Modern agriculture using plant science has helped to double the production of world food calories since 1960, while keeping a stable area of land under agricultural production. This has enabled us to feed a population which has grown from 3 billion to over 6 billion while sparing the equivalent of 26 million square kilometers of land from agricultural use.

Crop protection and plant biotechnology help farmers to grow more food on less land by protecting crops from pests and disease and raising yields per hectare. This ensures the availability of a year-round, affordable supply of a wide variety of nutritious, fresh produce.

Yet population growth continues to put pressure on agricultural production and if we are to meet the world’s nutritional needs in terms of food quantity, quality and affordability, agricultural output must double in the next 20 to 30 years. This will need to be achieved in the face of changing weather conditions due to climate change, a declining ratio of arable land to population and growing water scarcity.

Plant science provides tools to help farmers to meet our world’s nutrition needs today, as well as technologies that will help us to meet the future challenge of feeding a growing population with fewer natural resources. Here’s how:

	Protecting against pests and disease Pesticides improve efficiency by increasing crop productivity anywhere between 20 and 50%. Crop losses due to weeds, pests and diseases would be doubled if existing pesticide uses were abandoned. Bt corn benefits: Fewer insects, more income. Bt corn - enhanced with a naturally occurring soil protein that protects plants from insect pests such as corn borers - provides 41-60% higher yields, increases net farmer income by about 34% and makes both food and feed safer by minimising insect damage and lowering levels of harmful mycotoxins (fungal toxins capable of causing disease or death in humans and other animals). Securing what's in storage. Pesticides used in stored products can prolong the viable life of the produce, prevent huge post-harvest losses from pests and diseases and protect the grain so it is safe to eat.
	Innovative technology grows more crops per hectare Meeting nutrition needs. Modern agriculture using plant science has doubled the production of world food calories since 1960 and increased per-capita food supplies in the developing world by 25%. Raising yields. Globally, production of major crops has more than tripled since 1960. Yields for rice have more than doubled and yields for wheat have gone up about 160%. Addressing malnutrition. Biotechnology can be used to reduce micronutrient malnutrition by breeding staple food crops that are rich in micronutrients (particularly vitamin A, zinc and iron) through a process called biofortification.
	Plant science provides secure, varied, affordable and healthy diets Ensuring a bountiful harvest. Scientific studies show that eating fruit and vegetables regularly reduces the risk of many cancers and chronic diseases. Crop protection products help ensure a bountiful harvest of healthy foods. Fruits and vegetables to fend off heart disease. Research is currently being conducted to fortify fruits and vegetables with higher than normal levels of vitamins such as C and E - with the potential to protect against the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Healthier oils. A variety of healthier cooking oils are already on the market. Plant scientists have decreased the total amount of saturated fatty acids in certain vegetable oils. They are also developing oils with properly balanced essential fatty acids which are associated with reducing risk of heart disease and stroke, important for brain function and essential for growth and development of infants.