The world’s population is increasing at a rapid rate....

The world’s population is increasing at a rapid rate. According to Worldometers, by 2050 there will be a need to feed 9.2 billion people globally (http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/). This translates to an increase in global food production by 70 percent to meet the global goal (http://www.populationinstitute.org/resources/populationonline/issue/1/8/). However, current food production methods are not sustainable and the amount of arable lands is decreasing. The agriculture industry experiences different challenges ranging from global to technological aspects. The global aspect is the most prominent challenges experienced and influenced by different factors such as dramatic economic growth in developing nations and urbanization†¦show more content†¦Food production imposes additional stress on natural resources such as soil nitrogen and phosphorus content. This affects the quality, productivity and sustainability of food production as crop growers turn to su pplementing their land with necessary soil nutrients for their crops. This has negative effect on the ecosystem as the ‘agricultural run-off’ can pollute the nearby waterways. According to Kleinman, et al., (2011, p. 170), â€Å"nutrient pollution is a global phenomenon readily witnessed in developing and developed worlds alike† and affects the waterway and lake systems that serve as a source of food production. Land cultivation and management techniques that had been employed for centuries are not sustainable. Practices such as over-tilling and lack of crops rotation can strip away important nutrients thus affecting soil quality and productivity. Moreover, the option of expanding arable lands to meet increasing demand for food production is no longer possible. According to World Bank (2010), 29.4 million hectares of farmlands were lost in developed and developing countries due to economic development and urbanization (Table 1). This adds to the challenge in meet ing the need to increase higher food production for the growing global population. Agriculture biotechnology organizations are committed to solve crop production problems and enhance agriculture productivity to sustainable levels to keep pace with the rapidly