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3 Ways Genetically Modified Rice Can Help Solve Hunger

Genetically Modified RiceRice is a staple grain for much of the world, accounting for the majority of the daily diets of 50% of people globally, and is the third-most grown grain in the world. For those in Asia struggling with hunger and malnutrition, rice can be a saving grace — its high yield, nutrients and culinary flexibility make it an outstanding crop. However, artificial selection and genetic modification have improved this versatile food beyond its original capabilities, transforming it into a force that can fight hunger and malnutrition in unprecedented ways. Here’s how.

It Has a Higher Yield

Genetically modified rice seeds are capable of producing more food per plant. By duplicating a certain gene in a standard variety of rice, Chinese scientists were able to increase the crop yield by 40% — a massive bonus. This strain of rice does not take up more land, instead producing rice at a higher density than standard, naturally occurring rice. The individual grains are also significantly larger. Producing significantly more rice on the same amount of land reduces labor and costs, and boosts the effectiveness of rice as a major nutrition source. Even certain species of rice that have been genetically modified for resistance (such as to heat waves) also produce up to 20% higher yield, meaning that genetic modification can accomplish many goals simultaneously.

It’s More Resilient

Climate change, pests and natural disasters all threaten food production, especially in struggling nations. Fortunately, genetically modified rice can be more resistant to these challenges. An excessive heat wave in the Shanghai region killed off rice plants en masse, damaging the plants’ ability to produce a certain protein complex called D1. By engineering the plants to produce more of this protein, scientists found that the rice could thrive at temperatures that would kill unmodified rice quickly. 

Meanwhile, in the fight against pests, biologists were able to graft a gene from a common soil bacteria into a different strain of rice plant, making it resistant to the damage caused by lepidopteran insects — a group that includes butterflies and moths, but more importantly the younger caterpillar versions of the insects. With modified resistance to these crop killers, farmers can forgo pesticides, and the overall crop yield is increased by a whopping 60% in some cases. 

In a similar vein, German scientists were able to make another strain of rice resistant to herbicide, allowing farmers to use plant-killing agents on the entire crop to battle weeds that could threaten the yield. Monsoon season can pose a particular challenge to rice farmers, as the floods of contaminated salt water can increase the salinity of the water in the rice paddies, essentially poisoning the plants. To solve this problem, Chinese scientists successfully developed genetically modified rice plants that can survive harsh salty conditions.

It’s More Nutritious — Much More

Naturally occurring rice is already a valuable part of a balanced diet, providing a variety of vitamins, proteins and antioxidants. In fact, populations that consume rice as their main grain have lower rates of cancer and obesity. But genetic modification can take this even further. The Golden Rice Project successfully designed a strain of rice that can supply beta-carotene, a mineral that the human body can draw from to produce Vitamin A, an essential vitamin for survival. 

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) affects 250 million children worldwide, causing blindness and in severe cases, death. Some strains of golden rice have up to five times the recommended daily value of beta-carotene in a serving — providing millions of children with vital nutrition that could save up to 2.7 million lives yearly. Golden Rice was developed in 2000, but not adopted due to some logistical issues and many unfounded criticisms. However, in 2021, the Philippines finally approved the crop for trial production, with other nations surely soon to follow.

Genetically Modified Rice and the Fight Against Hunger 

Genetic modification has transformed rice into a powerful tool to combat hunger and malnutrition. These modified rice varieties offer higher yields, greater resilience to climate challenges and pests, and enhanced nutrition. Golden Rice, with its ability to provide essential Vitamin A, represents a significant breakthrough in addressing global nutritional deficiencies. As more nations adopt these innovations, genetically modified rice is poised to play a crucial role in our ongoing battle against world hunger.

– Cheyenne Astarita
Photo: Unsplash

Global Hunger: Tech Inventions Putting an End to It

Global Hunger In 2021, the number of people affected by hunger globally rose to 828 million, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Lack of access to food, nutrients and water is a challenge that many people face, especially in underdeveloped countries. On the bright side, the following tech innovations are helping to put an end to global hunger. 

ShareTheMeal App

ShareTheMeal is a global app that allows you to donate meals to children in need all over the world. One in seven children does not have enough food to lead a healthy and active life. This app only requires one press of a button and $0.8 to feed a hungry child for one full day. The United Nations World Food Program provides the meal and shows you the location of the children you are helping. Its purpose is to empower people to end global hunger, and it has already shared at least 3 million meals across more than 80 countries. 

