(N/A) There are three options for increasing food production: $(i)$ Agrochemical-based agriculture,$(ii)$ Organic agriculture,and $(iii)$ Genetically engineered crop-based agriculture.
The Green Revolution succeeded in tripling the food supply,but it was not enough to feed the growing human population.
Increased yields have partly been due to the use of improved crop varieties,but mainly due to the use of better management practices and agrochemicals (pesticides and fertilizers).
However,for farmers in the developing world,agrochemicals are often too expensive. Genetically modified $(GM)$ crops are useful to obtain better yields.
Plants,bacteria,fungi,and animals whose genes have been altered by manipulation are called Genetically Modified Organisms $(GMOs)$.
$GM$ plants have been useful in many ways:
$(i)$ Made crops more tolerant to abiotic stresses (cold,drought,salt,heat).
$(ii)$ Reduced reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).
$(iii)$ Helped to reduce post-harvest losses.
$(iv)$ Increased efficiency of mineral usage by plants (this prevents early exhaustion of soil fertility).
$(v)$ Enhanced nutritional value of food,e.g.,Golden Rice,which is Vitamin $A$-enriched rice.
In addition,$GM$ technology has been used to create tailor-made plants to supply alternative resources to industries,such as starches,fuels,and pharmaceuticals.
$Bt$ toxin is produced by a bacterium called $Bacillus$ $thuringiensis$. The $Bt$ toxin gene has been cloned from the bacteria and expressed in plants to provide resistance to insects,effectively creating a bio-pesticide. Examples include $Bt$ cotton,rice,tomato,potato,and soybean.