Nanotechnology 'could provide a solution to food shortages'

16 August 2010

New developments in nanotechnology could help to address global food shortages in the future, researchers have suggested.

With the world's population set to reach more than nine billion people by 2050, the discovery could help to provide them with sustenance without adding further damage to the environment, the Guardian reports.

Dr Philip Thornton of the International Livestock Research Institute in Nairobi told the news source that a "wild card" solution is nanotechnology, "which is expected to become more important as a vehicle for delivering medication to livestock".

Leading scientists from around the globe have produced a series of 21 papers published by the Royal Society which examine ways of feeding growth in the number of humans.

Climate change and water shortages are also expected to contribute to rising food gaps and experts from a range of disciplines have looked at innovative ways of increasing supplies in such conditions.

The reports follow a study from scientists in the US and Korea indicating that a new nanotechnology development may provide ways of delivering drugs directly into living cancer cells.

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