Comprendre les enjeux de l'agriculture

A group of over 150 Nobel Prize laureates and World Food Prize recipients recently issued an urgent call for the development of revolutionary technologies to combat global hunger. In an open letter, they emphasize that the world is far from meeting future food needs, with approximately 700 million people already hungry and an additional 1.5 billion people to feed by 2050.

• The challenges to overcome include conflicts that hinder access to food and extreme climatic conditions, exacerbated by climate change, which harm crops and farmers’ livelihoods. The signatories of the letter, including renowned scientists such as Jennifer Doudna and Richard Roberts, highlight the importance of agricultural research and innovation.

• Proposed solutions include improving photosynthesis in staple crops, developing fertilizer-free grain varieties, and researching nutrient-rich indigenous crops. Golden rice, for instance, is cited as a potential solution to combat vitamin A deficiencies.

• Finally, the diversification of food sources by countries like China illustrates the geopolitical importance of global food security. The laureates stress the need to act now to avoid a future marked by growing food insecurity.

Source: Bloomberg