A Possible Solution to the Global Hunger Crisis

Innovation has been part of human nature since the beginning of time. Our different inventions make our lives easier and possible. With the growth of a capitalist market, resources for agriculture have been concentrated on seeking greater profits, leaving aside the quality of the products. The use of pesticides has been normalized since the 1950s, while new technologies such as the genetic modification of plants are exponentially integrating into the market. If so many advances have led us to fewer crop losses and this translates into a greater quantity of product, in theory, the entire population is nutritionally covered, right?

In 2022, the famine crisis affected approximately 10% of the world's population (Action Against Hunger, 2022). This global emergency requires urgent resolutions. It is impossible to find a single cause since factors like poverty, inequality, corruption and climate change are involved. There's a reason why solving world hunger is on the list of magical wishes of many. If we break down one of the causes, constant climate change, we find that natural disasters, and the loss of fertile lands, among others, further complicate the task of feeding the population; it is estimated that by 2050 there will be a drop of 11% In the global yield of rice crops caused by increased temperatures (Action Against Hunger, 2022), besides, it has been seen that high temperatures considerably reduce the levels of nutrients contained in a cultivated product (Gómez-Zavaglia et al., 2020). This means that, even with a greater amount of product, its nutritional capacity is being diminished, and along with it, its performance.

Given the need for crops that can resist constant climate changes and have good nutritional capacity, where are we? Most current farming productions are based on the capitalist system, where quantity is prioritized over quality. The use of pesticides is present in crops all over the world. These ensure less amount of losses, however, although there are already several investigations that relate their consumption to various health risks, an important fact to highlight is that these negative effects on health seem to be enhanced in populations with risk factors such as poverty, violence and malnutrition (Zúñiga-Venegas et al., 2022). Pesticides appear to be being replaced, not necessarily because of their health risks, but because their successor, bioengineering, works more effectively. Genetic engineering seems to be a hope, it brings together techniques for the manipulation of genetic material to improve its form, composition, and functions of plant products intended for agriculture (Peters, 2000). As it is a relatively new and constantly developing field, several questions arise, such as what is its scope? What long-term health risks does it entail?

However, a very important situation seems to be going unnoticed, to whom will it benefit? Can we use it to attack the hunger crisis? how?

It is said that the world produces enough food to properly feed the entire population. Contrary to what many think, we are not dealing with overpopulation but with inequality. The lack of purchasing power can be considered the main problem cause of famine (Peters, 2000). Considering this, an obvious solution seems to be to improve the economy of these sectors, which are mainly rural. Many small farmers in these areas have large post-harvest losses of products. Being on their own and not having transportation networks makes trade difficult and, therefore, their profits are minimal. On the other hand, temporary solutions such as anti-hunger campaigns entail complicated logistics to collect and deliver donated food to those in need, so only non-perishable products are usually donated, most of which do not have sufficient nutritional value. Biotechnology has already created products that are resistant to pests, with a later ripening period and a longer shelf life. Why not products that can be stored for a longer time when harvested? Why not improve the nutritional value of the foods that they can reach? The question should not be can genetic engineering in agriculture help with poverty, but rather will genetic engineering help with poverty?

Reality is that the development of this technology is quite expensive, the largest investments are in the private sector that can generate profits from it. These advances do seem to be able to significantly help with the global crisis, however, without organizations that direct these funds and technology towards the sector in need and, knowing the society in which we live and the system we manage, we cannot expect the intentions of the private sector to contribute to this fight. Once again, the quality of life of millions of people depends on a system that benefits few and many suffer. The global hunger crisis is a testament to the inherent flaws in our system, where quality has been sacrificed for profitability. Genetic engineering offers a potential avenue to address this crisis, but only when we stop to question and transform this capitalist system can we hope for a future where every individual has access to sufficient nutrition. The fight against hunger is not just a technical issue, it is a battle for justice and equality in a world where everyone deserves to live with dignity and well-being.