Agricultural Biotechnology holds Tremendous Promise for the World
Recently, I came across a very interesting commentary from The Times Kenya entitled “Biotechnology only solution to feed the world.” The piece reaffirms what scientists, researchers, and genetically modified food advocates have stated for years: that biotechnology holds tremendous promise for the world, especially for the developing world.
The commentary asserts that the use of genetically modified crops that are high-yielding, and disease and pest resistant will have a direct effect on the conservation of the environment, poverty alleviation, and improving food security in Africa and in other developing nations.
In many impoverished nations, farmers eke out very meager livings. According to the author, the ability to provide enough food for survival is often less than assured and the importance of staple crops, such as rice and cassava, can’t be overstated. Over 650 million of the world’s poorest people live in rural areas. Without sustainable agriculture, the author states, these individuals will have neither the resources nor the employment they need and require for a better life.
Agricultural biotechnology can help these farmers on so many levels. By developing crops that more efficiently absorb nutrients from the soil, biotechnology can help these farmers produce more on land already under cultivation. Biotech crops can also help decrease soil erosion because farmers won’t have to rely so much on tilling their fields and the development of plants that can grow in tough conditions may make it easier to farm marginal lands, helping to keep fragile soils such as wetlands and rain forests away from food production, according to the article.
The author also writes that in developing nations, biotechnology offers hope of improving the nutritional benefits to food varieties. Genetically modified foods bring direct health benefits to consumers through enhanced nutritional qualities including more and higher quality protein, lower levels of saturated fats, and increased minerals and vitamins. Biotechnology also helps to reduce the level of natural toxins and eliminate certain allergens like peanuts, wheat, and milk, making the products easier to consume for those who have specific allergies.
The article further explains that science and technology can contribute positively toward ending hunger in impoverished countries. In places like the United States, there is overwhelming support for initiatives aimed at increasing agricultural productivity, as well as for the use of biotechnology in addressing concerns of global food and nutritional security.
I agree wholeheartedly with the author’s comments. We have heard and seen the great promise that agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified foods have brought to the United States. Farmers embracing biotechnology have seen higher yields in their crops. Scientists and researchers using biotechnology have been able to produce a variety of foods that have numerous benefits. As the population of the world continues to grow, especially in developing countries, where having food on a daily basis is a problem, agricultural biotechnology can serve as a very powerful tool as well as a much needed solution. It holds such an importance in the world today. Nations and individuals around the world need to continue to support biotechnology, genetically modified foods, and the innovative developments the technology can bring in order to ensure a better life and a better future for all.
