The following is an excerpt of an article, "Biotech Benefits: Drought- and Salinity-Resistant Crops" by Elizabeth Held via Food Insight.
A study released March 14 concluded that more than 500,000 people could die due to the effects of climate change on food production.
And it isn’t the first warning. This headline comes after a 2013 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture saying that climate change could devastate agriculture. The warming climate, the report explained, could lead to dramatic increases in weeds, pests, and diseases.
Other scientists have said the change in frequency and severity of extreme weather events (like heat waves, droughts, and floods) could lead to lower yields.
We're going to end up in a situation where we have a multitude of things happening that are going to negatively impact crop production," said Jerry Hatfield, a USDA plant physiologist.
At the same time our climate is changing, our population is growing quickly: We’ll need to feed an estimated 9.7 billion peopleby 2050.
Biotech crops, designed to withstand the effects of climate change, are one tool that could help us meet the challenge of feeding more people in a changing world. Here’s how:
- Drought-tolerant corn: This corn variety, available in the United States, was specifically designed for dry, drought-like conditions. These plants still need water, but they have been engineered to protect farmer’s yields in moderate drought years. A public-private partnership in Africa is now working to develop a drought-tolerant variety specifically designed for the continent. It’s estimated that better corn varieties could increase yields by 20 to 35 percent in food-insecure communities.
Read the full article here.