Mix of farm innovations could take a bite out of world hunger

Summary
According to a study published this past week, a tailored mix of farming technologies could greatly improve global food security by mid-century as the world's population is projected to increase to 9 billion, and the risk of adverse weather from climate change poses a threat on crops and also disrupts trade. Global corn yields could increase by as much as 67 percent by the year 2050, while wheat and rice yields may rise around 20 percent if certain innovations are paired, stated the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in a study referred to as "Food Security in a World of Natural Resource Scarcity." The IFPRI also reported that a widespread adoption of technologies, including biotech seeds, irrigation and no-till farming could decrease world food prices by nearly half and cut food insecurity by as much as 36 percent. The study targeted the impacts of eleven different technologies on corn, rice and wheat yields, crop prices, trade and world hunger and found that certain combinations worked more efficiently than others. The findings could possibly help identify practices that cash-strapped developing nations should target to combat hunger. Farmers in the developing world would see the biggest overall yield gains. Drought-tolerant grain should be targeted by producers in the Middle East and parts of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, while heat-tolerant varieties offer promising yield results in North America and South Asia, stated the IFPRI. Yield gains from specific technologies were higher when combined with irrigation. Positive yield findings were then plugged into an economic model that projected their impact on commodity prices, trade and food security. Drought-tolerant corn could possibly increase yields by 13 percent here in the United States as well as China. These are the top two corn consumers. Nutrient-efficient rice varieties could also produce 22 percent more grain.

Analysis
This report highlights how farming technologies can improve global food security by the turn of the mid-century. With a population that is continuously increasing, more food is going to be needed. Also, with global corn yields increasing, this would be an easier way to distribute food to developing countries due to an increased food supply. Two of the globes most populated countries are also the top two corn consumers. With this being said, the poorest countries still lack the necessities needed to improve global food security due to bad climates which poses a threat on growing the crops.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/food-hunger-ifpri-idUSL2N0LG21Z20140212