Author : Chavi Gautam
In accordance with the United Nations, the world’s population, 7.9 billion as of now, would amount to a whopping 9.8 billion by 2050. This exponential increase will lead to a surge in demand for food by a staggering 70%, making the lagging global food production and availability our leading concern. Given that the natural resources of a single life-possessing planet Earth will not be adequate to shoulder this relentless growth, pointing at sustainable existence as a credible solution to the problem, even when with its current implementation, approximately 1.3 billion tons of nutritious food gets annually lost or wasted, is certainly not enough. This is right where the need for a competent, efficient and sustainable solution like Food Biotechnology kicks in, making the resolve of two pronged problems of food deficit and wastage a pressing priority.
Put simply, Food Biotechnology is a development procedure through which the genes of our food sources, i.e., plants and animals are transformed through means of advanced technology to create new species with desirable attributes. These new species offer various nutritional, environmental, and economical benefits which can be passed on to both producers and consumers.
What is Food Biotechnology?
Put simply, Food Biotechnology, also termed as Genetically Modified Organism (GEO), is a development procedure through which the genes of our food sources i.e., plants and animals are given modifications and adjustments through advanced technology to create new species with desirable attributes that have nutritional, environmental and economic benefits that are passed on to both producers and consumers.
The fundamental concept of Food Biotechnology is not recent, rather, it has been passing on from generations since thousands of years in the form of conventional crossbreeding procedures with a common aim to improve crop yield, however, through a hit and trial approach. This practice included a totally random fusion of genes to acquire an organism with enhanced characteristics. It’s a widespread technique used by various ancient civilizations, whose utilization even aided in the 20th Century Green Revolution where diverse kinds of wheat were crossbred with a purpose to prevent frequent food famines. Such breeding systems hold the credit for the extraordinary growths in worldwide crop productions and modern day farming techniques in the 20th Century.
Some remarkable products that have been acquired using Food Biotechnology are also worth mentioning. Oils such as “Canola” have been developed where the amount of essential healthy fatty acids have been increased and specialized Wheat created for those who cannot consume Gluten.
But how does this technique turn out to be advantageous? Let’s deduce.
- Food biotechnology is an effective deterrent against “Food Loss” which occurs during the production and distribution of food and can be caused due to anything ranging from a bad season to the spoilage of crop. Due to an unpredictable climate change, leading to adverse conditions, an entire crop can be dented. This may trigger the growth of threatening pests and pathogenic microorganisms, adding to the disquiet, and accelerating the rate of food wastage worldwide. As a result, Plants have been genetically modified by various Biotech Companies and made resilient against these toxic pests and possible infections. For instance, in the early 1990’s, herbicide- resistant Tobacco plant was invented which averted the growth of unwanted plants i.e., weeds on the field, without causing any damage to the crop. “Flavr Savr Tomato” was established, which did not ripen until the time of harvest. Even, Summer Squash and Rainbow Papaya, which have been made competent against a bleak climate by going through the same procedure, ultimately avoiding a low and defective yield, producing extra crop on small land, and conserving the financial status of a farmer.
- “Food Waste” categorizes food which is of good quality but is still disregarded by a consumer. For instance, huge congregations like weddings are a key ground for Food Waste where more than 40 percent food on its menu makes its way straight to the bin. In general, consumers tend to omit food due to reasons like: Browning, denting, bruising etc. which is mostly still fit for consumption justifying why “a whopping 30 percent of Apples never get eaten.” With the help of Food Biotech, an “Innate Potato” has been developed which is less probable to brown, salvaging 1.9 billion potatoes which are squandered annually. Adding on, approximately 80% of corn and cotton in the US are annually formed using this technique, evidencing that this idea has gained considerable popularity. Notably, US also continues to lead in the biotechnology field, with about 1,200 Biotech companies and over 2,00,000 workers employed.
The two renowned organizations, part of the United Nations, namely, World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also consider Food Biotechnology as a competent, efficient solution that is capable to reduce international hunger, improve overall food quality and uphold the needed sustainability. Even numerous non-profit organizations, like “HarvestPlus” for example, donate funds for examinations and researches that use this technique to amend the attributes of crops. Amusingly, this organization is partnered with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), with a thoughtful endeavor to prevent the deficient nutrients consumption in parts like Africa and Southeast Asia using Food Biotechnology.
A high population boost awaits in the years that follow, which already being the root cause of all distinct international concerns, making it clear that battling these approaching challenges would not be child’s play. Already, globally, 11 million deaths occur due to a lack of proper nutritious diet, spoiled crops occupy about 1.4 billion Hectares i.e., 30% of international agricultural land area and approximately 1.3 billion tons of food gets annually lost or wasted. In a nutshell, the formation of a systematic solution to balance the universal food production and defeat any upcoming food shortages becomes a paramount necessity. Thus, techniques like Food Biotechnology will serve as an effective medium to protect the present, preserve the future, and help the society advance in the long run.
References:
- https://manometcurrent.com/global-food-biotechnology-market-2021-industry-analysis-future-developments-key-tactics-and-competitive-strategies-to-2027/
- https://www.fmi.org/blog/view/food-safety-backgrounders/2013/04/01/food-biotechnology-general-scientific-principles-safety-and-regulations