Going Digital in Ethiopia

Around 83% of Ethiopians live in rural areas where many families are dependent on their own agricultural production. It is vital for them to have access to education on agronomic information. According to the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), ensuring farmers receive up-to-date knowledge and data pertaining to agronomic information in a timely manner remains a great challenge in Ethiopia. However, Ethiopia now has an Agricultural and Farmer Hotline created by the ATA. With the creation of this hotline, about 500,000 users receive updated agronomic information on their cell phones via text messages and automated calls to help plan their operations. Having immediate access to new information will help smallholders make more informed decisions about their farming practices. The hotline also launched a Helpdesk that allows smallholders to ask questions and report issues to experts in the field.  

The Sanku Dosifier

Nearly half of the deaths among children under 5 years old are linked to undernutrition according to WHO. Globally, 8,000 children die every day due to preventable illness because of the lack of basic minerals and vitamins in their diet. However, the award-winning Sanku’s Dosifier adds precise amounts of essential nutrients into flour during the milling process. Sanku’s solution focuses on communities living in poverty. Most of these communities cannot afford fresh, nutrient-dense food items, so instead they live on calorie-dense, nutrient-poor maize flour to ease their hunger. Sanku partners with millers whose customers have a high incidence of poverty. Around 95% of those that Sanku has reached live on less than $5 a day and struggle to intake all of the necessary nutrients. So far, 2 million lives have been impacted by the Sanku Dosifier. 

Hippo Roller 

The average distance for women and children to walk for water in Africa and Asia is 3.7 miles according to World Visions. These communities typically balance heavy loads of water on their head (about 5 gallons), making it hard to access clean water without exhaustion. However, Hippo Roller is a drum that rolls over most terrain and holds about 24 gallons of water per drum. This reduces the time and hard work put forth just to access clean water. So far, 65,000 rollers have impacted lives throughout 50+ countries. 

WFP Innovation Accelerator Producing Less Food Waste

Almost one-fourth of produce grown for export in Kenya is rejected purely for its looks. According to WFP, that is the equivalent of throwing away 600,000 tomatoes every day purely because they “look ugly.” WFP launched a pilot project to change the destination of these vegetables from landfills to lunch by sending them into the country’s school meals program. The initiative is reducing food waste while also providing more meals for children in Kenya. Throughout the first four months of the initial project, WFP rescued more than five tons of produce and transformed it into meals for 2,200 children for 75 days. 

– Paige Falk
Photo: Unsplash

Elderly Poverty in Botswana

Elderly Poverty in BotswanaThe vast majority of health systems in developing countries are arguably only “designed to deal with acute conditions and diseases,” with the WHO defining quality of life “as an individual’s perception of their position in life in the context of culture and value systems in which they live.” Because Botswana is a very rural and agricultural country, many elderly people living in poverty are particularly vulnerable, as accessing hospitals, support and even basic amenities can be a particularly challenging task, with care solely falling upon family members. 

Furthermore, even when the elderly attempt to access support, there are many barriers. According to one study from the NIH, Botswana is facing a challenge when it comes to addressing loneliness and social isolation due to the lack of comprehensive policies and programs in place.

Therefore social networking links are particularly weak, and to make things worse, most of the facilities available are particularly difficult to access. Unfortunately, many buildings still do not prioritize accessibility by lacking lifts or ramps.

In particular, a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine in 2019, suggested that the solution to solving elderly poverty and the issues associated with it was to improve social structures. “Services to tackle later-life loneliness and social exclusion need to be more widely available and robust if they are to promote healthy aging and build resilience, support and independence.” 

Common Illnesses in Botswana 

Due to the majority of those who are elderly in Botswana living in extreme cases of poverty, many suffer from malnourishment, which leads to further health complications later in life. 

A study, conducted by the Epidemiol Institute of Health in 2000, which analyzed elderly poverty in Mmankgodi Village, stated, “Among our group of elderly, 69, 21% were classified as moderate or severely malnourished. This indicates that malnutrition is a significant health problem among the elderly in this region.” 

Additionally, “Blindness was the single most frequently found physical disability, affecting 10% of the study population. The majority suffered from cataracts, a condition that can be surgically treated.”

However, despite this being the most common condition in the region, the surgery to remove the cataract is only conducted in three hospitals in Botswana. This means that many elderly people eventually become blind, as the treatment required is inaccessible to most. 

Current Actions To Support the Elderly

An organization that is currently working in the area to take care of the elderly is the Pabaleong Hospice homecare program, run by the Sisters of Nazareth Charity. The sisters and caregivers who work for the hospice provide support for vulnerable people through doing both home visits and treating them at the 10-bed inpatient facility which is based in Metsimotlhabe. 

The charity has so far reached 90 patients who are living at home, and has provided palliative care throughout the country. 

