Feed the world

Experts predict the world population will grow from 6.5 billion in 2008 to 9 billion by 2050. Image: Juergen Sack/iStockphoto

Nearly 1 billion people worldwide don't have enough to eat. And as the global population grows there will be even more mouths to feed.

Some scientists are using genetic modification to create new crops with bigger yields and more vitamins, minerals and proteins. They hope these crops will improve the health of millions who are hungry or suffering from diseases as a result of poor nutrition.

Super sorghum

Many people in Africa depend on sorghum. Image: ICRISAT

Of the 300 million people in Africa who eat sorghum, a third of them depend on it for most of their calories.

Sorghum is a kind of grass with an edible grain. It grows well in dry conditions, which makes it an ideal choice for many farmers in Africa who farm land where little else will grow.

But a sorghum-only diet is not very nutritious and often leads to malnutrition. Like other cereals, sorghum is low in vital vitamins and minerals and with protein that can be hard for people to digest.

Fortified food

Paul Anderson leads the team of scientists who are working on the Africa Biofortified Sorghum Project. Image: Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business

Sorghum expert Paul Anderson thinks GM can help. 'We are using GM to reduce levels of some proteins in sorghum seeds that people cannot digest well. When the levels of these proteins are reduced the plant responds by making more nourishing proteins.'

Anderson, alongside experts at agricultural company Pioneer Hi-Bred in the USA, is modifying other sorghum genes so the plant will provide more iron and zinc when it is eaten. They are also transferring genes from maize and bacteria to make the plant produce more vitamin A – essential for eyesight.

But is GM really necessary?

Precision tool

Joel Mutisya, a sorghum expert in Kenya, believes that the GM research will benefit many people in Africa. Source: Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business

'GM is the only way you can modify these characteristics in sorghum effectively and combine them together,' says Anderson. 'We couldn't achieve this by conventional breeding – we wouldn't be able to improve so many characteristics at the same time.'

And after learning about modifying sorghum from Anderson's team, a number of African scientists are continuing the research in their own labs...

Sowing the seeds

Luke Mehlo is modifying sorghum in South Africa. Image: Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business

The project now has branches in countries including Kenya and South Africa.

Luke Mehlo, researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, says: 'I learned cutting-edge GM techniques and now I am continuing the sorghum research in my home country.' It will be 5–10 years before super sorghum seeds are available to farmers. But as no new farming methods will be needed, the benefits can reach the people who need them most.

Golden grain

Peter Beyer hopes his rice will help people in developing countries who don't get enough vitamin A in their diet. Image: Peter Beyer

Breakthroughs in GM technology are opening up exciting new possibilities for making food crops more nutritious. But the idea is not new.

'Golden Rice' was developed in 1999. This rice contains higher levels of betacarotene, which our bodies use to make vitamin A.

Peter Beyer, co-inventor of Golden Rice, says, 'The best way to achieve good all-round nutrition is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. However, genetically modified rice is an option for many people around the world who do not have access to a varied diet.'

Bigger, better, more

Spot the difference – the rice on the right has been genetically modified. Image: BASF

Genetic modification can also create bigger plants, so you get more food for each seed you sow. Biotechnology company BASF Plant Science is making a higher-yielding rice.

'By changing the genes in the rice crop, we can grow more rice on less land,' says Marnix Peferoen, a rice expert at BASF.

Though it may be another 10 years before farmers can plant seeds like these, the research may help us feed our growing population in the future.