Feeding the World is NOT a 2050 Issue, it’s a NOW Issue

Yielding to potential crop yields

Increasing yield has long been one of the goals of plant breeders the world over. The FAO estimated in 2006 that yield increases of 2% per year are required to feed a global population of 7 billion[2]. Research into yearly average yield increases in the USA from 1900-2007 has been 1.58% for corn, 1.12% for wheat, 1.55% for rice and 1.6% for soybeans. With the exception of wheat, these figures look reasonably close to accomplishing the 2% per year target, however, when the post-1990 yield increases are examined, concern arises. Yield increase percentages drop for all commodities: corn to 1.5%, wheat to 0.15%, rice to 1.37% and soybeans to 1.16%. Corn, wheat and rice are defined as staple crops by the FAO. To feed a population in excess of 7 billion, yield increases greater than 2% per year are required and the best information available at the moment, suggests this is not a feasible option for feeding 9 billion. Investments should still be made in plant breeding as positive yield increases contribute to increasing food supply. Investment in and commercialization of higher yielding varieties in developing countries, especially African ones, will have a significant impact, but won’t be enough on its own to address food insecurity.

NUTRITION VALUE OVER PRODUCTION METRICS

The one option that doesn’t get much discussion is the nutritional composition of the foods we rely on. Not all foods are equal and the focus on tonnes produced does not necessarily reflect quality or quantity of nutrition. In some cultures, either by design or default, plant-based nutrition comprises 100% of people’s diet, therefore plant nutrients are essential. If we want to improve the nutrition of our staple foods, all breeding techniques should be applied in pursuit of this goal, conventional mutagenesis, transgenic and gene editing will all contribute.

Nutrigenomics is the study of how to improve plant nutrients through gene expression. From a health perspective, plant components of dietary interest can be broadly divided into four main categories: macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids [oils], fiber); micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, functional metabolites); anti-nutrients (substances such as phytate that limit the bioavailability of nutrients); and allergens (intolerances and toxins). Of these, the first two can be enhanced and the latter two be limited or removed to improve overall consumer benefits. Not only can nutritionally enhanced foods or functional foods improve an individual’s nutrient intake, they are of increasing interest in the prevention and/or treatment of at least four of the leading causes of death in the United States: cancer; diabetes; cardiovascular disease; and hypertension.[su_list icon=”icon: mail-forward” icon_color=”#47907C”]

• The US National Cancer Institute estimates that one in three cancer deaths are diet related and that eight of ten cancers have a nutrition/diet component.
• Inverse relationships have been observed between carotenoid-rich foods and certain cancers.
• Other nutrient-related correlations link dietary fat and fiber to the prevention of colon cancer, folate to the prevention of neural tube defects, calcium to the prevention of osteoporosis, psyllium to the lowering of blood lipid levels and antioxidant nutrients to the scavenging of reactive oxidant species and protection against oxidative damage of cells that may lead to chronic disease, to list just a few.
• Further, many food components are known to influence the expression of both structural genes and transcription factors in humans.

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ACCEPT OUR CURRENT ISSUES AND START WORKING TOGETHER FOR SOLUTIONS

When it comes to feeding a future world population, increasing the amount of cropland carries environmental costs that seem marginal at best. Increasing the yield of crops certainly helps, but that will not get us all the way there. The most logical of the options is to increase the innovative research on increasing the nutritional component of crops and foods. Let’s face reality, our food issues of feeding 9 billion in 2050 are not a quarter century away, are issues are less than a decade away. Rather than advocating against innovations in agriculture, we need to put aside our differences and embrace innovations, policies and support of agriculture which will increase yields, the scale of production and most importantly nutrition.

[1] It would be feasible to argue there is a 4^th option, increasing the commercialization of agriculture, including new crop varieties. For the purposes of this blog, I treat this as part of increasing variety yield.

[2] The world population has already surpassed the 7 billion mark, the US Census Bureau estimated the world population in April 2018 to be nearly 7.47 million people.