Plant Science Industry Helping Farmers Feed 9 Billion

February 20, 2013
Farmer Livelihood  Food Security  Investment & Innovation 

The plant science industry is always developing new agricultural technologies and tools, which increase crop production on less land in a more sustainable way. Biotech crops, for example, have helped grow more food per acre, including an increase of 97.5 million tonnes of soybeans, 159.4 million tonnes of corn and 6.1 million tonnes of canola worldwide from 1996 to 2010. Crop protection products have also significantly contributed to increased global food production and have maintained crop yields in adverse climates.

Insects have the potential to destroy 50 per cent of the world’s wheat crop but crop protection practices prevent nearly half of these losses.

For example, insect pressures have the potential to destroy 50 per cent of the world’s wheat crop but crop protection practices prevent nearly half of these crop losses. Without fungicides, it’s estimated that yields of most fruits and vegetables would drop by 50 to 95 per cent. By making agriculture more productive, plant science technologies enable farmers to increase crop quantity and quality, which improves food security and nutrition.