With limited natural resources such as land water and

With limited natural resources such as land, water and energy, food security is not limited to developing countries but a global issue. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) issued a report in 2011, estimated that almost one-third of food produced for human consumption (about 1.3 billion tons per year) was either lost or wasted [15]. Minimizing food loss is a must, while having a sustainable food production is another way to satisfy the global food demand. Food crops occupy a substantial portion in human and animal diet. Extreme weather, pests, weeds and crop diseases could impose detrimental effects to crops and significantly reduce their yields. Pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers have long been used to enhance the production, however, drawbacks such as discharges of noxious or polluting ingredients and weakened effectiveness upon prolong use undermine their long-term use. New variety of crops endowed with desired properties can be created through genetic engineering. For instance, with the new traits, crops could survive better in extreme climate such as drought and cold, or become more tolerant to pathogen-borne diseases or to pest, insect or weed killers. Accordingly, crops can be produced at higher yields and even be marketed at lower prices [3]. Crops can also be modified to synthesize ABT-199 in their body so that farmers can reduce their use of pesticides. According to a meta-analysis reviewed 147 GM crop studies released from 1995 to March 2014, the adoption of GM technology in crop cultivation has reduced the use of chemical pesticides by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68% on average [16]. Beyond profitability, farmers also save time and labor in weed control and have more flexibility in planning the cultivation [4]. Nutritional value, flavor and shelf life can also be improved by genetic engineering.
Examples of GM crops
Safety and risks of GM organisms and foods As discussed in the introductory session, scientific evidence is inclined to conclude that GM foods are safe for consumption. Safety, risks and concerns over GM foods and crops have been discussed in many reviews [4,8–11]. Without going into details, the following sessions serve a brief summary of these aspects.
Regulation in China
Regulation in the U.S.
Intellectual property protection
Non-patent IP protection
Conclusion
Introduction Street foods are enjoying increasing patronage due to industrialization which is forcing many city dwellers to eat their major daily meals out of home [1]. Street food vending is a common feature of most cities and towns in developing countries [2]. Aside provision of ready-made instant meals at relatively inexpensive prices, teeming urban dwellers are attached to street foods because of its gustatory attributes. These attributes are linked to the culinary prowess of the vendors [3,4]. Akinyele [5] reported the significant contribution of street foods to nutrition and food security for millions of practitioners along the chain. Draper [6] also identified them as potential vehicles for micronutrient fortification. Street food vending activities in most developing countries are mostly outside the regulation and protection of the governments. The economic importance of the activities is not well appreciated due to the informal nature of the enterprise and lack of official data on volume of trade involved [7]. Street food vending makes up the significant proportion of informal sector of the economy of most developing countries. About 28.5% labor force in Mexico were reportedly employed in the informal sector, 30.8% of the activities in photoperiodism sector were in the street food which employed over 120,000 vendors in Mexico city alone in 1998 [8]. Dawson and Canet [9] reported that street food vending in Malaysia is a multi-million US dollar trade providing direct employment for over 100,000 vendors with gross annual sales volume of about 2 billion US dollars. Hiemstra et al. [10] also mentioned the significant contribution of microbusinesses made up largely of street food sector to the economy of Vietnam.