Furthermore, traditional plant breeding will take far too long to produce the higher yielding crops needed to meet such demands. Only by the assiduous application and thoughtful use of the new emerging methodologies, can it be expected to help meet these demands in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, however, these technologies and the research funding and scientific talent required to take advantage of them, are most readily available in the more affluent countries of the world. Much of the scientific expertise employed in developed countries is focused on objectives that have little in common with those goals important to the Developing World. Developing nations are receiving little help in building the scientific infrastructure necessary to implement and expand their research capabilities.
Malnutrition kills or seriously impairs large segments of the world's population.
This results in huge productivity losses and imposes heavy cost burdens on develolping nations in assisting their remaining populations. However, it is generally acknowledged that such marked yield increases will not occur in the future unless the use of new methodologies is incorporated into existing traditional breeding and agronomic practices. The solution lies in making plants and animals more dependent on changes in their genetic makeup to protect themselves against damaging insects and diseases rather than by the addition of more chemicals into the food chain. Failure to apply these technologies will result in more marginal and fragile environmentally sensitive lands being put into food production, which in turn, will require increased amounts of fertilizer and other chemicals to produce the necessary food. Thus, more pressure will be placed on precious and dwindling potable water supplies in an effort to further increase crop yields.