Someone who has been supported by the program is a man named Matthew (named changed to protect his privacy). Matthew speaks of having been “woken by pain from an infection in his right leg.” Normally having to walk over a mile to receive treatment, the Pabalelong Hospice program was able to provide support by visiting Matthew’s home, and the sisters have been making visits regularly to ensure that he remains in stable condition. 

“I don’t think I could have walked to the clinic today, it is very painful,” Matthew says, rubbing his wound. “I have also run out of bandages, so I am really happy you have come to see me today,” he tells his caregivers. 

Despite the success of this program, much more work needs to be done to support the elderly in Botswana. This consists of improvements to health and social care, making infrastructure capable of accommodating those who require special access to buildings and ensuring that an elderly person’s family isn’t the only source of help out there.

– Megan Rose Miley
Photo: Unsplash

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3 Organizations Fighting Food Insecurity in Zambia

Food Insecurity in ZambiaZambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa with a population of more than 19 million. The country received lower middle-income status in 2011, but poverty and malnutrition have only increased. Currently, 60% of the population lives below the poverty line, and 35% of children under 5 years old are chronically malnourished. Food insecurity in Zambia is an urgent issue, with only 52% of the population meeting their calorie requirements. Several organizations agree that the “key to improving the food security situation is to look at new methods to increase agricultural productivity.” Below are three programs working with local communities to find sustainable solutions.

Action Against Hunger 

Action Against Hunger is a nonprofit organization that aims to end hunger through prevention and treatment programs. To help eradicate malnutrition, they created the Seeds of Hope program in Zambia’s Western Province, where 82% of the population lives in poverty. The program provides local farmers with resources and teaches them “climate-smart agricultural practices.” Climate change has challenged communities that rely on farming; therefore, they need sustainable solutions that protect their crops year-round. 

Examples of Seeds of Hope projects include teaching water management, building irrigation systems and introducing drought-resistant crops. They also provide new tools and technologies, such as fishing gear and devices that capture excess carbon. Increasing food production will grow the country’s economy “by creating new markets and supporting agribusiness models,” demonstrating the many ways Seeds of Hope can make a difference. 

The World Food Program (WFP) 

Since 1.5 million smallholder farms produce most of Zambia’s food supply, the World Food Program has introduced a two-year project to help maximize their harvests. Severe droughts between 2018 and 2019 caused half the country and millions of farmers to lose their crops. The WFP’s project works with over 100,000 farmers in five districts across southern and western Zambia. Their goal is to implement “improved farming methods and crop management practices and technologies to reduce post-harvest losses.” They educate farmers on the entire harvesting process, from cultivating land and crop rotation to transportation and storage. 

The WFP gives farming communities the resources they need to sustain production quantities, such as affordable storage bags, seeds and mulch. The project has seen promising results, with locals yielding enough crops to feed their families and create revenue. 

United Nations Volunteers 

In March 2020, Hiroaki Sonoda, a United Nations Volunteer from Japan, started the Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ) project. He came to the country as a Value Chain Development Specialist with the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). The project aims to resolve malnutrition and food insecurity in Zambia through economically sustainable farming. Sonoda personally “produced agribusiness and marketing information” to help communities earn more money for their harvests. 

FAO-trained officers work locally to implement marketing strategies and sustainable farming techniques. The officers collaborate with local governments to ensure that the SIFAZ project is accessible across the country. So far, the program has helped more than 150 cooperatives, totaling 16,000 farmers in 27 districts across Zambia. 

While rates of poverty and malnutrition are growing, several organizations have created programs that reduce food insecurity in Zambia. The projects provide new resources, including irrigation systems, marketing strategies and crop management, that create profitable and sustainable farming practices.

– Diana Grant
Photo: Flickr

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Fighting Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa Through Investment

Fighting MalnutritionAs the years have passed, the nutrition of sub-Saharan Africans has shown little improvement. As of 2016, nearly 222 million people suffer from a form of undernourishment. With the population expected to boom shortly, this figure has a dangerous potential to increase. Fighting malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa is bringing together investors, governments and NGOs in efforts to fight malnutrition in this region.

Consequences of Malnutrition

For African nations, current statistics on malnutrition paint a grim picture: nearly every country south of the Sahara reports at least 10% of children as underweight. The problems caused by widespread malnutrition—regardless of age—are apparent. According to World Bank statistics, malnourished children typically provide far less value later in life, losing an average of 10% of their potential lifetime earnings. Likewise, a malnourished mother may conceive a similarly deficient child with congenital disabilities and an equal risk of low productivity. While it is simple to recognize malnutrition as a source of other regional issues, identifying the underlying causes of malnutrition has proven to be more complicated.

