"Technology has revolutionized farming, and biotechnology could open the door to a more productive future. Biotechnology has the potential to reduce global food needs, enhance product quality and address environmental concerns."
— Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, September 2006

Agricultural biotechnology is a collection of scientific techniques, including genetic engineering, that are used to create, improve, or modify plants, animals, and microorganisms. Using conventional techniques, such as selective breeding, scientists have been working to improve plants and animals for human benefit for hundreds of years. Modern techniques now enable scientists to move genes (and therefore desirable traits) in ways they could not before -- and with greater ease and precision.