Three studies of rice genetics were released in major scientific journals this week, and this article from NPR examines how some scientists are harnessing this knowledge into efforts to develop new growing methods for rice plants.

One study featured in the NPR piece describes the so-called “deep water” rice plants, which, scientists hope, will help rice plants to grow in spite of rising floodwater levels.

“One of the solutions is that the plant starts to grow very fast in such a way that parts of the shoot will be above the water level, so that that part can function as a sort of snorkel,” says Rens Voesenek, a plant biologist at Utrecht University in the Netherlands.

However, it seems that while these “deep water” plants could survive floods, they do not yield much rice.  But scientists in Japan believe they have isolated the SNORKEL1 and SNORKEL2 genes, responsibe for allowing an ellogation of the plant shoots within the rice genome, and claim they may be able to inject these genes into regular rice plants to produce a better yield.

A second study to come out of Japan regarding gene identification says that scientists have uncovered the gene that helps rice resist a devastating form of fungus called “rice blast.”  They believe they can use the discovery to develop blast-resistant rice that also taste goods, as crops bred to resist the fungus in the past have been unpleasant to the palate.

Scientists are hoping that the findings of these studies and the increase in knowledge of the rice genome will help pathe the way for an increase in both quality and quantity of rice production.

Increases in population, pollution and transportation costs matched with decreases in farmland, water supply and market prices are some of the oft-cited causes of the global food crisis.  In a recent OP-ED piece in the New York Times, Columbia University professor Dickson D. Despommier writes about how some of these challenges to growing food can be overcome by vertical farming.  Despommier explains that whole skyscrapers can be dedicated to growing food - using technologies that take up less space, have significant yields and recycle water.

Imagine a farm right in the middle of a major city. Food production would take advantage of hydroponic and aeroponic technologies. Both methods are soil-free. Hydroponics allows us to grow plants in a water-and-nutrient solution, while aeroponics grows them in a nutrient-laden mist. These methods use far less water than conventional cultivation techniques, in some cases as much as 90 percent less.

Does vertical farming have promise to solve the food crisis?  While Despommier cites that urban areas in the Middle East would be an excellent testing ground for this technology, he acknowledged in a 2008 Time Magazine article that, for now, the “construction and energy costs would probably make vertically raised food more costly than traditional crops. “

But as the potential for new food crises still threaten the global population and new solutions are sought, this one idea reaches for the sky.

The recent issue of Time Magazine reflects on how America eats, what it pays for its food and the source of its food supply.  Citing that:

For all the grumbling you do about your weekly grocery bill, the fact is you’ve never had it so good, at least in terms of what you pay for every calorie you eat. According to the USDA, Americans spend less than 10% of their incomes on food, down from 18% in 1966.

The article discusses how the rise of corn as an ingredient in many foods has increased the supply of food available to Americans.  Over time, the agricultural subsidies paid to produce corn, large-scale farm operations and consumer preferences have contributed to a cycle of cheaper, but in some cases, less healthy food.  Several recent high-profile recalls, the use of antibiotics in raising farm animals and health problems like diabetes are increasing the concerns of many Americans about their food supply.

The article also discusses the environmental impact of large-scale food production, as well as the effect it has on prices of organic foods and healthier foods like fruits and vegetables.

In addition to the cover story, there is also a comparison of how an organic hamburger is produced versus a conventional hamburger.  There are several photo essays including one that shows families from around the world, detailing the amount they spend on food and what they typically buy.

Asia’s food demand is projected to double in the next forty years. Why? By 2050, Asia’s population is projected to increase by 1.5 billion people. With this larger population, scientists predict that Asia will have to import more than 25% of its food staples in order to keep its people from starving. With new fertile land being scarce and the likelihood that grains and other staples are likely to increase in price, what is the continent to do about its impending crisis?

Currently, many farmers are using a pump technology that enables them to extract as much water and they want from their land. This practice, however, is causing “groundwater over-exploitation”. In countries like India and China, for example, water tables have dramatically dropped. The governments’ failure at regulating current irrigation technologies could lead to a severe crisis, says the BBC. According to The Guardian News, present systems are 50 to 70 years old, and recent findings from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) suggest that Asian governments need to revitalize their outdated irrigation systems and invest in more efficient methods of water usage in order to combat this crisis.

The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) released a report this week revealing Britain’s food supply vulnerabilities and strategies for combating a domestic shortage should the ongoing global crisis intensify.

Although the UK is largely self-sufficient with regards to food production, the Defra plan focuses largely on increasing that productivity, perhaps through the use of genetically modified (GM) crops - currently a deeply unpopular approach among Britons.

