Genetically Modified Vegetable Seeds: An Innovation to Counter the Issue of Global Hunger and Food Insecurity

Highlights:

• Introduction
• Advantages of genetically modified vegetable seeds
• The rise of the industry in Asia-Pacific

Food insecurity and hunger are some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanity today. Almost all developed and developing countries are focused on increasing agricultural productivity and making food accessible and affordable to their citizens. However, environmental problems like climate change and global warming, droughts, geopolitical tensions, economic sanctions, and other challenges have created major hurdles for governments while maximizing farm output. To counter this, efforts are being taken by the private sector and other stakeholders, at all levels including policymaking, research, and investments to overcome these challenges and make the agriculture sector profitable. Introducing genetically modified crops by altering the DNA of vegetable seeds is one such step.

Role of genetic modifications in improving the productivity of vegetable seeds

Genetically modified crops are, as the name suggests, crops or plants whose genetic code has been intentionally altered using scientific methodologies. The history of GM crops can be traced to late 1994 when Calgene, a biotechnology company, launched Flavr Savr, the first ever genetically modified tomato. This product also became the first commercially marketed GM vegetable in the world.

Agriculture studies conducted by reputed research institutions have proven that genetically modified vegetable seeds increase farm yield drastically. This makes GM vegetable seeds beneficial especially in those regions where the area under cultivation is extremely small, yet the population is high. Such areas always face the problem of supply-demand mismatch and GM crops can help address the issues of food inaccessibility and unaffordability.

Furthermore, GM crops are generally designed in such a way that they are resistant to pests and insects. Thus, the cultivation of genetically modified plants indirectly reduces the use of pesticides and insecticides. This has a two-fold advantage; firstly, the input cost of agriculture reduces as the farmer no longer needs to buy costly pesticides to increase his/her farm output. Secondly, the reduced use of pesticides has a positive impact on the environment as they aid in bringing down greenhouse gas emissions caused by agricultural activities. A recent study done in 2020 has shown that the use of genetically modified crops reduces pesticide usage by around 8.3%.

Furthermore, genetic engineering techniques also allow researchers to increase the nutritional value of vegetable seeds. Hence, many governments and private companies are proactively supporting such initiatives to combat the problem of malnutrition which is witnessed in many countries. For instance, in September 2021, Bayer, a multinational biotechnology company, announced the expansion of its product portfolio by launching genetically modified vegetable seeds of three crops- tomato, sweet pepper, and cucumber. Such product launches are expected to increase the revenue share of the vegetable seeds industry in the coming period.

Analyzing the contribution of the Asia-Pacific region in the rise of the vegetable seeds industry

Based on region, the Asia-Pacific vegetable seeds industry is expected to be the most dominant in the coming years. The rising population in developing countries like India, China, Indonesia, etc., has compelled their governments to adopt genetically modified and hybrid vegetable seeds that have better farm yields. Furthermore, the rising awareness regarding the importance of immunity, healthy diets, and balanced lifestyles has led to many people opting for GM vegetables which have higher nutritional content.

Additionally, many leading companies in the industry are opening their research labs and institutes in Asia-Pacific countries which have also helped in the growth of this sector. For example, in March 2024, Syngenta Vegetable Seeds, a leading developer of innovative seeds, announced the launch of its new Seed Health Lab in Hyderabad, India. Syngenta released a statement after the opening of its new facility saying that this research center would help the company deliver its promise of providing high-quality vegetable products to its customers in India.

To sum it up, the growth of the vegetable seeds industry can be attributed to the growing demand for genetically modified and hybrid crops. The extensive research conducted by private companies in this field and the governmental support offered by various countries have also played a huge role in the expansion of this landscape. Such scientific studies and initiatives are projected to address the issues of hunger and food insecurity in the coming period.

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