Archived Project

Agricultural Biotechnology

The development of genetically modified foods and other agricultural biotechnology products has generated significant public debate. The potential for creating foods enhanced for health benefits or increasing crop yields was tantalizing, but there was also widespread concern about the technology’s health and environmental risks.

Pew's initiative on food and biotechnology spotlighted policy issues arising from these discussions and served as a credible, honest broker, bringing together people with differing viewpoints to examine the opportunities and challenges of agricultural biotechnology.

Through its reports, fact sheets, polls and conferences, the project served as a respected information source on agricultural biotechnology and related policy issues for legislators, educators, the public and the media in the United States and globally. Although the project concluded its work in 2007, its resource materials remain available here.

OUR WORK