On World Food Day (October 16, 2015), CropLife Asia heralded the contributions farmers enabled by plant science technology are making to combat hunger around the globe – and the importance of these agricultural innovations play in delivering food security and sustainability to the nations of Asia and the world.
According to data from the Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the proportion of undernourished people in the developing world has fallen by almost half since 1990.
However, almost 800 million people do not receive enough food.
The FAO found about two-thirds of the world’s hungry live in Asia and the Pacific.
Compounding the issue is the population growth being realized in Asia and around the world.
The world’s population is on course to well exceed nine billion inhabitants by the year 2050.
Asia is projected to have roughly one billion more people calling it home.
The FAO has also estimated that roughly two-thirds of the world’s hungry live in Asia and the Pacific.
In 10 years, the population within the ASEAN region is expected to grow by almost 60 million more people.
In light of this growth, the United Nations’ goal of ending world hunger by 2030 is an ambitious one.
“The plant science industry plays a pivotal role in enabling farmers as they adapt to the challenges of modern agriculture,” said Dr Siang Hee Tan, Executive Director of CropLife Asia.
“With more people to feed, less water and arable land available, the threat of pests and disease, and a changing climate to confront, farmers need our help more than ever.”
“The technological advancements of plant science are a critical tool in our collective efforts to eliminate food insecurity and hunger in Asia and around the world.”
According to the FAO, growers around the world will need to produce as much as 70% more food than today to meet the expected needs of the population in 2050.
The innovations of plant biotechnology and crop protection continue to drive greater production globally towards the realization of this goal in the years ahead.
Crop protection products prevent nearly 40% of global rice and maize harvests from being lost every year, according to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural Science.
Meanwhile, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications states plant biotechnology increased crop yields 22% and increased farmer profits 68% during the 20-year period of 1995 to 2014.
