Water is a key ingredient of food security. Livestock and crops require water to grow. Agriculture consumes large amounts of water for irrigation and food processing purposes. The global population is expected to grow to 8.3 billion in and 2030 to 9.1 billion in 2050 from 6.9 billion in 2010 (FAO, 2017). The United Nations predicts that food demand will increase by 50% in 2030 and 70% in 2050. Thus, the main challenge facing agriculture is availing 70% more food to the populations (FAO, 2017) . Water utilization in agriculture also contributes to climate change, which increases the risks and uncertainties associated with food production. Ensuring the sustainable use of water will be critical for food security. Innovative technologies are required to produce more food with less water. Genetically Modified (GM) crops offer a viable solution for ensuring food and water security for all.
Background of the Problem
Though the world has about 1,400 cubic kilometers of water, only 0.003% are freshwater resources, which can be used for drinking, agriculture, hygiene, and industry (FAO, 2017) . Additionally, not all this fresh water is accessible because most of it is found in remote rivers. With the human population expected to grow by 2 billion by 2030, the question of whether there will be sufficient and quality water to support humanity remains answered (FAO, 2017). In terms of water usage, agriculture is the leading consumer of water, accounting for about 70% of withdrawals and about 95% in developing nations. A ton of cereal requires about 1,000 to 3,000 cubic meters of water (FAO, 2017) . This means that 1 kg of cereal needs between 1-3 tons of water to grow. Additionally, the daily drinking needs per person are between 2 and 4 liters, but 2,000 to 5,000 liters of water are needed to grow the food of a single individual.
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Water is closely linked to food security. Food security refers to regular access to sufficient high-quality food for healthy and active lives. The phenomenon applies mostly to developing countries where individuals who have enough access to water tend to experience lower levels of undernourishment. Considering that water is a critical element of food security, the lack of it may have consequences on health, mainly in areas where local agriculture is the main source of food and income. Furthermore, unpredictable weather patterns and seasonal differences in water availability can contribute to floods, droughts, and food shortages, which may lead to acute food insecurity. It is evident that the availability of water varies significantly per region. For example, countries such as Canada have large water resources, but others in dry and desert regions have limited access to water. However, maximizing the use of water even in regions with limited water resources can enhance food security and lower poverty even in rural areas that are host to 75% of the world’s hungry population (FAO, 2017) . Thus, the management of water resources is vital for food security.
Drought is also the leading cause of acute food shortages in the developing world. Africa leads to the prevalence rate of hunger after Oceania. It is also the driest compared to other continents. For instance, more than 57 million Ethiopians have experienced drought in the last three decades. In India, more than 70% of the yearly rainfall occurs during the Monsoon, which lasts only three months (FAO, 2017) . Therefore, most of the water flows into the sea, and farmers without irrigation must deal with water scarcity most of the year. In Tanzania, women who have ready access to water resources no longer have to spend time fetching it; therefore, they use this time work in market gardens, which improve their income and diets.
Since water is vital for food security and lessening of poverty, managing it effectively is necessary. Enhancing water resource management is, therefore, a question of obtaining more food from less water. There are two components to maximizing food production from any amount of water: technology and people. One cannot exist without the other. Even the most advanced technology is not helpful if people cannot afford or understand how to use it. Managing and using the world’s resources is everybody’s business, from the government to rural farmers (FAO, 2017) . In most cases, the people who should have more say water management are farmers. Enabling communities and people to understand their water management options and to choose from the most suitable choices and take responsibility for them could change how the world utilizes water resources.
Why It Is a Societal Problem
The expected increase in the global population makes food and water security a critical problem. Feeding this huge population will mean suitable use of water resources for agricultural purposes. Since a significant portion of the world’s water is used for agriculture, the management of agricultural water is key to the realization of food security. Management of water resources is more important in developing countries that rely more on agriculture. In these countries, access to water resources determines nourishment and income levels. Thus, the relationship between water and food security makes water a critical resource.