While introducing the report publicly, Hilary Benn, the Cabinet Minister who heads Defra and oversees national food policy, voiced support for GM crop trials aimed at finding out the facts about the technology and to use the science to boost production.

The Defra report also cites a number of extreme measures for combating the food supply problem domestically if the crisis becomes catastrophic.  Those methods include rationing food in the manner enlisted during the Second World War.  Britons would be required to eat lower-calorie diets, deemed “a highly restricted, if sufficiently nutritious diet” in the Defra report, and would be encouraged to take on a vegetarian lifestyle if food security issues interfere with the UK’s meat trade with countries like Argentina and Brazil.

However, outlining plans for a doomsday scenario was not the only goal of the report.  Other portions focused on long-term sustainability as global warming and water shortages could press the need for alternative food growth technology.  In his statement Benn argued,

“..we live in an interconnected world — where the price of soya in Brazil affects the price of steak at the local supermarket — we need to look at global issues that affect food security here. That’s why we need to consider what food systems should look like in 20 years and what must happen to get there.”

20 years is a relevant milestone, but so is 41.  The report states that the UK will  “play a full part” in hitting the UN’s target for increasing global food production by 70% by the year 2050.

This article, by Martin Hickman of The Independent, asks some important questions about the state of the UK food supply and the plausibility of some of the Defra report’s goals.

Another food strategy plan is set to be published by the end of the year.

The Washington Post reported on the effects of the global food crisis in Nigeria, where 38% of children under 5 years old are starving and 65% of its population is unsure of the source of their next meal. Nigeria has been unable to exploit its agricultural resources despite its wealth from having the largest oil reserves in Africa, as well as some of the most fertile land. With 3.14 million hectares of arable land, only 7% is currently being used. Nigeria is suffering from an “unreliable agricultural output,” says David Hecht of the Washington Post.

But Nigeria is not the only major African country that is suffering. Kenya, for example, is facing a decrease in food output this year caused by major drought in some regions. Additionally, stem rust, caused by a fungus thought to have been eradicated 50 years ago, has resurfaced and is plaguing Kenya’s most luscious wheat fields. Now, subsidized school-feeding programs are lacking resources, forcing children to abandon their education and return to help out their impoverished families. Meanwhile, drought has caused food shortages in southern Ethiopia as well as a scarcity of water in some regions. As a result, the severe hunger season that annually afflicts Ethiopia is expected to be longer this year, already impacting child mortality rates.

What is being done about the food crisis? At last month’s G8 summit, President Barack Obama pledged $3.5 billion to aid agricultural development and food security in Africa. However, it is not clear where this money is coming from, as Congress is still dealing with the other pressing issues such as the financial crisis and health care. Still, a pillar of this G8 agreement is its commitment to ending tied food aid, that is, the exporting of U.S. food to developing countries for aid instead of buying the food in surrounding areas. For more information on this aid agreement, you can read the Council on Foreign Relations’ interview with Laurie Garrett.

For you tomato lovers out there, good luck this season. According to Dan Barber’s op-ed piece in the New York Times, tomatoes have been scarce this year, especially in the Northeast United States, and we’ve already seen price increases of 20%. So what’s the problem? Late blight—the same plant disease that caused the Irish potato famine in the mid-nineteenth century—has struck once again. While this year the blight will not lead to widespread famine, we do have a lot to learn from the extensive spread of the disease in tomatoes this year.

What about this year has created a breeding ground for late blight? For one thing, this summer’s humidity and abundance of precipitation has done more than just make your hair frizzy. Late blight loves warm temperatures, high humidity, and lots of rain.

But weather is only part of this formula. Where our tomato plants come from also plays a large part. Experts say that there was a prevalence of late blight in industrial breeding facilities which distributed starter plants across the country via large chains such as Home Depot, Kmart, Lowe’s and Wal-Mart. Expediting the contamination process is an increased interest in gardening and growing locally. According to the National Gardening Association, 7 million more households have either planted small gardens in their homes or invested in a community garden. So instead of spreading through large farms, late blight has contaminated people’s backyards. This is the irony of the situation: the people who are conscious of the problems with the traditional food system and buy and grow food locally are actually causing a dreadful situation for tomato lovers and growers.

The problem, according to the article, is that people these days are not as educated about agriculture. An increased interest and conscientiousness exists, but experience does not, resulting in a lack of diversity in growing methods and crop variety.

Ultimately, Barber believes that food should not be grown just for yield, but for taste and heartiness as well. If we learned to grow tomatoes that were specific to the many climates in our country, he says, late blight might not have spread across all the different varieties.

For more information on late blight, click here.