Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the potential role of transgenic crops or genetically modified (GM) crops in enhancing food security. This chapter argues that although GM crops are still in their early states of adoption, emerging trends show their potential to contribute to food security. The crops have the potential to increase agricultural productivity on existing arable land; address issues of loss related to pests, disease, and drought; increase access to food through income gains; raise nutrition levels; and promote sustainable agriculture. But realizing the potential needs to be assessed in a non-deterministic, system-wide economic context. A key message is to view the role of GM technology as one of the many factors that influence food security whose contribution should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis.
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Notes
- 1.
Different studies used different methods for calculating income gain from Bt cotton, but all indicated significantly higher profit margins for Bt cotton farmers (Pray et al. 2011, pp. 99–100).
- 2.
The three varieties planted in India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines include Swarna Sub1, Samba Mahsuri, and IR64-Sub1, respectively (IRRI n.d.)
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Juma, C., Gordon, K. (2014). Transgenic Crops and Food Security. In: Ricroch, A., Chopra, S., Fleischer, S. (eds) Plant Biotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-06892-3_5
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