Prompt 1: How biotechnology crops can help farmers cope with climate change and pests

 Introduce the problem of climate change, drought, salinity, and pest infestation
affecting crop production and food security in Vietnam and the world.
 Explain how biotechnology crops can improve crop resilience, yield, and quality by
introducing genes that confer tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses.
 Provide examples of biotechnology crops that have been developed or adopted in
Vietnam and other countries, such as drought-tolerant maize, salt-tolerant rice, insect-
resistant cotton, and herbicide-tolerant soybean123.
 Highlight the benefits of biotechnology crops for farmers, consumers, and the
environment, such as reducing input costs, increasing income, enhancing food safety
and nutrition, and saving water and land resources1

Prompt 2: How biotechnology crops can contribute to the sustainable development goals

o Introduce the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a global agenda to end

poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030.
o Explain how biotechnology crops can support the achievement of several
SDGs, such as SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health
and well-being), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 12 (responsible
consumption and production), SDG 13 (climate action), and SDG 15 (life on
land).
o Provide examples of biotechnology crops that have positive impacts on the
SDGs, such as golden rice for vitamin A deficiency, biofortified cassava for
iron and zinc deficiency, drought-tolerant sugarcane for water conservation,
and Bt brinjal for pesticide reduction.
o Highlight the challenges and opportunities of biotechnology crops for the
SDGs, such as ensuring biosafety, public acceptance, regulatory frameworks,
and international cooperation.

Prompt 3: How biotechnology crops can create new markets and opportunities for farmers

 Introduce the concept of value-added crops as crops that have been modified or
processed to enhance their quality, functionality, or marketability.
 Explain how biotechnology crops can create value-added products that meet the
demands of consumers, industries, and society, such as functional foods, biofuels,
bioplastics, pharmaceuticals, and industrial enzymes .
 Provide examples of biotechnology crops that have been developed or commercialized
for value-added purposes, such as omega-3 soybean for cardiovascular health, high-
oleic sunflower for frying oil, switchgrass for bioethanol, PHA maize for
biodegradable plastics, and safflower for insulin production.
 Highlight the benefits of biotechnology crops for value-added markets, such as
increasing farmer income, diversifying crop uses, creating new jobs, and promoting
innovation

 Scene 1: A narrator introduces the problem of climate change, drought, salinity, and
pest infestation affecting crop production and food security in Vietnam and the world.
The narrator uses statistics, graphs, and images to illustrate the severity and impact of
these challenges. For example, the narrator could say:

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to agriculture and food security in the 21st
century. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global
average temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era, and is projected to
increase by another 1.5°C to 4.5°C by the end of this century. This will have significant
consequences for crop production, especially in developing countries like Vietnam, where
agriculture accounts for about 15% of GDP and employs more than 40% of the labor force.
Climate change will affect crop production in several ways, such as altering rainfall patterns,
increasing drought frequency and intensity, reducing water availability and quality,
increasing soil salinity and erosion, and changing pest and disease dynamics. These factors
will reduce crop yield, quality, and stability, and increase production costs and risks. For
example, a study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimated that
climate change could reduce rice yield in Vietnam by 7% to 10% by 2050. Another study by
the World Bank projected that climate change could increase the number of people at risk of
hunger in Vietnam by 2.3 million by 2030.

 Scene 2: A narrator explains how biotechnology crops can improve crop resilience,
yield, and quality by introducing genes that confer tolerance to abiotic and biotic
stresses. The narrator uses animations, diagrams, and examples to demonstrate how
biotechnology crops work and what benefits they offer. For example, the narrator
could say:

Biotechnology crops are crops that have been genetically modified or engineered to
introduce new or improved traits that enhance their performance under various conditions.
Biotechnology crops can improve crop resilience, yield, and quality by introducing genes that
confer tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, heat, cold, and flooding; or
biotic stresses, such as insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes.
For example, drought-tolerant maize is a biotechnology crop that has been developed by
inserting a gene from a soil bacterium that helps the plant cope with water stress. This gene
enables the plant to close its stomata (tiny pores on the leaves) more quickly when water is
scarce, reducing water loss through transpiration. As a result, drought-tolerant maize can
produce up to 35% more yield than conventional maize under drought conditions.
Another example is salt-tolerant rice, which is a biotechnology crop that has been developed
by inserting a gene from a salt-tolerant plant that helps the plant maintain its water balance
and ion homeostasis under saline conditions. This gene enables the plant to pump out excess
salt from its cells and store it in special compartments called vacuoles. As a result, salt-
tolerant rice can grow and produce grains in soils with high salinity levels.

 Scene 3: A narrator provides examples of biotechnology crops that have been

developed or adopted in Vietnam and other countries, such as drought-tolerant maize,
salt-tolerant rice, insect-resistant cotton, and herbicide-tolerant soybean. The narrator
uses interviews, testimonials, and footage to show how biotechnology crops have
benefited farmers, consumers, and the environment in different regions and contexts.
For example, the narrator could say:

Biotechnology crops have been widely adopted in many countries around the world since
their first commercialization in 1996. According to the International Service for the
Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), more than 190 million hectares of
biotechnology crops were planted in 29 countries by more than 17 million farmers in 2019.
The most widely grown biotechnology crops are soybean, maize, cotton, and canola.
Vietnam is one of the countries that have embraced biotechnology crops as a way to improve
its agricultural productivity and competitiveness. Vietnam approved its first biotechnology
crop for commercial cultivation in 2015: insect-resistant Bt cotton. Bt cotton is a
biotechnology crop that has been modified to produce a protein from a soil bacterium that
kills certain insects that feed on the plant. As a result, Bt cotton can reduce pesticide use and
increase yield and quality.
According to a study by ISAAA, Bt cotton adoption in Vietnam increased from 3% of total
cotton area in 2015 to 93% in 2019. Bt cotton farmers in Vietnam reported an average yield
increase of 42%, an average income increase of 68%, and an average pesticide reduction of
50% compared to conventional cotton farmers. Bt cotton also helped save water, land, and
labor resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution.
Another biotechnology crop that has been developed and tested in Vietnam is herbicide-
tolerant soybean. Herbicide-tolerant soybean is a biotechnology crop that has been modified
to tolerate a specific herbicide that kills most weeds. As a result, herbicide-tolerant soybean
can simplify weed management and reduce tillage and soil erosion.
According to a study by the Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) of Vietnam, herbicide-
tolerant soybean trials in Vietnam showed an average yield increase of 16%, an average
income increase of 30%, and an average herbicide reduction of 35% compared to
conventional soybean. Herbicide-tolerant soybean also helped save water, fuel, and labor
resources, and improve soil health and biodiversity.
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