Proposed Solution
Food security is when all people have access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food. However, a significant portion of the global population does not have food security, meaning that they suffer from malnourishment and undernourishment. Ridding the world of hunger is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, but achieving this objective is sometimes controversial, considering the effects of the proposed solutions. Genetically modified crops offer a viable solution to the problem of food and water insecurity. Genetically modified crops can help improve food and water security in four ways. First, GM crops can increase food production an ensure availability of sufficient food at both the local and international levels (Qaim, 2011). Second, GM crops can enhance food quality and safety. Third, it has the potential to improve the economic situation of farmers, which is vital in eradicating poverty. Lastly, GM crops can promote the efficient use of water, which is a finite and scarce resource.
Regarding the first benefit, GM crops are more resistant to both biotic and abiotic stresses; thus, they are high yielding. By conferring these attributes to crops, GM technologies ensure that there are stable and sufficient food supplies to meet the expected increase in the human population. In 2012, around 170 million Ha of the world’s arable land was under GM crops such as soybean, canola, cotton, and corn(Anilakumar and Bawa, 2013). The commercialization of GM food crops would ensure food security, but the lack of acceptance of this technology is one of the reasons why GM technology has not been accepted widely (Anilakumar and Bawa, 2013).
On the second benefit of promoting food quality and safety, food crops with new characteristics can affect food safety and quality. Therefore, these crops must be evaluated and managed on a case-by-case basis. Nonetheless, risks to food safety are not specific to GM crops. Research studies have shown that GM technologies are not risky compared to other traditional plant breeding technologies (Qaim, 2011). GM technologies have the potential to enhance food quality because it makes it possible to breed crops with high quantities of micronutrients (Raman, 2017). For example, GM technologies have made it possible to breed Golden Rice with high quantities of provitamin A. Though these crops are yet to be commercialized, forecasts show that they could help lower nutritional deficiencies especially among the poor.
Regarding the third benefit, GM crops have positive implications for smallholder farmers in developing countries. GM technologies have the potential to increase the income of small scale farmers in developing countries due to their resistance to insect pests. For example, Bt cotton, which is grown by small scale farmers in China, India, Pakistan, and other developing countries is resistant cotton bollworms. Studies on the effects of GM crops have shown that the Bt cotton lowers the need for chemical pesticides and increases earnings. With higher incomes, farmers are able to access better and nutritious food. Lastly, GM technologies can help in the management of scarce water resources because they can confer crops with the ability to mature faster, which means that less water is used to grow them.
Statistical Data
Several studies have explored the role of GM crops in ensuring food and water security. In their study, Kouser and Qaim (2013) explored the impact of genetically modified crops on the income and economic access of farmers in India who have adopted Bt cotton, an insect-resistant variant of cotton. The study used comprehensive panel data gathered over many years from farmers in India. The study found that the adoption of Bt cotton has enhanced calorie intake and dietary quality due to increased income. A strength of this study is the ability to test the robustness of BT impacts by approximating calorie intake models with other specifications. These include assessing possible changes over time and change in calorie impacts per Ha of Bt cotton. A limitation of the study is the impact of other factors on calories intake, such as an increase in dietary education and awareness among farmers.
In a review of the impacts of GM on modern agriculture, Raman (2017), found that GM crops have the potential to mitigate the challenges associated with modern agriculture with prove from the success of canola in Australia and Bt cotton in India. Nonetheless, the review highlights the dangers and controversies of GM technologies such as potential health risks and insect resistance. Nonetheless, the review indicates that the rapid growth of the GM seed market and promising research makes GM technologies promising solutions to the problems of food and water insecurity. One strength of this review is the presentation of the benefits and dangers and GM crops. A limitation of the review is the lack of a research study to support the findings. Since it presents the findings of other studies, it is impossible to determine the effectiveness of their methodologies.
In a review of studies on the socioeconomic effects of GM crops, Qaim (2011) showed that GM crop shave the potential to lower hunger and food insecurity. Some of the studies reviewed include ex-post studies for existing applications such as herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant crops and ex-ante studies of future GM technologies. A limitation of the study is the limited nature of the observable benefits of GM technologies.
