Can the world afford to ignore biotechnology solutions that address food insecurity?

• DOI: 10.1007/s11103-013-0027-2
• Publication Date: 2013-02-20T05:00:48Z
• Authors: Judit Berman; Changfu Zhu; Eduard Pérez-Massot; Gemma Arjó; Uxue Zorrilla-López; Gemma Masip; Raviraj Banakar; Georgina Sanahuja; Gemma Farré; Bruna Miralpeix; Chao Bai; Evangelia Vamvaka; Maite Sabalza; Richard M. Twyman; Ludovic Bassié; Teresa Capell; Paul Christou
• Keywords: Crops, Agricultural; 0301 basic medicine; 2. Zero hunger; 0303 health sciences; Food insecurity; Food, Genetically Modified; 1. No poverty; Oryza; Zea mays; Food Supply; 12. Responsible consumption; 3. Good health; Nutritionally enriched crops; 03 medical and health sciences; Genetically engineered crops; Dietary Supplements; Deficiency Diseases; Genetic Engineering; Delivery of Health Care; Developing Countries; Poverty

Genetically engineered (GE) crops can be used as part of a combined strategy to address food insecurity, which is defined as a lack of sustainable access to safe and nutritious food. In this article, we discuss the causes and consequences of food insecurity in the developing world, and the indirect economic impact on industrialized countries. We dissect the healthcare costs and lost productivity caused by food insecurity, and evaluate the relative merits of different intervention programs including supplementation, fortification and the deployment of GE crops with higher yields and enhanced nutritional properties. We provide clear evidence for the numerous potential benefits of GE crops, particularly for small-scale and subsistence farmers. GE crops with enhanced yields and nutritional properties constitute a vital component of any comprehensive strategy to tackle poverty, hunger and malnutrition in developing countries and thus reduce the global negative economic effects of food insecurity.