Technology
Over the last 100 years, there have been significant advances in technology which improve food security including:
- Genetically Modified (GM) crops
- Hydroponics
- Aeroponics
- Green revolution
Genetically Modified (GM) Crops
- Genetic modification involves using genes from one species to improve another species and increase yields:
- Crops can be made pesticide-resistant so that when pesticides are sprayed to remove the pests the crop is undamaged
- The vitamin which causes carrots to be orange (beta carotene) is added to rice to increase human uptake of the vitamin
- Genetic modification is controversial
- GM crops are grown in many countries including the USA, Canada, Argentina and India
- In 2022 the UK government is looking to remove the controls which stop the widespread growth of GM crops
Advantages and Disadvantages of GM Crops
For |
Against |
Increases crop yields
|
Could affect other species of plant
|
Improves food quality - taste and nutrition
|
No long-term studies available regarding the impacts on human health
|
Reduces the use of herbicides and pesticides in some cases
|
Seeds are expensive
|
Reduces the cost of food
|
No long-term studies on the effects on wildlife such as bees
|
Hydroponics
- Hydroponics is a type of agriculture that grows plants without soil
- Plants can be grown indoors, in carefully controlled conditions
- Their roots are suspended in a solution that contains all the nutrients that they need to grow
- The solution flows around the greenhouse in channels so all the plants are well supplied with nutrients
- Lighting can be via artificial lights or via glass roofs, as in a commercial greenhouse
- Conditions can be monitored carefully, and yields improved
- Yields are not dependent on good weather
- Examples of hydroponically grown crops are tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, lettuces, and peppers
Advantages and Disadvantages of Hydroponics
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Produces a high yield per hectare
Conditions can be controlled carefully to ensure maximum crop
Crops are not affected by the weather
|
High setup cost
There is a high energy input for artificial light and heat
Fertilisers are used which may enter the water system causing water pollution
Disease can spread quickly around a hydroponic greenhouse and damage a lot of crops in a short space of time
|
- Aeroponics uses a mist containing nutrients rather than suspending the roots in water
- The Green Revolution led to a significant increase in crop yields in the 1960s due to the development and use of high-yield varieties (HYV)