This document provides an overview of the main kinds of agricultural biotechnologies that have been used in the crop, forestry, livestock, fishery and agro-industry sectors in developing countries in the past and that were covered in a e-mail conference which runned from 8 June to 5 July 2009. It was hosted by the FAO Biotechnology Forum and was being held as part of the build up to the FAO international technical conference on Agricultural Biotechnologies in Developing Countries.