an unbiased overview.
• Once you have an understanding of the difference between the biotechnology approaches and available resources, start applying the biotechnology options that look most beneficial for your specific situation with a clear biotechnology management plan for recording data, evaluating results, and adjusting your approach to maximize benefits. You can use this resource for gaining an understanding about biotechnology management.