Few of the world's farmers have access to quality seeds with higher yields and greater drought tolerance.
These high-quality enhanced seeds can help combat climate change while enabling land restoration.
It is said that the high yielding wheat wheat varieties grown by Norman Borlaug , the pioneer of the green revolution, saved 1 billion lives with the yield increases in Mexico, Pakistan and India. Borlaug's work earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970.
However, the human population, which has more than doubled after 50 years, has caused the hunger figures to increase again. In 2030, it is estimated that global hunger figures will increase from 690 million to 840 million people.
At the time, it took Borlaug twenty years to develop new varieties, and production has continued ever since. It brings together the latest innovations in today's plant breeding, cell biology and genetics.
Of the 16 billion strings of letters found in wheat's DNA, scientists can identify even a single letter and replace it with another letter.
Of course, the difference between now and then is like night and day. The latest seed technologies mean we can develop the full spectrum of crops more precisely and efficiently than ever before. We can develop tastier, more nutritious tomatoes, disease resistant cocoa, low gluten wheat, high oleic acid peanuts, drought resistant maize and much more. We are truly on the verge of another revolution in plant breeding.
But we need more than that to combat global hunger. We need to foster innovation, reduce market inefficiencies and protect vital genetic resources. We urgently need to combine and align private sector incentives with public sector needs.
In March 2021, more than 200 seed industry organizations signed a declaration committing to supporting the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and calling for urgent cooperation between the public and private sectors as part of this.
Signatories include family businesses, small and medium enterprises, cooperatives and multinationals such as Bayer, Syngenta and Corteva, as well as national seed associations from all over the world.
Few of the world's farmers have access to improved, quality seeds that offer higher yields and greater drought resistance. It is in our interest that farmers have access to these seeds. In an ideal world, there should be interconnected formal and informal seed markets and conscious selection of seeds.
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Stronger partnerships
The seed industry is therefore keen to find new ways to cooperate with all partners in both the public and private sectors. The sector wants to create synergies that can work together and increase the chances of a solution. Therefore, as part of the declaration, the seed industry welcomes the UN Food Systems Summit in September 2021, which it sees as a vital opportunity to build shared understanding and solutions.
There is no time to lose. Increasing food security will alleviate global hunger and support progress in health, education and political stability.
While improved seeds also help combat climate change; They can also provide land restoration, rehabilitation and conservation.
Seeds are one of the cornerstones of our farming, and current technology allows us to develop our seeds faster and more precisely than ever before.
Just like tackling the epidemic, tackling the current food crisis requires a concerted effort by public and private sector players. Can we really end world hunger without farmers better access to improved seeds?
better communication
However, we need constructive and honest information about plant breeding innovation. To unlock the benefits of new seeds being developed, governments must help farmers have access and choice to quality seeds.
Second, we need to discuss ways we can improve the conservation and use of genetic resources. Plant breeders need large gene pools of crop species that are treasure chests of new solutions for better plants. Some genetic resources are stored in gene banks, but others grow in the wild. Some of these may be inaccessible or vulnerable to extinction. And some are still waiting to be discovered.
Third, in an ideal world, we can harmonize the regulations of international seed markets, including phytosanitary regulations (to control plant diseases) and intellectual property rights, which can help unleash private sector energy.
By becoming members of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), 76 countries around the world have helped increase crop yields and improve livelihoods by promoting innovation. Extending this agreement beyond the 76 existing countries will benefit both farmers and consumers and unlock local markets.