Shortage of skilled plant breeders could lead to dire implications to food security
by Clement Dionglay, https://www.facebook.com/, https://www.facebook.com/BusinessMirror/ · BusinessMirror- Clement Dionglay
- August 11, 2024
- 3 minute read
The Day of Eight Billion, a significant milestone in human development, happened on November 15, 2022.
This milestone marked the day the world population reached 8 billion, according to the United Nations. It is projected to reach 8.5 billion in 2030 and to increase further to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion by 2100.
As the global population continues to increase, so does the demand for essential resources such as food, clothing, and shelter
However, this escalating population presents a significant challenge to food production, with potential consequences of food shortages and insufficient supplies for many.
In an earlier report, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that world food production must increase by 70 percent in 2050 to feed a projected extra 2 billion people.
In the latest Hunger Hotspots report covering June to October 2024, the FAO and the World Food Programme (WFP) issued a joint warning about the escalating food insecurity crisis in 18 critical hotspots.
The hotspots—17 countries or territories and one regional cluster—are areas experiencing famine or severe risk, and requiring urgent action to prevent catastrophic conditions.
In 2021, a meta-analysis conducted by Wageningen University and Research revealed that future food demand will increase between 35 percent and 56 percent from 2010 to 2050.
This increase is due to population growth, economic development, urbanization, and other drivers.
The study also revealed that more than 820 million people in the world do not have enough food, while climate change and increasing competition for land and water further raise concerns about the future balance between food demand and supply.
Plant breeders, the unsung heroes of the world’s food supply, are also the architects of global food security. Their work is crucial in addressing the challenges to food security and sustainability.
In the past three decades, plant breeders have significantly contributed to finding solutions to ensure the global food supply. They are the driving forces in the discovery of innovative tools and the development of crops with enhanced traits to improve food production.
They used modern biotechnology tools and developed crops with beneficial traits like resistance to pests and diseases, crops that resist harsh environmental conditions, such as drought and heat, and crops enriched with vitamins and minerals.
In June 2024, new research conducted across three continents by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) in Australia, Lincoln University in New Zealand, and McGill University in Canada found that a lack of scientists specialized in plant breeding could lead to “dire” food security implications in Australia, and around the world.
The joint paper paints a concerning picture of future capacity in the plant breeding area.
Lead author and CSIRO scientist Dr. Lucy Egan said the shortage has been building for some time and has the potential to impact agricultural production worldwide.
“What we’re seeing is a whole generation of highly-skilled plant breeding specialists who are now reaching retirement age, with a gap left as university graduates opt to focus on other areas of plant science including molecular biology,” Egan said.
McGill University’s Dr. Valerio Hoyos-Villegas said one of the keys to addressing the shortage will be the establishment of dedicated training facilities in different countries.
The authors identified improvements that can be made in the future to improve the plant breeding sector. They emphasized that a multipronged approach is needed to reinvigorate plant breeding education and research. Clement Dionglay is a Project Associate at ISAAA Inc.
The report highlights several responses to the skills shortage, including the need for a coordinated approach between the public and private sectors, the establishment of centers of excellence, training the next generation of plant breeders, and the creation of national funds for graduate fellowships.
The authors also suggest developing national educational strategies that are linked to expanding access to education that will include plant breeding as one of the areas with a significant workforce to replace retiring plant breeders.
This could also include the expansion of the plant breeding job market into related areas. Clement Dionglay is a Project Associate at ISAAA Inc.
0 0 0 0 Share 0 Tweet 0 Pin it 0 Share 0