Genetic Modified Food for Ensuring Food Security Issues

Abstract

Genetic modification is a technology that allows incorporating beneficial genes from other organisms. One of the major challenges of current era is feeding the consisting growing population of the world. Reduced cultivatable land and climate change have made it even more challenging. Through genetic engineering technology it is possible to develop high yielding, disease resistance and climate resilient crop varieties within shorter period of time than the conventional ways. Current global status of GM crop cultivation and production has already proved that GM crops have the potential to achieve food security for the future world. However, in most of the countries, public has misperception of its risks on human health and environment. Due to such misconception most of the countries have not adopted GM crops yet which could make it difficult to utilize GM crops to achieve food security. Therefore, in this book chapter we discussed on how genetically modified crops are developed, what beneficial traits are usually incorporated, how they are assessed for human health risks and regulations for selling genetically modified foods in the market. Such discussion would help common people to understand how this technology can help us ensuring food security of the world.