One of the most controversial issues surrounding genetically modified foods is whether biotechnology can help address the urgent problems of global hunger. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the number of chronically undernourished people in developing nations has risen in recent years to 798 million. Proponents of biotechnology argue that it offers the best prospect for helping less developed nations feed their hungry citizens by improving plant genetics to increase crop yields, in the same way that improved rice and wheat varieties led to the Green Revolution beginning in the 1960s. Critics respond that genetically modified foods pose risks to human health and the environment. Both sets of arguments are embedded in the context of broader and deeper conflicts over development, globalization, and the role of technology in agriculture.