Poor nutrition is responsible for the deaths of nearly 3.1 million children annually; this is half of all deaths in children under the age of five ("Hunger Statistics"). About 795 million people in the world do not have enough food to live a healthy, active lifestyle ("Hunger Statistics"). Seventy-five percent of the world 's poorest people - 1.4 billion women, children, and men - live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods ("Know Your World"). Many argue that genetically modified organisms are a way to address these issues. Genetically modified organisms, also known as GMOs, can be defined as "organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way …show more content…
For poor farmers, genetically modified foods increase the yield of the farmers ' crops and help reduce the amount of insecticides they need to use, resulting in higher profits and for some farmers - even lifting them out of poverty. Naam gives the specific example of India, where between 1991 and 2001 cotton yields were flat; in 2002, when Bt cotton (a type of GM crop) was introduced in India, cotton yields increased by two thirds in just a few years. Despite these benefits of GM food crops, the world 's poorest countries, including India, don 't allow any GM food crops to be grown. When India 's regulators approved GMO foods, anti-GMO activists cried out; the government, therefore, placed an indefinite moratorium on GM foods. Naam states that GM crops are being blocked by governments and courts not because of any specific concerns, but instead because of general
Agronomists have been working on these problems for years, but the rapid population growth of humans makes overcoming these challenges increasingly urgent. If we can’t feed the world, it will eventually feed on us.” (Newsweek/United Nations) Scientists find a way to add “medicine” to plant genes, which help it withstands pest attacks and drought problems.“Some GMO corn crops can protect harvests in water-limited conditions better than conventionally produced crops. Other GMOs can also promote use of no-till farming, which keeps more moisture in the soil. No-till also enables farmers to make fewer passes through the field using machinery, which means less fuel used and greenhouse gases emitted.”(Monsanto) GMOs are useful for helping with planting crops in any area of the world.
Genetic engineering is already providing a more stable solution for agricultural production in the economy to stand on. In nine years (i.e. 1996-2005), profits from genetically modified crops were twenty-seven billion dollars. Those twenty-seven billion dollars were not just in the United States or countries like it, but the profits almost split half and half between first and third world countries (O'Neill 19). In India, for example, cotton yields have jumped to one hundred-fifty percent from the use of genetically modified crops, vastly increasing the farmers’ profits (19). The planting of these crops can really help farmers know what they are going to make every year and plan accordingly. Also, helping the farmers’ expenses is the lack of chemical pesticides needed on the crops and reducing time spent using the pricey traditional breeding methods (Mannion and Morse 749-751). Even if genetically modified crops are not planted in every field, adjoining fields can benefit due to the “halo effect.” The “halo effect” is the ability of pest protection on the genetically modified crops to affect the non-genetically modified crops due to the lack of insects in the genetically modified field (754). Genetically modified crops affect the economy in a positive way and should be seen as a smart
Last but not least, Whitman (2000) also states genetically modified crops are more economical especially to farmers in third world countries because they have higher crop yields in lesser time enabling them to satisfy the high demand for food. Genetically modified crops also take up very little land to grow improving profits for farmers. Because they grow in such short time, the demand for more food in starving countries is more easily satisfied at a lower cost.
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.
Some benefits of genetically modified foods include the potential to create higher crop surpluses. This is significant because of the increasing population of our nation as well as worldwide. This opens doors for better trade and can provide farmers with more efficient structures and time management. GMOs also reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides. They reduce overall need for manual labor of farmers. GMOs are seen as more economical and beneficial to manufacturers. Besides technical assets, the quality of the food can be improved drastically as well. The foods can stay fresher longer and can also endure weather fluctuations along side with having the capability to grow and produce in originally unsuitable conditions. The most beneficial factor examined from genetically modified foods would be that they can specifically and personally be altered
GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. This relatively new science creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
As with anything in nature, modifying an organism’s intended or natural use can either bring beneficial uses or harmful ones. Monsanto has led the industry for genetically modified seeds, and because of this, is held under much scrutiny for what good or bad they may bring to society. The benefits of growing GMO seed are, on the surface, pretty obvious. They allow farmers to grow bigger and more stable crops, as resistance to insects and weeds plays a pivotal role in the yield farmers see each season. Furthermore, GMO seed can help areas that typically struggle to produce a harvest, such as Africa. Conner, Glare and Nap (Conner, T., & Nap, 2003) note that “the risk of not using GM crops, particularly in relation to developing countries where the technology may have most to offer, should be considered.” (pg.
