Environment And Environment In Malawi

As a society we tend to disagree with each other on many topics especially social issues and on the importance of them, but we can all agree that world hunger is one of the main problems. World hunger is led by death, poverty, and so much more, and for years we have tried to find ways to stop it, but it’s hard since our world is expanding. The greater our population, the more mouths we need feed, and since we already have more than half of our population starving the fear is that we will run out of food. This is where the idea of genetically modified foods is presented as a solution to help and fix these age long question about hunger. Genetically modified foods have been proven to have some good benefits in helping out the world;

The world we live in today is in no doubt constantly changing all thanks to the technological and scientific advancements. These advancements are what have led to the birth of molecular genetics which is the genesis of improvements in the field of agriculture. Food is a very crucial part of human survival, and while it may be abundant in many developed countries, the same cannot be said about the developing countries. A 2015 report by FAO on the state of food insecurity sates that there are about 795 million people sleeping hungry because of shortage of food with the vast majority coming from developing countries (2015, FAO). The rise of genetically modified food in the recent years however has helped to provide a solution to some of these food shortage problems. Generally genetically modified foods otherwise known as GMO foods are foods that result from crops whose genetic makeup have been modified or altered. This happens through a process that’s referred to as recombinant DNA that serves to give plants traits that are desirable with the use of molecular techniques. Some of the most bioengineered foods include tomatoes, corn, cotton, rice, papaya, wheat among others. While it has had many benefits and successes, GM foods still have risks and the question of safety always arises when it comes to discussions.

Research Institute (RRI) in studying the health effect of a novel GM potato with built-in Bt

All three authors of this paper are associated with Monsanto, who also provided the funding for the paper, making the paper extremely bias and leaving no room for alternate interpretations of findings. As the strain of maize had not been adopted worldwide it can be assumed that the authors were motivated publish data confirming the safety of the product. It thoroughly documents the study’s methodology and references a wide range of literature. A large number of test subjects were used in each group. Rigorous results are shown and are clear and easy to interpret. The paper claims to have found minimal changes in body weight,

Genetically modified foods have been an issue in the United States ever since the invention of genetically modified objects. Over time, agriculturalists have domesticated plants and animals that suit the needs of the population in terms of improved production, resistance to diseases and pests, and human preferences (Chassy 169). In doing this, desirable traits were selected in each crop generation that led to an improved crop from an anthropocentric viewpoint. This has escalated even further after the industrial revolution where we began to have machinery and improved techniques from which to farm. At the same time as this was occurring and we were modernizing our agricultural system, scientific methods began to develop that drew heavily from genetics.

Notably some of the most significant advantages of GMO’s in the food industry are that it has allowed genetically modified crops to become pest-resistant and have greater yields. Additionally the crops can be altered to withstand virus and herbicide damage (Goldbas, 2014). By genetically modifying a crop the grower can also increase the nutritional value of the plant such as in rice where genetic enhancements increased levels of beta-carotene. GMO’s can also be altered to increase their salt tolerance so they can be grown in sodium rich soils. Genetically modified hormones can also be used to enhance a food product such as growth hormones to increase milk production in cows and hormones to raise the nutritional quality of pigs (Bobe & Procopie, 2015). The genetically modified cassava plant in in tropical Africa is an example of a plant that is being modified to be both pest-resistant and increase nutritional levels of vitamin A, minerals and protein content. The nutrient dense plant can combat iron deficiency anemia, immune system infections and prevent childhood

And, although many concerns have been expressed about the potential for unexpected consequences, the unexpected effects that have been observed so far have been benign” (“Nina Fedoroff”). With that being said, modified crops are not as bad as many people think. In fact, evidence has been found that genetically modified crops actually benefit the world’s economic and environmental condition. Whether the food helps feed starving children in Africa, or improves the taste of the potato chips that the average American man is eating right now, genetically modified crops have many advantages. Although some scientists may argue that genetically modifying crops have negative impacts, genetically modified crops have positive consequences on society because they help preserve the environment, they have more nutritional value than their organic counterparts, and they heal worldwide hunger.