The Complex Causes

Malnutrition is not exclusively caused by undernutrition. In many cases, the low variety of available foods causes developmental problems in children, which contributes to those mentioned above poor professional outcomes. The region’s poverty causes discrepancies in the food distribution of local towns, with communities becoming dependent on staple crops like grains while missing out on fruits, meats and other nutrient-dense foods. With surveys reporting that 39% of families in sub-Saharan Africa suffer precarious access to food, these cereal crops are the only way for many families to avoid going to sleep hungry.

This lack of nutritional variety primarily stems from the region’s poor-quality infrastructure. Without proper roads, many rural farmers struggle to bring their crops to market, making the trade of goods essential to a running economy—and a balanced diet—nearly impossible. With better economic conditions as well as simple roads, citizens could gain crucial access both physically and financially to foods they could not previously afford.

The Need for Investments

Food insecurity is not the only issue plaguing sub-Saharan Africa: with various forms of poverty—including fiscal, water and energy poverty—also demanding attention, it appears that a fix for one issue may have to envelop the other problems as well. Fortunately, improving the infrastructure for one of these issues incidentally benefits the others.

The region needs massive investments for projects like dams, bridges, power plants and namely roads. Experts advocate this investment on multiple grounds: not only would it assist in fighting malnutrition, but it also represents a sensible investment. Investment specialists recommend this action, and private companies in the U.K. have seen greater returns on investments to Africa than anywhere else in the world, according to the Overseas Development Institute.

A Future Worth Fighting For

Fortunately, current world leaders began to listen to this advice. Organizations like The World Bank have already organized the financial framework to fund ambitious projects fighting malnutrition globally. With Chinese investment into Africa totaling nearly $300 billion from 2005-2018, countries in sub-Saharan Africa are starting to receive the foreign investment necessary to feed their people adequately.

Fighting malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa is no small task, but the current trend of investment shows promise for the future. The Infrastructure Consortium of Africa reported that between 2013-2017, the mean annual funding for infrastructure development was $77 billion, double the average from 2000-2006. If investment continues, much-needed dietary improvements could finally become a reality. Perhaps in the next ten years, a variety of foods will quite literally be a walk down the road for African families.

– Joe Clark
Photo: Flickr

Why Should the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act Pass?

Global Food Security Reauthorization Act
The Global Food Security Reauthorization Act is a bill that re-implements the original Global Food Security Act in 2016, which essentially promotes and funds international nutrition programs. The bill itself will help millions of people worldwide who struggle with hunger, and the updated version of this act contains new amendments vital to the bill’s success.

What is the Global Food Security Act?

The Global Food Security Act was created in order to improve agricultural development internationally. Its main objectives were to establish the United States as a partner in the fight against world hunger, and to demonstrate that the U.S. government would continuously support bipartisan initiatives to prevent further malnutrition. The act also initiated alliances among the United States government, the private sector and nonprofit organizations, so that each branch could work together to pursue the bill’s goals.

Unfortunately, the original law only lasted one year — this was a major loss for all those who advocate for hunger alleviation efforts. However, the Senate reintroduced this bill in 2018, titled as the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act. This bill reaffirms the old law into existence, and adds new provisions to ensure its proper execution.

Thankfully, the new act had greater success in the Senate than its predecessor. It passed, and now awaits approval in the House of Representatives. The bill only needs a simple majority within the House, and then can be signed into law and its provisions will come to fruition.

Why Should the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act Pass?

This act will do a lot of good for a lot of diverse people around the world. This is a substantial step in the fight against world hunger and malnutrition. This is a win for the victims of hunger, and for all organizations, like The Borgen Project, who want to help people live longer, more productive lives. Some of the key reasons for the passing of the bill are as follows:

  • Firstly, the fiscal years in the new bill have extended to three years from one year in the original law, which applies to years 2018 to 2021. Unlike the 2016 act, the new bill allows more time to rightfully enforce the law. The law will be more effective since the government has more time to enact its provisions.
  • Secondly, the bill will also introduce a deworming program, which will rid individuals — mostly children — of parasites. These initiatives will occur after diet diversification and will help a number of children in different countries. The deworming programs will also encourage proper public health programs.
  • Thirdly, the focus of the bill will be on children and mothers, so that they receive an adequate and diverse nutrition, which will promote their local communities at its core.

These new provisions should allow for the proper implementation of the act, and the United States government will hopefully utilize this piece of legislation to keep its promise to help in global hunger alleviation efforts.

If the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act were to pass, then a plethora of families would be able to live healthier and safer lives, and consequently develop their societies and local communities even more. The effects of this bill will improve public health, education systems, family life and a whole host of other issues, so do your part to support and contact your representatives today.

– Diana Hallisey
Photo: Flickr