Technology
From IssuesBriefs
Overview
In a world where current food supply is not meeting necessary demand, there is a need for dramatically increased production. This, combined with other factors is pushing up the price of food, which then disproportionately affects the poorer and already struggling populations of the world. There are several issues at hand, and a variety of measures which could be used to lessen the effects felt.
Firstly, there is a need for more access to current technologies in poorer countries. In many developing countries, there is a large dependence on what are now obsolete farming techniques in more developed countries, indicating that increasing access to technology could significantly boost agricultural production and supply of food in the global market. Secondly there is a need for more research and development within the agricultural sector. This field is expansive as can be regarding issues including, but not limited to, crop yields; more efficient production and harvesting; better transportation of produce; and reducing nutrient wastage. This could result in both an increased supply of food as well as a better quality of what is on the market.
Furthermore, the development of innovative ideas for agriculture possible for exploration, such as urban farming, have already been coined. Research and development is a crucial aspect to be considered in solving the issues. Increasing living standards and access to food in a sustainable manner is paramount. Innovation in agricultural technology and processes or simply more access to existing technology in poorer countries could potentially solve at least some of the problems to bridge the ever increasing gap between supply and demand in the food market currently escalating the global food crisis.
GM
Overview
A highly controversial topic of the past decade has been the genetic modification of food. Genetically-modified (GM) foods refer to crops or animals which have been modified using molecular biology techniques to enhance genetic traits such as increasing resistance to herbicides or improving nutritional content. This has traditionally been done through breeding however recent technologies have created the possibility to isolate particular genes and insert them into another organism. As yet, the yield of crops has not been improved by genetic modification however due to increasing resistance to problems like drought; the yields can be more consistent. Genetic modification can also be used in negative ways such as creating crops which produce for only one season, resulting in farmers having to regularly buy new seeds and creating a forced dependence on the sellers.
In the years that GM foods have been available there have so far been no reports of any GM food causing adverse health effects in humans, however since the GM products have only been available sine the early 1990s, the long term effects are not yet known. Before sale in Australia, GM foods are required to undergo a safety assessment by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). These assessments rigorously examine the allergenicity, toxicity and nutritional value of GM foods to determine whether they are different from conventionally produced food. There has been ongoing argument and controversy on whether GM foods should be available to the consumer, particularly in cases, where the consumer is not aware that there food contains genetically modified crops. There are currently 31 different GM foods available in the Australian and New Zealand markets. In Australia, FSANZ require most types of food to be labelled if it is genetically modified however internationally this is not the case.
Due to the large amount of controversy surrounding the issue of GM food – about the safety and potential long term effects which could be caused by altering the genetic structure of foods – scientists, farmers and consumers continue this polarising discussion.
Contributors
- Dr Leanne McRae - Senior Researcher for Popular Culture Collective[1]
- Robert Paarlberg - Professor at of Political Science at Wellesley College
- Bob Phelps - Executive Director of Gene Ethics[2]
Articles
- Leanne McRae: 'Food Failure' [3]
- Robert Paarlberg: 'The fight to feed Africa' [4]
- Bob Phelps: 'Feeding the world: GM is not the answer' [5]
Documents and Resources
