By Amirah Mohammad Sidik

By 2030, the global population is expected to reach 8.5 billion, and by 2050 it could soar to 9.7 billion. With this population boom, we will need to increase world food production by as much as 70 per cent to 100 per cent to meet the demand.

However, in recent years we have seen dramatic climatic changes putting a strain on our food supply. Climate change such as drought, flooding, the decrease in arable land for farming, and fluctuating temperatures have led to significant reductions in crop yield.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) reports a staggering 45 per cent drop in wheat production in Africa and a 46 per cent drop in Australia due to drought alone. China has also felt the impact of drought with agricultural losses reaching US$317 million.

Malaysia is not spared either – a study from 2015 predicted that by 2030, Malaysia's rice yield could decrease by 31 per cent due to rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall. This phenomenon affects farmers’ production and income, leading to the worsening poverty levels among them. Prolonged food shortages can lead to severe social, economic and political issues globally. This is a matter of grave importance needing immediate and effective actions from the relevant authorities and concerned individuals.

Loss of Plant Genetic Diversity: A Growing Concern for Food Security

Genetic diversity refers to the range of different genetic make-ups or variants between and within plant species. Thanks to modern genomic technology, scientists can now identify and track these genetic variations in our crops and plants over time. This helps us understand how plants adapt and evolve.

Unfortunately, the FAO has warned that the genetic diversity of both crops and animals is declining, which is a cause for concern.

Wild plant species might not always have the traits we prefer as consumers, but they hold valuable genetic materials essential for the survival of their species. Protecting these wild varieties is crucial.

For instance, wild tomatoes and rice plants contain genes that help them withstand diseases and harsh conditions, making them vital for future crop resilience.

Domesticated fruits and crops we are currently consuming are bred for their appealing colours and great flavours, traits that were highly valued during early farming.

However, these domesticated varieties are often vulnerable to diseases and struggle to survive in unstable and challenging climates.

Excessive farming of domesticated plants over the wild-type cultivars could threaten the conservation of the wild-type genetic variant causing genetic loss. As our climate becomes more unpredictable, ensuring a stable food supply requires expanding our agricultural land.

This often means converting forests and natural spaces into farmland, posing a growing threat to wild plant species.

Beyond the farming industry, wild plants are threatened by other human-related activities. A surge in demand for certain wild plant species for herbal food, alternative medicine, cosmetics and perfumes, can lead to overharvesting, endangering these wild plants and their valuable genetic traits.

For example, in Malaysia, Rafflesia flowers, wild orchids and pitcher plants are at risk of overexploitation due to their demand as ornamental plants. In addition, the unmonitored timber industry could add to the exploration and clearance of forests.

Urbanisation compounds this problem, as the expansion of cities for commercial development consumes large amounts of land, further endangering plant genetic diversity.

Climate change is an increasingly alarming threat to the conservation of genetic diversity in wild plants. The extreme weather patterns it causes, such as excessive rainfall, lead to flooding and landslides. Rising sea levels contribute to land erosion, further reducing available land.

This shrinkage directly impacts the genetic diversity of flora, as unique plant species and their genetic variations are lost. Additionally, an increase in global temperature will force wild plants from cooler highland habitats to be displaced by species that can withstand higher temperatures.

Why do we need to be concerned about the loss in plant genetic diversity?

The rich genetic variation within plant species holds the key to future-proofing agriculture. By harnessing this diversity, we can develop crops with better pest and disease resistance as well as the ability to withstand environmental stress.

Advanced biotechnology and breeding methods enable us to make crops more resilient and productive. For example, previous studies incorporating disease-resistance genes and dwarf genes from wild cultivars into domesticated wheat and tomatoes have significantly improved yields.

However, this genetic enhancement is only possible if we preserve the genetic material found in nature. Wild plants, rich in nutrients and medicinal properties, are also essential for healthy diets and are vital for the livelihood of rural and indigenous communities.

What can be done?

To protect our future food security and preserve the essential genetic diversity of plants, it is crucial to adopt sustainable farming practices and implement stringent conservation measures. This will ensure that we maintain the genetic resources needed to face future agricultural and environmental challenges.

