Food Security for Growing Population
Modern agriculture using plant science has doubled the production of world food calories since 1960, while keeping a stable area of land for agricultural production. In India since 1960, we have been able to increase our food production by 2.85 times to 235million tonnes. This has enabled us to feed a population that has grown from 440 million to 1.2 billion nationally and from 3 billion to over 6 billion globally, while sparing virtually negligible land from agricultural use. Crop protection and plant biotechnology help farmers to grow more food on less land by protecting crops from pests and diseases and raising yields per hectare. This ensures the availability of a year-round, affordable supply of a wide variety of nutritious, fresh produce. Yet growing population continues to put pressure on agricultural production and if we are to meet the world’s nutritional needs in terms of food quantity, quality and affordability, agricultural output must double in the next 20 to 30 years. This needs to be achieved in the wake of changing weather conditions due to climate change, a declining ratio of arable land to population and growing water scarcity. Plant science provides tools to help farmers meet the world’s nutrition needs today, as well as technologies that will help to meet the future challenges of feeding a growing population with fewer natural resources. Here is how:
- Protecting against pests and diseases
- Pesticides improve efficiency by increasing crop productivity anywhere between 20 and 50%. Crop losses due to weeds, pests and diseases would double if existing pesticide uses were abandoned
- Securing what is in storage : Pesticides used in stored products can prolong the viable life of the produce, prevent huge post-harvest losses from pests and diseases and protect the grain so it is safe to eat
- Innovative technology grows more crops per hectare
- Meeting nutrition needs : Modern agriculture using plant science has doubled the production of world food calories since 1960 and increased per-capita food supplies in India by 15%, notwithstanding the population exploding by 2.72 times since 1960!
- Raising yields : Globally, production of major crops has more than tripled since 1960. Yields for rice have more than doubled and yields for wheat have gone up about 160%. India today has the technology to improve further.
- Addressing Malnutrition : Biotechnology has the potential to reduce micronutrient malnutrition by breeding staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients (particularly vitamin A, zinc and iron) through a process called biofortification.
- Plant science provides secure, varied, affordable and healthy diets.
- Ensuring a bountiful harvest : Scientific studies show that eating fruits and vegetables regularly reduces the risk of many cancers and chronic diseases. Crop protection products help ensure a bountiful harvest of healthy foods
- Fruits and vegetables to fend off heart diseases : Research is currently being conducted to fortify fruits and vegetables with higher than normal levels of vitamins such as C and E - with the potential to protect against the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease
- Healthier oils : A variety of healthier cooking oils is already out in the market. Plant scientists have decreased the total amount of saturated fatty acids in certain vegetable oils. They are also developing oils with properly balanced essential fatty acids, which are associated with reducing the risk of heart diseases and strokes, and are important for brain functions, growth and development of infants