Regulatory barriers to improving global food security

Crop agriculture and food production constantly face climactic challenges to the supply of safe, nutritious food. These challenges highlight the importance of innovation resulting in improved crop technologies, capable of providing consistently increasing yields in the face of abiotic and biotic stresses. This article addresses the challenge that regulatory barriers are, and can, have on the adoption of innovative crop and food technologies that improve food security. Evidence of increased crop yield and the potential for increased yields, are presented from innovative plant breeding technologies, especially gene editing. Recent advances from the use of gene editing in the pharmaceutical field may offer opportunities to reduce regulatory burdens.