Genetically Modified food can produce greater crop yields (from World Vision)
01. Iron and Vitamins are useful for nourishment
For example, the GM banana project in Uganda was developed to fortify bananas with vitamin and mineral content to help mitigate the undernourishment and the diseases associated with it. Vitamin A and iron deficiencies are endemic in Uganda, affecting women and children. (Kikulwe, et al., 2008).
By developing a genetically modified bio-fortified banana, problems such as these can be addressed through consumption of these foods. This could be especially effective in rural and poor areas who do not have ready access to conventional foods with nutrition.
By developing a genetically modified bio-fortified banana, problems such as these can be addressed through consumption of these foods. This could be especially effective in rural and poor areas who do not have ready access to conventional foods with nutrition.
02. Genetically modified bananas are saving them from extinction.
A young banana plant affected by a disease.With bananas being devastated by fungal diseases which include Panama disease and black Sigatoka, the banana could be extinct within the next decade. (Meek, 2003) Current techniques dealing with this such as conventional cross breeding are limited in scope and effectiveness while GM breeding has the potential to be much more effective and broader in its defenses.
Over 90% of current variations of bananas are cuttings, or clones of natural mutant bananas which were discovered over 10,000 years ago, allowing bananas to grow sterile and without seeds.
Fungicides have been used, but have been ineffective against new strains of the disease causing the devastation of crops throughout the world, especially in the Amazon where crops have been almost wiped out. (Kikulwe, et al., 2008)
Over 90% of current variations of bananas are cuttings, or clones of natural mutant bananas which were discovered over 10,000 years ago, allowing bananas to grow sterile and without seeds.
Fungicides have been used, but have been ineffective against new strains of the disease causing the devastation of crops throughout the world, especially in the Amazon where crops have been almost wiped out. (Kikulwe, et al., 2008)
03. There are benefits to society through the food security it provides
Food security is an important issue in developing countries. Shown, a farmer dried corn in a village near Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Source: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Source: Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
With the growing world population expected to exceed over 9 billion people by 2020. Currently, in areas such as South Africa, where millions stand on the brink of the worst food crisis seen in the past 30 years, critical food shortages have been caused by a combination of complex factors such as drought, poor governance, debt, and inflation. Genetic modification of foods and organisms have the potential to succeed and solve these problems.
Yields from crops such as the banana are under serious threat due to several pests and diseases. (Kikulwe, et al., 2008).
For example, the conventional, non-GMO breeding of wheat has dealt with frost tolerance in wheat for over 40 years with minimal progress made. By ignoring these technologies, farmers would have to deal with another 40 years of frost risk, and could seriously harm the worldwide wheat production. (Tong, 2009).
An approach to deal with making our farming industry successful and strengthening the global economy would be to understand the risks that farmers undertake when growing crops. For example, there is a 50 percent chance of water stress when growing wheat in Australia (Tong, 2009). GM wheat is currently being developed to be resistant to such stresses.
Research in large scale multiplication and dissemination is being currently developed, and could increase global yield of foods exponentially, however, current empirical success is limited. Large scale multiplication of GM foods could be the solution to current world hunger issues. (Tong, 2009)
Yields from crops such as the banana are under serious threat due to several pests and diseases. (Kikulwe, et al., 2008).
For example, the conventional, non-GMO breeding of wheat has dealt with frost tolerance in wheat for over 40 years with minimal progress made. By ignoring these technologies, farmers would have to deal with another 40 years of frost risk, and could seriously harm the worldwide wheat production. (Tong, 2009).
An approach to deal with making our farming industry successful and strengthening the global economy would be to understand the risks that farmers undertake when growing crops. For example, there is a 50 percent chance of water stress when growing wheat in Australia (Tong, 2009). GM wheat is currently being developed to be resistant to such stresses.
Research in large scale multiplication and dissemination is being currently developed, and could increase global yield of foods exponentially, however, current empirical success is limited. Large scale multiplication of GM foods could be the solution to current world hunger issues. (Tong, 2009)