Genetically modified crops have a key role in meeting a massive surge in world demand for food over the next 15 years, a leading plant scientist says.
CSIRO's deputy chief of plant industries, Dr T. J. Higgins, says population growth and rising wealth could mean an extra 10 billion tonnes of food consumed each year by 2025.
Responding to that extra demand was a "mammoth task" which would require "many tools" including the use of GM crops, Dr Higgins said.
"The challenge is to boost yields and quality, while protecting the environment and producing affordable food and renewable energy," he said.
Dr Higgins said GM crops and plants had the potential to deliver better protection against pests and diseases, better food nutrition and quality, and help farmers adapt to climate change.
The range of GM food crops could soon be expanded, with new varieties of wheat, rice and eggplant becoming commercially available within the next year, he said.
There were also new GM barley, canola, rice and sorghum crops designed to make more efficient use of fertiliser, unlock more phosphorous from the soil, protect against acid soils and use less water.
And there were "third generation" non-food GM crops on the drawing board that could help produce more efficient feed stocks and recreate important Omega-3 oils in foods.
"That's just a glimpse of how genetics can help achieve the extra food the world will need by 2025," Dr Higgins said.
His comments came as the National Farmers' Federation warned that agricultural production was being jeopardised by a major shortfall in federal spending on rural R&D.
NFF president David Crombie said R&D spending in Australia had failed to keep pace with the rest of the world since the 1970s, leaving Australia's farmers in a "precarious position".
"Productivity gains, achieved on the back of R&D, have placed Australian agriculture at the forefront of world food and fibre production," Mr Crombie said.
"But Australia is now falling further and further behind the rest of the world. This must be rectified in this year's federal Budget."
Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke said boosting productivity was the key to meeting food security and climate change challenges.
Copyright © 2009 The Weekly Times
