How Does Genetics Affect The Achievement Of Food Security During The Developing World Through Crop Improvement?

Many support agricultural modernization, as a solution Africa’s, and many other impoverished nations hunger problems. This would include the industrialization of their agricultural industry, using modern, genetically enhanced seeds, and fertilizer. Yet, some of the same groups that are promoting the organic movement in the United States are advocating against the globalization of modern industrial agricultural practices (Paarlberg 179). Those who support modernization of such nations argue that the current process in inefficient, and inadequate. They believe that globalization of the highly capitalized, science-intensive, agricultural system that has been developed in the West, is the answer to the worlds hunger problems. They also warn that if the West abandons its current practices, it may fall victim to famine due to inadequate production (Paarlberg 179). However, supporters of organic production point to the fact that each year, approximately ten million tons of chemical fertilizer are poured onto our corn

Throughout time, humans have pushed forward in every aspect in life in order to improve their living standards, wealth and most importantly the agricultural sector which is the base of every human race. Food is the basic requirement for any individual to stay alive and healthy. In an article by Tamsin McMahon, she states that over the past 60 years, the world population has grown from 2.5 billion to 7 billion while world hunger dropped from 40% down to 15% (McMahon T., July 2012). This shows that our agricultural advances through technology have helped control world hunger and decrease it by more than half, but this is a short-term solution if we want to consider the future generations that depend on our current actions toward the three main pillars of agriculture which are: Health and nutrition, Economy and sustainability all while considering the local small farms and corporate farms.

Genetic Engineering has a multiplicity of uses in agriculture. It can be utilized to increase crop output, resistance to pest and diseases, and enhanced growing conditions. Sagoff states “Genetic engineers can help peasant societies by engineering plants and animals to stand up to the challenges of local conditions, such as blights that affect yams and other traditional crops” (14). The article “Biotechnology and Agriculture: The Common Wisdom and Its Critics.” by Sagoff. Discusses how genetic manipulation of crops would be of major benefit in developing countries, primarily because said countries can 't grow enough food to suffice the populous. Genetic manipulation of plants can make food easier to grow in these countries.

There are concerns that the introduction of GM crops in developing countries might lead to a reduction in biodiversity, particularly in areas where a crop originated and a wide range of natural genetic variation is found. There might also be unexpected consequences of gene transfer (between plants, for example an uncontrollable ‘escape’ of genes into neighbouring wild plants by pollen. There are also concerns that pests or weeds could acquire resistance to crops. Therefore their effectiveness is questioned and would probably hinder the development process,

Page enlightens the reader that we already know how to accomplish that task. One of the problems is that the poorer countries do not have the money to afford these better crops. Another issue is the resistance to genetically modified food. Page then argues that the lines are becoming more blurred between genetic engineering and conventional breeding, and that intentionally improving the DNA of crops is more practical than breeding two

Perhaps the most relevant and understandable factor behind opposition of the use of GMOs is the lack of desperate need. In developed countries, there is no issue in feeding the populace. However, in developing countries the story is much different. Farmers in developing countries still use outdated practices and don’t have access to the same technology as those in developed countries. This contributes to the difficulty of farmers in developing countries to feed the country’s entire population. GMOs reduce the maturation time of crops, allowing them to be harvested more often throughout the year. They can also decrease the vulnerability of crops to flood, drought, and frost, leading to increased crop yields (Goyal and Gurtoo 1). Thus, it is not surprising that those in developing countries are extremely welcoming to the use of GMOs. In

For the last several decades, the world has been plagued by widespread starvation and poverty. Economies are failing in numerous countries, and developing nations struggle to feed their inhabitants. As a result of the world’s mounting overpopulation, food has become scarce and resources are rapidly dwindling. However, modern science has provided a solution: agricultural biotechnology. Genetically engineered crops represent the bright future of agriculture. Crops like cotton, corn, and soybeans can have genes inserted or deleted into their cell membranes; this modification facilitates pest and virus resistance, drought tolerance, and even provides nutritional enhancement. Genetically altered crops produce much higher

