A thing I have been thinking about but am not at all an expert on is open-source research into high-yield seed production.
Currently high-yield seeds alone can significantly increase outputs by something like 25-55%
One of the big challenges with improved seeds and agritech is that the current model doesn’t seem to be working for the ~25% of the worlds population who are subsistence farmers. Maybe there is no profit in it. For example subsistence farmers don’t want to be dependent on having to buy seeds every year but want to be able to save seed from their own crops, but seed developers prefer seeds that need to be purchased annually.
If I was suggesting a $6bn megaproject to end world hunger that would appeal to some ambitious tech entrepreneur it would be something like open-source agritech designed for (and by?) the worlds poorest, not like “hey donate to an EA food charity like Fortify Health or Food Fortification Initiative” (although that would be nice too).
Just mentioning the idea on the off chance it is helpful to the debate, to anyone’s op-eds, anyone chatting to Musk or whatever.
A thing I have been thinking about but am not at all an expert on is open-source research into high-yield seed production.
Currently high-yield seeds alone can significantly increase outputs by something like 25-55%
One of the big challenges with improved seeds and agritech is that the current model doesn’t seem to be working for the ~25% of the worlds population who are subsistence farmers. Maybe there is no profit in it. For example subsistence farmers don’t want to be dependent on having to buy seeds every year but want to be able to save seed from their own crops, but seed developers prefer seeds that need to be purchased annually.
If I was suggesting a $6bn megaproject to end world hunger that would appeal to some ambitious tech entrepreneur it would be something like open-source agritech designed for (and by?) the worlds poorest, not like “hey donate to an EA food charity like Fortify Health or Food Fortification Initiative” (although that would be nice too).
Just mentioning the idea on the off chance it is helpful to the debate, to anyone’s op-eds, anyone chatting to Musk or whatever.