Genetically modified crops set to be more widespread

FAO

Genetically modified crops will be used 'to a much greater extent' over the next few years as the UN issue a rallying cry to farmers to boost production by increasing crop yields without cultivating more land, Farmers Guardian has reported.

A paper from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last week said a boost in production was essential to feed a global population set to increase by 2.3 billion over the next 40 years. It said how nations have to find new ways of combating poverty and hunger, using scarce natural resources more efficiently and adapt to climate change.

The paper challenges world leaders to ‘push agricultural frontiers outwards' to find ways to enable farmers to reap more from one hectare rather than ploughing up more land.

The wider adoption of GM crops was seen as one area where farmers may increase production without bring more land into production.

The paper says ‘experts predict that by 2050 genetically modified technologies will be cheaper, far more widely available, and used to a much greater extent to improve potential yields and yield stability of staple food crops'.

"FAO is cautiously optimistic about the world's potential to feed itself by 2050," said FAO assistant director-general Hafez Ghanem. However, he pointed out that feeding everyone in the world by then will not be automatic and several significant challenges have to be met.

The FAO add that GM herbicide resistant plants have already been successful in reducing pesticide applications and lifting crop yields but recognises there is still stiff competition to the technology.

‘The Technology Challenge' comes in response to latest FAO projection that global agricultural production must grow by 70 percent by 2050 in order to feed a population of 9.1 billion.

Global projections show that in addition to projected investments in agriculture, further significant investment will be needed to enhance access to food, otherwise some 370 million people could still be hungry in 2050, almost 5 percent of the developing countries' population.

The paper says there needs to be a sharp increase in public investment in research and development and widespread adoption of new technologies, farming techniques and crop varieties to meet the global food security challenge.

It says 90 percent of the required production need to come from these agricultural advances, and only 10 percent by expanding arable land.

According to the latest UN projections, world population will rise from 6.8 billion today to 9.1 billion in 2050 - a third more mouths to feed than there are today.

The paper will form part of a high-level expert forum on ‘How to feed the world in 2050' due to take place at the FAO's Rome headquarters on October 12-13, ahead of the ‘World Summit on Food Security' due to take place on November 16-18.

29/09/2009

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