Science in the Scholarship First Agenda

Agriculture and Food Security

LSU scientists are helping feed the planet using innovative plant technologies to grow bigger and stronger plants. And why is this important?

Researchers project Earth’s population will reach 10 billion by 2050 with most of this growth occurring in developing countries. Climate change, environmental destruction, and poor agricultural practices compound the urgency of this matter challenging our ability to meet the food demand of our growing population. Bringing this issue even closer to home are the challenges of local farmers who are experiencing decreases in crop production particularly staple crops like rice, soybean, and sugar cane. But LSU researchers like Jim Moroney, Maheshi Dassanayake, John Pojman and Morgan Kelly are tackling this issue head-on uncovering new methods to produce more robust and resilient plants and defend against threats to healthy crops.