Ethical Outcomes from the Proposed Solution
The adoption of GM technologies to mitigate against food and water insecurity has both positive and negative ethical outcomes. A positive ethical outcome of GM technology is the role it plays in attaining food security in developing parts of the world. Food security is still a concern in many parts of the world, especially in developing countries where subsistence farming is still the norm ( Lamichhane, 2014) . Due to variations in weather patterns and the effects of plant diseases and insects, pole in some parts o the world suffer from malnourishment and undernourishment. GM technologies have the potential to improve access to quality and nutritious food by increasing the incomes of small scale farmers and the nutritious content of food crops.
A negative ethical outcome of GM crops is the potential for harmful effects on the body through the consumption of GM crops. It is posited that the consumption of these crops can lead to diseases that are immune to antibiotics (Herrera-Estrella, 2000). GM technologies affect the DNA makeup of plants, which may have long-term effects on consumers. Since little is known about GM technologies, the potential for harmful impacts is a major negative ethical outcome.
Ethical Issues with the Outcomes
Two ethical issues are associated with the two ethical outcomes of using GM technologies to ensure food and water security. Concerning the potential to mitigate food and water insecurity, two ethical issues emerge. First, GM crops are vital in controlling certain diseases. For example, GM technologies modify the DNA makeup of certain plants, which enable researchers to remove disease-causing properties such as allergy-causing properties (Kouser and Qaim, 2013). The other ethical issue emerging from the potential of GM technologies to mitigate food and water insecurity is the ability of GM crops to reduce poverty by increasing the earnings of farmers. Since GM crops can do well in arid areas that experience droughts, they can help reduce poverty in such areas.
The two ethical issues that emerge from the negative outcome of the potentially harmful effects of GM crops is the limited information on GM crops because they are new inventions. Due to the lack of information regarding their safety, many people are shunning away from these crops (Anilakumar and Bawa, 2013). Some food manufacturers fail to mention on their labels on the food contents are genetically modified for fear of scaring customers, but it is not an ethical practice. With increasing concerns over chronic health concerns such as diabetes, failure by manufacturers to label foods from GM crops is a major concern. The other ethical issue involves cultural and ethical communities over the way GM crops are produced. GM technologies may entail the transfer of animal genes to plants, which some religious and cultural groups consider unethical.
Conclusion
With the expected increase in the global population, food and water security will remain a major concern. GM technologies are a viable solution in ensuring food and water security. These crops mature faster and can thrive in arid conditions, which increases crops yields and income. These outcomes can help reduce poverty and malnourishment in the developing countries. Despite the benefits of GM technologies in mitigating food and water insecurity, they raise important ethical concerns. GM crops are resistant to pest and some plant diseases; therefore, they can increase yields. Furthermore, GM technologies can make crops resistant to adverse weather conditions, such as drought. The potential for harm from the consumption of GM crops and the lack of sufficient information about GM crops are major ethical concerns. GM technologies are new information, and there insufficient information on their safety. The ethical concerns associated with GM crops have contributed to their limited adoption by farmers. However, it offers a viable solution for mitigating food and water insecurity in various parts of the world, especially in developing countries where poverty levels are significantly high.
References
Anilakumar, K.R., and Bawa, A.S. (2013). Genetically Modified Foods: Safety, Risks, and Public Concerns—A Review. J Food Sci Technol; 50 (6): 1035–1046.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2017). Water at a Glance The relationship between water, agriculture, food security, and poverty. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/ap505e/ap505e.pdf on July 3, 2019.
Gupta, R. (2011). Food security, genetically modified crops, and the environment. 2011 2nd International Conference on Environmental Science and Development IPCBEE vol.4.
Herrera-Estrella, L. (2000). Genetically modified crops and developing countries. Plant Physiology; 124 (3).
Kouser, S., and Qaim, M. (2013). Genetically Modified Crops and Food Security. PLoS One; 8 (6): e64879.
Lamichhane, S. (2014). Genetically Modified Foods-Solution for Food Security. International Journal of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Vol 5, No. 1.
Qaim, M. (2011). Chapter 2 Genetically Modified Crops and Global Food Security. Frontiers of Economics and Globalization, ISSN: 1574-8715.
Raman, R. (2017). The impact of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in modern agriculture: review. Biotechnology in Agriculture and the Food Chain ; Volume 8, Issue 4.
