Standard Review

Biotechnology and food security in developing countries

Nyerhovwo J. Tonukari¹* and Douglason G. Omotor²

¹Department of Biochemistry, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria.

²Department of Economics, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: tonukari@gmail.com.

Accepted 19 January, 2010.

   Abstract

Food security is a necessity for every individual, home, community and nation. In developing countries, food security could be substantially improved by increased investment and policy reforms. Biotechnology’s ability to eliminate malnutrition and hunger through production of crops resistant to pests and diseases, having longer shelf-lives, refined textures and flavours, higher yields per units of land and time, tolerant to adverse weather and soil conditions, and generate employment, cannot be over-emphasized. This technology can be applied to improve agriculture in order to improve food production for the human population in an environmentally sustainable manner. However, there is need for government and public-private collaborations to invest in agricultural biotechnology-based companies, researches, or initiatives, in order to make the gene revolution beneficial to developing countries.

Key words: Biotechnology, food security, developing countries, agriculture, public investment, policy reform.