BLOSSOMING TREASURES OF BIODIVERSITY 46. GOLDEN RICE - A FOOD FIGHT TO ENHANCE THE UNSUSTAINABLE MONARCH OF MEGA-CROPS

摘要

All major cultivated crops contribute to the 'ecological footprint' of human activity that robs biodiversity of habitat. However, only about a dozen of the leading crops (here termed 'mega-crops') have provided the food that has permitted the world population to expand to 7 billion. These have become indispensable to the maintenance of the current food supply, but are deleterious to biodiversity in important respects. They are also so nutritionally limited (most produce starch and not much else) that their overconsumption is harmful. Indeed, excessive dependence on the leading carbohydrate crop staples by poor people is the leading cause of world hunger. To address malnutrition, attempts are underway to genetically engineer the principal crops so that they will produce vitamins and essential minerals that they currently cannot supply adequately. Regrettably, this would increase dependency on these staples, whereas promoting the growth and consumption of a wider array of foods would be more beneficial for both humans and biodiversity.