Experts: City Dwellers May Have to Grow their Own Food

Based on the world population data of FAOSTAT, the urban population started to overtake the rural population in 2008. This rampant migration from rural areas to urban cities leads to unprecedented social, political, cultural, and environmental challenges. According to Paul Teng and colleagues of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, city dwellers may have to grow their own food since food security is one of the prevailing effects of the growing population. Food security is defined by FAO as "a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life."

Food doomsday may also be prevented using agricultural innovations and technology such as biotechnology. Through genetic modification and marker-assisted selection, new traits and improved varieties become available as aid to food shortage.

The complete article is available for the subscribers of Significance journal at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1740-9713.2011.00486.x/abstract.