Investigating the level of Interest in the Implementation of Nanoscience as a vehicle toward enhancing food quality and security in the Bahamian agricultural sector

Abstract

The enhancement of food quality is one of the major areas of concern for those parties pursing higher levels of food security. It is because of this that nations around the globe invest heavily in projects that advance the current sphere of technological possibility. With regards to this, few areas are so closely watched as the advancement of nanotechnology. Nano science, which is being called the industrial revolution for the modern era, has the potential to increase quality of crops and food production in a number of ways. It is because of the many prospective applications for nanotechnology to increase agricultural productivity, in small island developing states (SIDS) such as The Bahamas can benefit greatly from the implementation of these new techniques. In order to pave the way for the use of these techniques, we recognized the need to assess the current level of awareness, understanding and interests in nanotechnology among Bahamians associated with the agricultural sector. We expected limited interest and knowledge about nanotechnology among these individuals due to low level of investment in The Bahamian agricultural sector which has led to technological stagnation and disinterest. We employed a mixed method research approach in order to maximise the conclusiveness of our results. The surveys and interviews conducted support the notion that there is limited knowledge about nanotechnology currently in The Bahamian field of agriculture but also there is an underlying interest in learning that is fuelled by the near unanimous wish to see crop quality improvement.