To safeguard this diversity, it is essential to maintain national seed banks for ex-situ conservation, where a variety of seeds from different plant species are stored.

An example of a well-known seed bank is the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard, Norway, where it has a collection of more than 1.3 million seed varieties from around the world

Despite some limitations, such as seed viability and genetic changes during regeneration, seed banks are a critical resource for keeping genetic diversity.

In addition to preserving crop species, this seed bank focusing on tropical plant species could safeguard wild plants and herbs, including those with undiscovered medicinal properties.

Additionally, creating protected natural reserves and enforcing strict anti-trespassing laws can help conserve wild plants, especially those with short-lived seeds. This in-situ conservation allows plants to evolve naturally, giving rise to new genetic traits with untapped potential.

Currently, almost half of the world’s calories depend on three main crops; rice, wheat and maize, posing a risk to food security. Promoting the use of underutilised and edible crops can diversify our food sources, meeting population demands while preserving genetic diversity.

For example, several African countries have started launching different initiatives to promote the use of Neglected and Underutilised Crop Species (NUCS) in the region such as cassava, millet and grasspea.

In Malaysia, NUCS such as winged bean, amaranth, moringa and foxtail millet could be developed as an alternative source of staple crops.

Transforming Malaysia's agricultural landscape necessitates the active engagement of key stakeholders, particularly farmers and agricultural companies.

Implementing awareness programmes and providing incentives for these stakeholders are crucial steps. Educating stakeholders about the importance of genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture and its long-term benefits can drive meaningful change, ensuring food security and environmental resilience for future generations.

Furthermore, the government must implement policies for better land management, especially on commercial farms and urban development.

Embracing new technology

Reducing farmland is not an option as our growing population needs more food than ever.

Current agricultural productivity per square foot has not reached its full potential. This means that we need to focus on producing crops with higher yields in smaller areas while using fewer resources.

The Green Revolution spearheaded by Norman Borlaug was a successful solution for its time, effectively preventing looming famine. However, a new agricultural revolution is needed to address current issues.

Extensive research and new technology are the key factors key in addressing the challenges of modern agriculture. Rapid progress in computational biology and bioinformatics has enabled plant researchers to increasingly leverage large-scale data from genomics and transcriptomics studies.

This progress allows for the identification of plant genetic variability, insights into how specific genes influence plant traits, monitoring of gene loss, and a deeper understanding of the complex network of plant responses to environmental factors.

Information from large-scale biological data together with the recent advancement in plant genome editing such as CRISPR-Cas9 also offers a promising solution. This cutting-edge technique has the potential to significantly boost food productivity and tackle food scarcity by altering genes that influence crop growth and productivity more efficiently.

For instance, CRISPR-Cas9 can precisely introduce valuable genes from the crop’s wild cultivar back into modern varieties. This method enables quick production of new plant varieties within 1.5 years while conventional breeding can take up to nine years.

As with any new technology, we must carefully consider several factors before its full implementation. These include biosafety, ethics, intellectual property rights, farmers' rights and the potential environmental impact.

Addressing these issues is crucial to ensure that gene editing in agriculture is both safe and beneficial for everyone. Moreover, it is much more important to actively educate the public to prevent misinformation and fearmongering of gene editing technologies.

While we work towards widespread acceptance and implementation of new technologies, it is crucial to recognise the urgency of the situation – not just by the government, but by the general public as well. The loss of genetic diversity in plants is not always visible, making it a race against time.

As highlighted in an article interviewing conservation researchers at Kew Botanical Garden on why plants matter: "But plants can be trickier to assess (in terms of extinction) than animals, as botanists can’t follow a plant’s footprints across the savannah or listen for mating calls through tangled forest. That means we’re often not sure what the world is losing until it’s too late." (Daisy Chung, Gloria Dickie, Jitesh Chowdhury and Simon Carr, Reuters).

In conclusion, advancing food security must go hand in hand with protecting our planet’s genetic heritage. Safeguarding this invaluable resource is a global responsibility that demands cooperation across all sectors – researchers, policymakers, farmers and the public alike.

By working together, we can build a more sustainable and resilient future for generations to come.

-- BERNAMA

Amirah Mohammad Sidik (Ph.D.) is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.