By maintaining a largely fact-based and scientific perspective throughout the book, Fedoroff furthers her credibility. Plant biotechnology is Fedoroff’s life’s work, earning her a plethora of honors and awards. Thus, it is only natural for her to be more in favor of the pro-plant biotechnology view she argues for in her book. However, Fedoroff maintains a neutral stance for the rest of her

Moreover, it is not a mystery that the human population continues to increase. The world population was estimated in 2050 to be 9.3 billion, 400 million more than previously estimated. It would seem that GMOs would be seen as a light at the end of the tunnel for 3rd world counties, and the health risks of pesticides, and for the years to come. Nonetheless, many people see GMOs as a major danger to the nation. Genetic engineering and biotechnology is creating new methods to help scientists with the issue of feeding the world. Some people argue that GM technology will replace traditional breeding and this is not the case. The importance of solving the problem of food production for a growing population like ours needs to be without harming the environment and will require traditional breeding and organic farming, plus GM crop technology, used to solve the problem at hand. Our human civilization will have the greatest challenge to ensure sufficient food production in the next few years unless all the methods are used accurately and as necessary. (Herrera-Estrella and Alvarez-Morlaes, 256-257).

Le Page enlightens the reader that the technology needed to accomplish that task already exists through genetically modified food, but there are multiple reasons why it has not been fully utilized yet. One of the problems is that the poorer countries do not have the money to afford these better

Food production in Africa has to be improved dramatically. There is a food deficit as agricultural development has not reached its full potential yet. African farmers today use almost no fertilizer and only 4 percent of their cropland has been irrigated (Paarlberg, 2010). African governments should take on the role of investing into the development of agriculture in the region. It is surprising that while 60 percent of the population depends on the farming sector, the government only invests 5 percent of its budget on agriculture (Paarlberg,

From “a chicken in every pot” to the Great Chinese Famine, few issues have dominated human and political interest in the way that food security has. Since the Agricultural Revolution, food production has proportionally increased to feed the world population with minor exceptions. In recent centuries, however, supplies have become strained as the global population continues to boom but environmental resources near complete exhaustion. To combat this, technological change is taking place as governments, scientists and farmers work together to scientifically better the agricultural process. Rockefeller Foundation scientists post-World War II, for example, engineered seeds that produced significantly more grain, yielding more for developing countries-

The following report is going to compare two different types of human manipulation; selective breeding and transgenesis and the biological implications of each. I will be focusing on drought resistant crops and in particular drought resistant corn as scientists have provided evidence that drought will be increasing in the future due to global warming and over 30% of current land used for agriculture in the world will be no longer usable. At some point a future drought will affect New Zealand. Therefore New Zealand farmers will need to begin growing drought resistant crops by use of either selective breeding or transgenesis so that we are prepared for the future.

In Swaziland, agriculture plays a huge role in all of the individuals’ lives. Over 2/3 of my country’s population work on small farms that grow corn; corn is the dominant in my country. According to Hanran (2000), over 20 million individuals from six other nations, including 270,000 individuals of my own have been affected by the recent famine. As the King of Swaziland, it is my responsibility to find a solution to the famine my country is currently experiencing. The GMO crops that the United States are offering to my country are a short term solution that will help feed the population and save the lives of many. Although GMO foods may have several disadvantages, it has many benefits to one’s health and the general

Welcome to the age of an agricultural revolution as everyday biotechnology continues to bring innovation to human’s most basic needs – food. Food is essential to any living organism, providing energy for our production and nutrients for our protection. Without this fundamental element, life cannot exist. Our lack to produce our own energy, like plants, causes us to become dependent on others for survival. Humans existence is attributed only to the million years of evolution our food source underwent to sustain our survival. Changing the primary nature of our food source, whether it is plant or animal, directs mankind in a dangerous future if our food dependency is permanently hampered. Welcome to the age of an agricultural devolution