Creating technologies that improve both crop yields and food safety, agricultural biotechnology is quickly becoming a leading industry with a global reach. CNBC recently published an article discussing the relationship between considerably increasing crop yields and a more involved supply chain.
With a rapidly growing world population, the demand for improved crop yields is higher than ever. On average, farmers in 1960 fed 26 people per year, while today the average is 155. And it’s not just about a growing population that will need more food. Many of today’s crops are grown to withstand various diseases and pests.
“On average, about 35 percent of the global crop production is reduced by diseases and pests,” says Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, executive vice president, food and agriculture, at the Biotechnology Industry Organization. “Through the adoption of insect resistance, you reduce that damage caused to the crops. Through herbicide tolerance being incorporated into the plant, farmers can kill weeds more easily and still have a healthy crop.”
Building a safer and smarter supply chain is also a chief concern of the agricultural biotechnology industry. End-to-end traceability solutions involve using barcodes, RFID tags and condition sensors, and can monitor everything from the temperature of a product as it moves throughout the supply chain to the location of contaminated product – making recalls of products swifter and more efficient.
To read more about the various improvements biotechnology is making to the agricultural industry, click here. And, to learn more about BASF’s role, click here.
