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Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

Biotech route to help curb food shortage by Gyanendra Shukla

Two walls of extremes are closing in fast on mankind. The spectre of climate change threatens agriculture, especially in developing countries where farming is dominated by smallscale farmers heavily relying on rainfall. Along with this, is the scourge of burgeoning population, which is likely swell to 9 billion in the next 40 years.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), about 14% of the 6.5-billion world population are affected by hunger. The International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI) Global Hunger Index 2010 released recently adds that 29 countries– including India—have “alarming” or “extremely alarming” levels of hunger. The situation is likely to be exacerbated, FAO has said, because by 2050 the global population is expected to increase by 40% while associated global food production needs are expected to expand by more than 70% as a result of a rapidly growing middle-class demographic in developing countries.

These concerns catalyse trends further deteriorating global food security. According to the 2009 “World Bank Report on Climate Change Impacts in Drought-and Flood-Affected Areas”, even small climatic shocks could impose large and irreversible losses, for poor and marginal farmers, triggering poverty and destitution. On the other hand, we are in the middle of experiencing how the world’s 6-plus billion population has impacted the planet’s ability to cope, how ecological limits have been strained to a breaking and chaotic point.

The images that such experiences give us instantly are that of regions in Asia and Africa, where the stress of overpopulation, along with food scarcity, are impacting the masses. These regions account for over 74% of the world population and are home to the poorest nations. According to Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Asia and Africa also account for 94.3% of the economically active population in agriculture.

One of the key solutions to these challenges is agricultural innovation: produce more and conserve more, and thereby improve farmer lives.

With rainfall being the most critical factor determining the future of farmers and the economy, there is a dire need to adopt corrective measures soon, along with a sustainable and efficient method of farming, planting seeds with higher yields, and using limited resources.

Biotech crop production results in important environmental benefits. Global pesticide use on biotech crops (corn, cotton, canola and soyabeans) have fallen by 286 million kg (-7.9%), resulting in a 15.4% reduction in the associated environmental impact. Greenhouse
gas emission reductions equal to 14.76 billion kg of carbon dioxide (as measured in 2006), equivalent to removing 6.56 million cars from the roads.

In recent years global warming has had an adverse impact on the monsoons, resulting in either untimely excessive rain or its failure, leading to abject suffering and colossal economic losses. According to a World Bank report, the immediate consequence of drought is predictable and often precipitous decline in agricultural production and income, leading to indebtedness, distress sales, asset depletion, and deteriorating health—all of which perpetuate poverty and deprivation.

Private players, thus, have been focussing on countering these adverse realities with technology, partnering with governments and farmers to improve farm productivity and food quality, thus tackling food scarcity.

Monsanto’s worldwide three-point commitment to grow yields sustainably is a good example. The commitment focuses on developing better seeds by helping farmers double yields; conserve resources through developing seeds that will use one-third fewer resources like land, energy, fertiliser and water per unit of output and jointly venture in to lessen habitat loss and improve water quality; also, assisting in improving farmers’ socio-economic conditions.

The technology-induced turnaround has also being seen in Africa. Burkina Faso is one of the countries which falls at the bottom of the pyramid in terms of the overall development index.

However, BT cotton technology is making a lot of difference. Commercial BT cotton plantation in Burkina Faso has shown an unprecedented 14-fold year-to-year increase—from 8,500 hectares in 2008 to about 115,000 the following year. This was the fastest increase (1,353%) in hectarage of any biotech crop in any country in 2009. Today, it is estimated that BT cotton can generate an economic benefit of over $100 million per year for the West African country, based on yield increases of close to 30%, plus at least a 50% reduction in insecticides sprays, from a total of 8 sprays required for conventional cotton.

The link between technology and easing the hunger pangs of the world is underlined. The plant science industry is committed to developing tools to meet the future challenge of climate change and water. Investments, thus, are directed towards developing more effective products better adapted to stresses of drought, salinity, even flooding.