The report concluded that the world's "cereals output needs to rise by 1 billion metric tonnes a year by 2050 to feed a population that is expected to grow by about 40 percent" from 2005. FAO said that crop biodiversity "provides insurance against environmental calamities" being a "strategic resource for sustainable development and eradication of hunger."
FAO also said that newly developed crop varieties that are fast-growing, high-yielding, resistant to heat, drought, salinity, pests and diseases are "crucial to ensure food security in the face of climate change."
To read the Reuters story, click here.
Posted: 10/27/2010
