Abstract. Introduction. To ensure Russia’s food security, it is necessary to improve the efficiency of agriculture. Due to difficult climatic conditions, not all regions can provide the necessary harvest to maintain the country's food security. The purpose of the research is to consider the current state of harvesting of agricultural crops in the European part of Russia and to assess the possibility and feasibility of using biotechnology in agriculture. Materials and methods. During the research, analytical and statistical-economic research methods were applied. The information base of the study was data from open statistical sources. Research results, discussion. The study identified the problem of low yield rates in two federal districts of the European part of Russia. To increase the efficiency and competitiveness of domestic farmers, it was proposed to introduce genetically modified crops into the crop rotation of the European part of Russia. As a confirmation of the hypothesis, the results of harvesting in one of the US states (North Dakota) with the climate closest to the European part of Russia, where the sale of genetically modified crops is allowed, were compared. The cost of introducing genetically modified crops and the benefits that farmers in different countries receive from the introduction were also studied. Conclusion. The introduction of biotechnologies into agricultural circulation can solve the problem of a decrease in cultivated areas and a shortage of food in a number of countries of the world. For the agriculture of European Russia, the introduction of biotechnologies will help to increase the harvest rate in those federal districts and regions where it lags behind the indicators on average in Russia and the indicators of countries with similar or identical land and climatic resources.