Among the tools used by today's farmers is agricultural biotechnology. As crucial to their operations as tractors and trucks, biotechnology is allowing many farmers to cultivate healthier, heartier plants and animals. In addition to improved quality, it also results in greater production and more affordable food. Scientists, looking toward the future, are engineering plants that produce more, last longer, are more nutritious and even help fight disease. Given the benefits of agricultural biotechnology, it's logical to think it could be a solution to the problem of world hunger.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has projected that by 2050 the world's population will reach 9 billion. In order to end the current hunger crisis and feed the growing population, food production will have to increase by about 70 percent in the years between 2009 and 2050 [source: FAO]. Climate change, decreased numbers of farmers and limited natural resources -- including basic resources like land and water -- add to the scope of the problem. Essentially, fewer people must grow more food on less land.

Is agricultural biotechnology a solution? Proponents believe it can be, and some use "golden rice" as an example. Developed by the Swiss scientists in 1999, the grain is high in vitamin A and iron. The enriched rice can feed the hungry and lower the incidence of anemia, and at the same time it can help eradicate the blindness that comes with vitamin A deficiency. In developing nations, where rice is a staple, golden rice has the potential to save millions of lives [source: Bio]. Yet, despite the benefits of preventing starvation and malnutrition, golden rice has faced bans in the European Union and in much of Africa. Why? It is a genetically modified organism (GMO), and GMOs are typically prohibited in the EU [source: Simmons].

If the problem of world hunger is to be solved, countries must weigh the benefits and risks of agricultural biotechnology, as it deeply affects humankind's ability to provide safe food for all. Furthermore, we must remember that, whatever the appeal of any one particular agricultural practice, we should always work to help provide consumers the right to choose how their food is grown.