Over 800 million people are malnourished globally, says FAO

THE Food and Agriculture Organisation ( FAO) has said there is dire need to advance in modern agricultural biotechnology as over 800 million people are malnourished worldwide.

Its Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Dominique K. Kouacou, made the revelation during a high- profile panel discussion at the International Conference on Biotechnology 2024 ( ICOB24) in Abuja.

Kouacou also highlighted the pivotal role of agricultural biotechnology in transforming agrifood systems globally, adding there are more than three billion people who are unable to afford a healthy diet, while in Nigeria, over 18 million people are at risk of food insecurity.

He emphasised that demand for food is rising steadily due to increasing populations, noting that incomes and the resources to meet this demand, such as, land, water and soil, are finite and increasingly threatened by environmental degradation and climate change.

Represented by Dr. Ayodele Majekodunmi, he said the systems must produce more food with greater nutritional value and less environmental impact, explaining that there is a growing demand for non- food agricultural products for energy and feed, further straining resources. “These systems must also be resilient to pests, diseases, climate change, and other shocks. There is a need to ensure that biotechnology in agriculture is significantly advanced for the understanding of complex mechanisms in plants, animals, and micro- organisms.

“As a specialised technical support agency, we continuously review traditional, maturing, and emerging biotechnologies for agrifood systems transformation. By carrying out this, it will facilitate knowledge sharing as a neutral broker through its various statutory bodies and direct support to governments according to national priorities,” he stated.

On genetically modified organisms, he said biotechnology encompasses much more than what we have today, stressing that it is essential in the livestock sector for developing high- yield breeds, feed production, and improving the diagnosis and monitoring of zoonotic and transboundary animal diseases.

Another speaker, the Acting Director- General, National Agricultural Seed Council ( NASC), Dr. Khalid Ishiag, highlighted the importance of highquality seeds for improving crop yields, food security and sustainable agriculture in Nigeria.