Biotechnology is a broad term that encompasses a range of techniques for modifying biological organisms.  Some of these techniques — artificial selection and hybridization in agriculture — are ancient.  Since the 1970s, however, biotechnology has more narrowly referred to laboratory-based procedures to manipulate organic materials and has had wide application in medicine, agriculture, and food science.

In agriculture, modern biotechnology has been increasingly able to achieve plant characteristics long sought through traditional breeding: increased tolerance to environmental stresses (e.g., drought, frost, salt); disease resistance; improved nutritional profiles of plant foods; increased yield; and altered growth or development.

The ILSI International Food Biotechnology Committee (IFBiC) was founded in 1997 and is a leading resource for the science of agricultural biotechnology.  The Committee’s mission is to serve as a biotechnology resource that aids science-based decision-making in food and feed crop safety assessments. IFBiC core programs on harmonization, outreach, and education — supported by all IFBiC members — address scientific issues related to the development, distribution and safety of foods and feed developed through modern biotechnology. IFBiC believes the quality and usefulness of scientific activities are enhanced when diverse groups collaborate on activity goals, design, and execution and therefore strives to foster partnerships and scientific dialogue. The committee achieves its mission through outreach and educational programs and through the activities of issue-specific Task Forces and Working Groups, which provide focus on topics of broad interest to the scientific community. Task Forces focus on answering a specific scientific question related to the safety of biotech crops.  Specific long-term capacity building activities, such as workshops in the area of sampling and detection methods and maintenance of the Crop Composition Database (ILSI-CCDB), are carried out by Working Groups. Each Working Group and Task Force is supported by at least five IFBiC member companies.

IFBiC's role is to generate and deliver up-to-date scientific information and to provide technical training in risk assessment when requested.  IFBiC hopes the best science available is used to make important safety, risk assessment, and other regulatory decisions.  However, IFBiC never lobbies for specific regulatory or legislative outcomes.