These fungi, weeds, and viruses are among the more serious biological threats to food security

Could an African caterpillar be the new beefsteak? As the world diverts more of its grain harvests into producing meat, some scientists are pushing policymakers to take a closer look at insects as an environmentally friendlier source of protein. Whereas a cow needs to eat roughly 8 grams of food to gain a gram in weight, for instance, insects need less than two. The U.N.

If one gene is good, more genes are better. That's the mantra of plant biologists working to improve crops. Already, companies have engineered varieties that carry both herbicide and insect resistant genes.

Mold spoils some 10% of the world's annual harvests. And perhaps more significantly, many fungi produce mycotoxins, poisonous chemicals that can accumulate in human tissues. The most dangerous is aflatoxin, which is elevating rates of liver cancer and likely stunting childhood growth in Africa, Southeast Asia, and China.

In 2009, for the first time since the 1950s and the early stages of the Green Revolution, food security was taken seriously by policy-makers. There was substantial output from the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development, and with studies by the U.S.

Rodent losses are a perennial problem worldwide. In Asia, for instance, rodents devour an estimated 6% of the annual rice harvest

Analysts estimate that nearly 2 million of Uganda's 31 million people experience food insecurity due to supply problems or rising prices. Nearly 80% of the people in some regions depend on food aid to survive. Such problems could worsen as Uganda's population, which has been increasing at more than 3% per year, surges to an estimated 100 million by 2050.

Africa missed out on the scientific breakthroughs that revolutionized agriculture in Asia. However, with locally developed and locally relevant technologies, a built-up human and institutional capacity, and supportive national policy and leadership, an African Green Revolution can be a reality.

Although seafood is the most highly traded food internationally, it is an often overlooked component of global food security. It provides essential local food, livelihoods, and export earnings. Although global capture fisheries production is unlikely to increase, aquaculture is growing considerably.

Farmers in mixed crop-livestock systems produce about half of the world