Credit: Brett Ryder
WITHOUT INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE, the world will run out of food. That's because most of the best farming land is already under production, while human populations continue to grow.
Sticking to traditional farming techniques will eventually result in a situation where demand overwhelms supply. Biotechnology has the potential to address this problem.
It could improve the volume and quality of food, feed, fibre and biofuels; reduce agriculture's dependency on chemicals and fossil fuels; diminish over cultivation and erosion; and lower the cost of raw materials – all in an environmentally sustainable manner.
Agricultural biotechnology – better known as 'genetically modified' or GM food – has helped farms around the world boost productivity and grow crops in more ecologically healthy fields, while allowing more efficient use of resources.
This technology means that farmers spend less time preparing their paddocks, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions, because they are not spending all day on a tractor or using agricultural machinery.
They also spend less time ploughing the fields and, in doing so, reduce the exposure of soil to wind and water erosion. Traditional farming allows rain to compact the soil and increases its oxygen content, so that organic matter oxidises away – which results in more compaction and nutrient loss.
A 2005 study by Graham Brookes and Peter Barfoot, economists at agricultural advisors PG Economics in Britain, found that, in the first nine years after GM crops were allowed, global net farm income increased by A$35.5 billion.
At the same time, the environmental footprint associated with pesticide use was reduced by 14 per cent, with a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking nearly five million cars off the road for a year.
Between 1996 and 2004, pesticide use fell by an estimated 172 million kg, compared with the amount of pesticides that would have been required if only conventional crops had been cultivated. In 2004 alone that equated to some 40 million kg of pesticides.
Because less spraying means fewer tractor passes, this also contributes to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Insect-resistant maize has an additional health benefit, because fewer insect-damaged cobs means reduced infection by fungi. Fungal mycotoxins cause health risks such as cancer and tissue degeneration in humans and animals.
Before the advent of GM maize, the only 'natural' way to control those fungi was by using copper sulphate – a substance that has one of the highest toxic hazard ratings of acceptable pesticides. Additionally, its use often encourages antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the soil.
Of the 8.5 million farmers who grew biotech crops in 2005, 90% were in developing countries. In China, many farmers spray pesticides onto their crops by hand, not having access to the same machinery as in the West. GM crops allowed a significant reduction in pesticide use, which has literally saved lives.
GM crops may actually be beneficial for animals as well. A 2005 paper from Britain's Royal Society suggested that intensive high-yield farming on smaller areas of land is better for fauna than the so-called 'wildlife-friendly', but less efficient farming methods.
It provided convincing evidence that, without yield increase, land use for farming will double by 2050. This effect will be especially significant in developing countries.
Without greater productivity, China and India for example will need four times the land area to support their expanding populations. Biotechnology can develop crops that can be cultivated in hostile environments, increasing geographic range while reducing potential impact on fragile ecosystems. Already, 40% of the world's irrigated land is no longer viable due to salinity.
Genetic engineer Eduardo Blumwald of the University of California, Davis has developed plants than can grow in soil that has 50 times the normal salt level. This could help in many dry regions of Australia.
Because resources are finite, true sustainability can come only from an enlightened philosophy that promotes the development of resource-enhancing technologies. The only sure way to protect the planet's resources is not to settle into the complacency of maintaining the status quo, but to engage in continual, constructive change based on scientific advice.
Martina Newell-McGloughlin is director of the biotechnology program at the University of California, Davis.
