Friday 18 February 2011

Biotechnology- means to Achieve Food security

Agricultural productivity is important for food security, as it has an impact on food supplies, prices and incomes and purchasing power of farmers. Improve food security at national level requires an increase in food availability through increased agricultural production.

Historically, food production in developing countries can be attributed to the cultivation of new land, rather than the introduction of better farming practices and application of new technologies. By its very nature, agriculture threatens other ecosystems, a situation that can be aggravated by over-cultivation, grazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. However, the increase in demand for food in Asia, Europe and North Africa should be met by increasing yields, because most land in these areas is already used for agriculture. E 'in this context that biotechnology techniques of different nature may be practical to use to improve performance and productivity.

Food safety:

food productivity worldwide is undergoing a process of rapid transformation due to technological advances in communication, information, transport and modern biotechnology. A general observation is that technologies tend to develop in response to market pressures, not the needs of the poor who have no purchasing power. Agriculture is the main economic activity in rural communities, optimizing production levels will generate employment and income, and thus advance the wealth and welfare of the community. Improve agricultural production in developing countries is essential to reduce poverty and increase food security.

The initial investment to boost agricultural productivity can be achieved through the introduction of advanced technologies such as improved seeds, crop rotation systems, etc., using technology to reduce the loss of crops and waste production of crops that are resistant weeds, insects and other reasons for the failure of crops using biological insecticides to preserve the nutritional value of plants and reduce its toxicity. Other measures include the use of techniques that are:

• the environment, conserve resources and maintain the productive potential
• feasible and profitable for farmers over a long period
• Provide Food Quality and sufficiency for all people
• socially acceptable
• socially equitable between countries and within each country

production problems for farmers vary between countries and communities, and technology must be adapted to these situations, ie, a solution will not be appropriate everywhere. In fact, these programs are now widely accepted as being the focus of sustainable agriculture. Improving the nutritional properties of staple foods consumed by the poor could reduce the disease burden in many developing countries. For example, scientists at the Institute for International Research on the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT, India) have developed a variety of pearl millet enriched in beta-carotene. This has led not only to produce a crop that is widely used by low productivity increases, but also add value to the nutritional content of culture. E 'need for direct research in areas that are capable of generating sustainable long-term solutions to food problems, which are not governed only by considerations of pure economic interests.

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