Future GM seeds will allow farmers to maintain higher yields while using less water and chemical fertilizer by allowing farmers to produce bigger and more reliable crops. Nutrition-enhanced GM crops now in development can directly address the effects of malnutrition for poor consumers in developing countries. GM crops may be the only way to ensure that the worldwide production of food keeps pace with the growing population, which according to the United States Census Bureau, is projected to be nearing 10 billion by the year 2050.
One of the biggest advantages of agricultural biotechnology lies in its economic efficiency. GM crops are financially beneficial to both the farmer and the consumer. Due to their resistance to pests, viruses, and adverse climates, genetically altered crops produce much larger yields than organic or conventional crops. For example, studies show that if no insecticide is used, a GM crop known as Bt maize has a 48% higher yield than non-modified maize varieties
Organisms that have been genetically changed are known as Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s. The organisms that are typically made into GMO’s are animals and our fruits and vegetables. They can change it so that certain fruit grows faster or a certain animal is resistant to certain diseases. People believe GMO’s cause things like cancer but this is a common misconception. GMO’s are healthier for us and even tastier than their natural counterparts. GMO’s help shape the world we live in today, we really can't live without them.
The first reason genetically modified foods are beneficial to the society is that they can feed all of the growing population. Genetically modified foods have been said to help end world hunger if people begin to grow them (“Genetically modified organism (GMO)”). With a growing population which has to be fed, will require agriculture to do a better job in using water, nutrients, and energy, while reducing pollution.
Farmers usually use many chemical pesticides for their crops annually. Such chemicals can lead to “potential health hazards, and run-off of agricultural wastes from excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers that can poison the water supply and cause harm to the environment.” So, genetically modified foods or crops can help farmers use less pesticide on their fields, and therefore
“70 percent of our corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland are planted with crops genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides and increase crop yields. 60% of all the processed foods in the United States are genetically modified; a shocking statistic has the concern of many Americans. However, most people are uninformed about the beneficial impact that genetically modified food has on their diet. GM is the use of molecular biology technology to modify the inherited structure of organisms. Genetically engineered crops increase nutrients, drought tolerance, provide more food for growing populations, and resists diseases and pesticides. Genetically engineered foods are crucial to the improvement of economy, agriculture, society, and health choices. The creation of GM foods was one of the most significant breakthroughs in food industry. Genetically modifying foods is a key component that is harmless for the enrichment of our foods.
Genetically modified crops can be used in a variety of ways to make the everyday lives of everyone easier and better. There are a number of ways that crops could be genetically modified to become more resilient to a number of things and generally improve their health. One of these ways is making them more resilient to drought and flooding, making them able to hold and store more water as well as make them more prone to not absorbing too much water is their is an abundance in the area. A second way would be making them more resistant to pesticides and the pests themselves. This would mean making the crops secrete something that would repel insects, and for the insects that can't be repealed it would mean making the crops more immune to pesticides so they could be used to keep the insects out while not poisoning the plant at the same time. Of course, with all that genetic modification there are many things that could go wrong with the process making the crops unsuitable or even poisonous to humans. One of these things is possible cross contamination, which means that there is a possibility that the crops could breed with each other and produce crops that have genetic instability or traits that weaken the crop itself. Some crops may even cross breed with weeds
What are genetically modified (GM) organisms? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called “modern biotechnology” or “gene technology”, sometimes also “recombinant DNA technology” or “genetic engineering”. It allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, also between nonrelated species. When a gene from one organism is purposely moved to improve or change another organism in a laboratory, the result is a genetically modified organism (GMO). It is also sometimes called "transgenic" for transfer of genes.