ABSTRACT
Genetic engineering has revolutionized the science of plant breeding and transformed agricultural systems by allowing plant breeders to create plants with characteristics that would have been difficult or impossible to develop through traditional breeding methods. Genetic engineering techniques are increasingly wide-ranging, including not only the creation of transgenic organisms, but also the use of emerging tools in synthetic biology (see chapter by Rossi, this volume) and gene editing. Genetic engineering has been used to impart numerous traits to agricultural crops, including resistance to diseases and drought, tolerance to herbicides, increased nutrient content, and the ability to repel insect pests. While genetic engineering for agriculture (ag-biotech) holds tremendous promise, particularly as climate change makes food production increasingly (if unevenly) precarious, there are also significant reasons to remain critical about its effects on social-ecological systems, rural economies, and scientific research cultures.
