20 GERMINATION.CA MARCH 2019 THE GREEN REVOLUTION occurred between the 1950s and 1960s and significantly increased agricultural production worldwide. Unfortunately, it was limited by many factors with a major one being major global population growth. Additionally, the intensification of agriculture was estab- lished in many areas that were in favourable regions and marginal production lands were neglected, which in some ways intensified poverty and food insecurity on those regions. The problem of food insecurity in the world has not gone away. What has this to do with industry con- solidation and GM technology? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, hunger is on the rise — going from 804 million people being malnourished in 2016 to 821 million people in 2017. Research is quickly moving towards genetically modified organisms (GMO), regenerative agriculture, and other proteins that are more sustainable than the current livestock we grow today. When it comes to GMO, the technology has the poten- tial to increase food yields that can sustain the growing world’s population. Compared to traditional breeding, GMOs are much faster to develop. It can be done with fewer resources and provide bigger and more nutritious selections of the original counterparts. As of today, no other option is as impactful as GMO, as we try to stay ahead of pests, diseases, constant extreme weather changes and depleted resources used to grow crops while still achieving the high yields and nutri- tion required. GMO has taken a hold of a large portion of our cur- rent food supply, but most people are unaware of this. The Center for Food Safety states that 75 per cent of processed foods contain GM ingredients. Genetically modified soy- beans accounted for 94 per cent of cultivated soybeans in the U.S. in 2014, and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) resistant corn now dominates farmland at 82 per cent. Still, there is fear and uncertainty surrounding GM technology. Considering GMOs have been around since the 1980s, they are still not well accepted among consumers. The acronym GMO itself often comes across negatively in the eye of consumers, but with time and more education, GMO may become accepted by them. Perhaps if one day there are no other viable options, it will be readily welcomed. Nevertheless, scientists, policymakers and the industry should continue to put in more efforts to educate people. CONSOLIDATION, GMOANDFOOD SECURITY: WHAT’STHE CONNECTION? How can the world deal with the double-edged sword that new technologies represent to the problem of food insecurity? Le Hoa Tan, Research Assistant, AAFC Ottawa