Gene technology can help to improve food security, but it also raises practical and ethical questions, so the benefits have to be weighed against the risks.
Benefits: genetically modified crops can have higher yields, resist pests and diseases, tolerate drought, or contain extra nutrients. A crop that resists insect pests may need less pesticide to be sprayed. This can reduce costs for the farmer and help to feed more people.
Risks: a gene might spread by pollen to wild plants or to non-GM crops. A GM crop might harm other organisms, such as useful insects, and reduce biodiversity. Some people worry about possible effects on human health, which are hard to test over a long time. GM seeds can be expensive, so poorer farmers may be unable to afford them.
There are also ethical considerations. Some people believe it is wrong to alter the genes of living organisms. Others argue that it is wrong not to use a technology that could reduce hunger. Scientists collect evidence, but people also decide using their own values.