Enhancing Food Supply Through Genetic Engineering

ABSTRACT

Great progress has been made over the past decades with respect to the application of genetic engineering to increase food supply and to generate nutritionally improved food crops. The role of genetically modified (GM) crops for food security is the subject of public controversy. Genetically engineered crops could contribute to food production increase and higher food availability. They also impact on food quality and nutrient composition. This work discusses the challenges of food insecurity and pointed out their consequences on individual and national development. It also presented how agricultural biotechnology could be used to advance the course of attaining food security. Crops such as soybean, maize, rice, tomato, cotton, potato, papaya, have been bio-engineered for crop improvement through weed control, insect resistance, disease resistance, gene tagging, gene mapping. Genetic engineering plays an important role in food production in developing countries by increased production, improved harvesting, availability of better raw material, improved nutritional values, and reduced dependence on agrochemicals. GM crops alone will not solve the hunger problem, but they can be an important component in a broader food security strategy.