This essay discusses the scientific, economic and social implications of genetically modified food to feed a hungry world.
The paper begins with a discussion of severe arable land degradation and how genetic modification works. Various methods of genetic modification methods are provided, with references from scientific sources. The essay moves on to discuss impact of genetic engineering on maize gene pool and possible scenarios. Also mentioned is the down side of engineering plants to produce pesticides. Various fears of unknown effects from GMO are stated with case studies. Lastly, the essay addresses ethical and political reasons for and against GMO.
“Food is a crucial factor in supporting life on earth, but with the extremely fast rates of population growth, many wonder how long will it be before human consumption exceeds food production. Already, erosion and nutrient depletion has taken its toil on food production, with nearly 40 percent of the world’s arable land seriously degraded (Robbins, 2001). In the early 1990s, a new science called Genetic Engineering came up with a possible solution.”