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 30 August 2008 04:50 BST

Can science help the world's food supply?

Thursday, 07 Aug 2008 00:01
Scientists will look at ways science can help food supply

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Expert scientists and economists have come together to look at ways science can help to secure the world's food supply.

Launched today, the Royal Society working group was established following growing concerns about the long-term sufficiency and sustainability of food.

It will assess a wide range of biological approaches which have been proposed for improving crop yields and the barriers which stand in the way to developing these techniques.

Professor David Baulcombe, of the University of Cambridge and chair of the Royal Society's working group, said science alone cannot solve the world's projected food shortages, "but it can offer us many valuable tools in the battle to feed the world's growing population".

"It is clear we are facing serious concerns over the long-term security and sufficiency of our food resources," he said.

"It is critical that we explore now the ways in which science can help us to improve the yields we achieve from the limited land we have available."

The Royal Society's working group will evaluate scientific approaches which may have the potential to increase crop yields, enhance nutritional value, minimise waste, increase resource-use efficiency, and reduce reliance on non-renewable inputs.

These approaches may include the optimisation of the genetic make-up of crops, via selective breeding of desirable traits, or by modification.

The group will also look at biocontrol - natural methods of tackling crop pests, such as by introducing predators. The other techniques to be considered include the identification of novel genetic markers in crop species to aid crop selection.
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