The Use of Biotechnology and Gene Editing Technologies in Agriculture

The Use of Biotechnology and Gene Editing Technologies in Agriculture to Help Solve the Growing Food Security and Sustainability Problem
Abstract
The primary reason for conducting this research is to investigate the use of biotechnology and gene editing technologies in agriculture to solve the growing food security and sustainability problem. In this context, the study followed an in-depth research process of selecting recent peer-reviewed journals related to the problem. It also incorporated a thorough literature review to isolate the significant benefits arising from these articles supporting the incorporation of the technology. Findings defended the thesis that yields boosting, disease management, and nutrition enhancement make biotechnology and gene editing technologies in agriculture a critical aspect for assisting the world in resolving the threatening food security and sustainability problem. Thus, stakeholders should embrace it as a long-term solution.
Introduction
Experts have argued that adversaries push people to become open-minded and embrace change. Food insecurity continues to become a menace as the global population balloon while climate change induces one blow after another on food productivity and supply. According to Qaim (2020), statistics indicate that over 800 million people are already grappling with chronic hunger incidences, while another 2 billion remain micronutrient deficient. The author suggests that this threshold of food insecurity has emerged as a significant concern for all nations due to the health ramifications associated with malnutrition. As a result, stakeholders have committed their efforts to finding advanced and progressive approaches to increasing productivity, leading to the rise of genetic modifications and gene editing technologies. Although their use has prompted conflicting viewpoints, with one faction supporting their applicability and potential while the other objecting to them by raising health concerns, these technologies offer significant hopes. They promote yield improvement, management of plant and animal illnesses, and offer the potential to boost nutrition. Thus, due to yield increase, disease management, and nutrition enhancement, biotechnology and gene editing technologies in agriculture will assist people in resolving the threatening food security and sustainability problem.
Discussion
Boosting Yields
One of the leading aspects that promote support for biotechnology and gene editing technologies is that they bring an unprecedented increase in yields. According to Karavolias et al. (2021), evidence demonstrates that incorporating these approaches could drastically close the food supply and demand gap being experienced on a global scale. Georges and Ray (2017) agree that genome editing has gained popularity as an emerging opportunity for stakeholders to regenerate dwindling food security. The author defines it as the introduction of targeted mutations into the genome of a plant with a specialized approach and precision to induce desirable gene expression and silencing using instruments such as CRISPR/Cas9 system (Georges and Ray, 2017). It represents an advanced technique in a genetic modification that targets changing the characteristics of an animal, plant, o...