By 2050, the world population is predicted to increase from 7 billion to 9 billion people, a nearly 30 percent increase. To feed all those hungry people, agricultural scientists are looking to biotechnology to find ways to boost crop yields and improve the nutritional value of the food farmers in Nebraska and elsewhere raise.
But University of Nebraska-Lincoln professors stress that biotech should be considered only one weapon in the battle that includes both scientific and cultural barriers. “Everything should be on the table,” said Mary S. Willis, associate professor of anthropology at UNL, who studies cross cultural health. The cultural context must be carefully considered, Willis said, and the community has to participate.
“It shouldn’t even be that (the U.S.) would decide who should have a particular food item or supplementation or fortification — it has to be done in collaboration with the community,” Willis said. “It should include a discussion about ‘Here is the problem. Here are the options we could look at. What things would you be comfortable with? And what things do you think would be the least disruptive to your cultural tradition?’ That’s not typically the way things are done.”
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Read the full, original article: Two billion more mouths to feed in 2050
