World food security was the center of a three-day United Nations conference held last week in Rome, Italy.
Although many had hoped for more support for biotechnology and a greater understanding of biofuels' role in rising food prices, the final declaration did not specifically take on either of the overarching issues.
In comments the first day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the world needs to produce 50pc more food by 2030 to meet rising demand.
"We have a historic opportunity to revitalise agriculture, especially in countries where productivity gains have been low in recent years," he said.
United States Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer went to the meeting with a three-pronged approach to provide immediate humanitarian needs, look at the long-term infrastructure needs of increasing yields to boost production and work to eliminate barriers and export restrictions that block the free flow of food trade.
During the conference, biofuels surfaced as a controversial topic between countries that produce biofuels and those that do not.
Brazil and the US debated which crop is best suited for conversion, while others debated the role biofuels play in driving up food prices.
The final declaration stated that "in-depth studies" were necessary to ensure that the environmentally friendly energy source doesn't take food off the table and recognised some of the challenges and opportunities of biofuels.
Mr Schafer welcomed the conference attendees' final declaration on biofuels and said the US remains firmly committed to the "sustainable production and use of biofuels, both domestically and globally".
He added that his time at the conference made him "more confident that our ethanol policy of energy security, of better environmental factors and a reduction in the cost of petroleum use in our country is the right policy direction".
On the issue of biotechnology, the US openly pushed for greater adoption in order to increase yields and production levels.
Mr Schafer said as the world population increases and people shift their consumption patterns in growing economies, in order to meet demand for growing food in the future, "we in the US have to teach the rest of the world how to increase yields".
This includes fertilizer and water management and precision farming techniques.
"Unless the rest of the world starts matching the US's yield increases, people are going to go hungry," Schafer said.
The final declaration recognised the importance of investments in "science and technology" for ensuring food security in the long term, but failed to specifically call for greater adoption of biotechnology.
Mr Schafer said the world food crisis has been opening the door for countries to rethink their resistance to biotechnology.
"I don't expect people to change their attitudes overnight, but as we work through this, I think there has been an understanding of the necessity that we need to increase yields dramatically," he said.
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