WASHINGTON – The United States should genetically engineer its food supplies to adapt to a hotter, drier climate if it wants them to withstand the impact of global warming, biotech researchers said Friday.
Nina Federoff, professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University, called food security “arguably the biggest challenge … of the 21st century” in a speech Friday to the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Through genetic modification, scientists can change the DNA of plants and food crops to increase pest resistance and drought tolerance. Traditionally, such traits have been advanced by breeding. Genetic engineering provides a faster alternative.
“We have to adapt crops to a hotter, drier world while doubling the food supply by 2050,” Federoff said. With an increase in unexpected weather events like floods and fires due to climate change, crops need to be adapted to extreme conditions, she said.
Genetic modification has drawn criticism from environmental groups such as the Union of Concerned Scientists. They worry that genetically modifying food could increase allergic reactions or introduce new allergens into the food supply.
-By Maryland Newsline’s Madhu Rajaraman