According to the U.N., the world’s population is expected to grow to 9.7 billion in 2050 and further increase to 11.2 billion by 2100. For a lot of developing countries, this rapid population growth makes it more difficult to eradicate poverty and ensure food security. As a result of these concerns, more research is being dedicated to achieving global food security through a common practice known as biotechnology.
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…Pearl millet is commonly…regarded as a staple food [in Africa and Asia]…but is difficult to produce because it can only grow in dry conditions…Biotechnology methods allow for the transfer of…important…traits to other crops to increase the viability of the transgenic plant, thereby increasing the yield and promoting commercialization in developing countries.
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Food biotechnology can also improve food security by increasing the nutritional value of food. A common problem in sub-Saharan Africa is vitamin A deficiency, which is a crucial issue for children and pregnant women…Biofortification is defined as a process by which the strength of the nutrients in a given food is enhanced. Biofortification helps to add in nutrients from early stages of production to create a mutated seed that can easily be replicated and distributed, allowing…several countries in Africa are reaching the nutritional target for vitamin A, zinc, iron and many other vitamins through biofortified varieties of maize.
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Biotechnology is just one way to meet people’s daily without putting future generations at risk of starvation…Ultimately, with continued research in this field, developing countries will have a chance to increase their overall self-sufficiency…
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