A study by a man named Arpad Pusztai claimed that some people who ate genetically modified potatoes suffered organ damage. After only 10 days of eating the wonder spud, which now produced its own pesticide, the rats suffered from damaged immune systems and organs. The pesticide wasn't the problem because rats (and humans) have been eating it in perfect safety in foods where it naturally occurs. The problem must have been due to the process of genetic engineering itself, it was the biggest shock of Dr Pusztai's life. (Smith, page 74.) However, the article, The Lanclet, that published the study also, critiqued it, stating that the experiments were incomplete, included too few animals per diet group, and lacked controls. So the conclusion that the potatoes were dangerous was not relevant. Pusztai was then sacked for publicizing research which hadn't been peer-reviewed (Wooster, 2001, pg.1). As this article proves, even though there have been small experiments trying to prove the dangers of genetically altered foods, they are just speculations as to what could potentially be the effect of genetically altered foods. In an article about Transgenic Crops, some of the risks they listed included antibiotic resistance, allergic reactions, eating foreign DNA, and changed nutrient levels (Soil and Crop Sciences, 2004, pg.1). Can eating genetically altered foods raise the dangers of allergic reactions? Will they make our bodies more resistance to antibiotics? Can it destroy

The findings of a study reported by The International Journal of Biological Sciences show that GMO crops/foods need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for their safety for consumption “as is largely admitted and agreed by regulators” (Joël Spiroux de Vendômois). What these scientists found during a study of the three GM maize varieties are new side effects linked to the consumption of these cereals was revealed. They were often sex and dose dependent and the effects were concentrated in the kidney and liver metabolism, most likely linked to the new pesticides included with these GMO’s. These GM maize varieties induced a state of hepatorenal toxicity a type of progressive kidney failure seen in people with liver damage. The new health concerns, hepatorenal toxicity, are most likely due to the new pesticides (herbicides and/or insecticides). “These substances have never before been an integral

Despite the fact that many of us consume GMOs’ every day, knowingly or otherwise, there has been no human study of the effects of eating these genetically modified foods. Many consumers and genetics experts alike are concerned regarding this lack of study. Many scientists including noted chemist Joseph Mercola have stated repeatedly that there have been “no long-term feeding studies performed in the US and Canada to demonstrate the claims that engineered corn and soya are safe”. They point to the fact that “All we have are scientific studies out of Europe and Russia, showing that rats fed engineered food die prematurely” (Mercola 12). In these studies, mice fed strains of genetically modified corn showed a substantial increase in kidney failure and significant changes in blood chemistry over three generations. These studies also proved that sustained consumption of modified corn and soy by these animals “led to an abnormally high rate of birth defects among newborns for multiple generations”

The debate on weather if genetically modified foods should be used or not is a controversial topic. The implications of these new technologies and the full community of life that shares this planet which seem to concern. However, its been more than 25 years, public dialogues, expert consultations and scientific publications have concluded that a comprehensive assessment of the implications of genetic engineering in agriculture and food production needs to include health, environmental, social and economical aspects, but only very few

Overall, it is important that food, whether developed by conventional means or through biotechnology, such as genetic modification be safe and free from major health risks for the American society. As of today, the general public remains largely unaware of what genetically modified organisms actually are, and what advantages and disadvantages the use of this technology has to offer. The purpose of this paper is to assess the public opinion of genetically modified plants and to examine human research on the advantages and disadvantages of the use of genetically modified organisms in nutrition.

With progress in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists have changed the way in which food is grown and made, raising questions about these methods and their possible risks and effects. What is clear is that there is not enough information on the consequences of genetically modified foods on human health as of yet. Furthermore no agreement among the scientific community has been reached on the risks or safety of this technology, although it seems to possess wide, uncertain and, potentially dangerous implications for human health, which are inextricably linked to moral/ethical concerns.

Genetically Modified Foods is a new contervserasonal topic on the health on agricultural of the world. It is heavily debated for the reason that it can be seen as a health risk or a major advancement in Agriculture. One on hand, it can be used to increase production, as well has have foods that could be altered to be pest-resistant and greater nutritional values (WHAT ARE THEY). While on the other hand, many consider ‘Safety testing of whole foods is difficult. Generally assessment of ‘safety/toxicity’ relies on the description of dose–response relationships.’(sciencedirect). The issue on Genectally modifed foods is a important topic to argue, because food is one of the most important factors in sustaning life, for without food, we are not able to survive and if we are tampering with food genetics, it could very well change the way we eat. Although, it could be argued that Genetically Modified Foods is indeed a benefit to society for it can benefit third world countries, and alter foods to become pest and disease resistant and weather resistant, be able to give a food more nutritional value, and with modern technology be able to detect if a genetically modified food is safe to eat. In this paper I will examine the reason why the government should not allow genetically modified foods, I will show that first that it is not enough research to determine that genetically modified foods, secondly will be that there has been examples of Genetically modified foods has

As one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi is one of the most population dense countries in Sub – Saharan Africa. It has been classified as one of the world’s least developed countries. Malawi is a largely agricultural country with approximately 90% of the population living within rural areas. Agriculture accounts for approximately 35% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Its GDP, as of 2013, was 3.7 billion USD. Malawi has a population of over 16 million residents, with more than half of its population falling below the poverty line.