SUBJECTS: Geography
YEARS: 7–8, 9–10
The race is on to produce higher crop-yielding plants that will feed an ever-growing world population.
See how scientists at the Plant Accelerator facility are investigating ways of increasing crop production. Some are focusing on conventional plant-breeding techniques while others are using GM (genetic modification) technology.
Things to think about
- 1.What are some of the modern challenges to producing food? Think about some environmental and human factors that influence how and where food is grown and how much of it is produced. Do we produce enough food for the world population? How will future population growth impact on this capacity?
- 2.By how much does Professor Mark Tester say we have increased world food production in the last 50 years? How much more must this increase by? At the Plant Accelerator in Adelaide, Prof. Tester's team is trying to create plants that have what qualities? What does Prof. Tester say conventional and genetic technologies can each contribute to increasing crop production?
- 3.In the clip, conventional breeding and the genetic engineering of plants are both discussed. How does Prof. Tester compare them in terms of their contribution to food production now and for the future? Does he support one approach over the other? What are your views on the new technologies being adopted to tackle food production and security?
- 4.At the end of the clip, the reporter says that there's an ongoing debate about the benefits and risks of GM foods. Conduct some research to find out more about what GM is, how it is involved in food production, and some of the main arguments for and against it.
Date of broadcast: 26 Jun 2011
Copyright
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