Preview

Sci 207

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1819 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sci 207
Is genetic engineering the answer to ending global hunger?
SCI 207
March 23, 2013

Hunger is one of the root causes to poverty due to the exponential growth of the human population. The effects of hunger are diverse and have a negative effect on the growth and life span of a person. Scientists believe that they can help alleviate hunger problems through alteration and modification of genes in foods. The research in this paper will give the pros and cons of GM foods and help answer the following questions that revolve around if society needs genetically modified foods to end global hunger, what are the negative and positive effects of preventing global hunger, what heath issues have been linked to genetic engineered foods, what are the benefits and concerns of genetic engineering foods and what effects genetically modified foods have on the environment.
Does society needs to genetically modified food to end global hunger issues? “Genetic Engineering is a field in biotechnology that genetically modifies organisms to add value or quantity to plants and animals.” Too many people in the world suffer from hunger or malnutrition. It is important to realize that genetic engineering is a tool that has greatly affected agriculture and will continue to bring dramatic advances in crop and animal production. By being able to harvest plants that have a cycle of once a year, farmers are able to now harvest multiply times in a growth cycle. “Biotechnology has improved the quality of food, feed, and fiber, and it often lowers production costs and provides for a safer farm environment.” (Spears, 2011)
While there are some promising aspects to possible improvement in the quality of the food supply for both livestock and humans through genetic engineering, but there is little hope of using it as a solution to end world hunger. The world hunger crisis has more to do with economics and politics than supply and production. Society seems to realize that investment’s in agriculture



References: Dr Abu Bakar, A. M. (1999, Jun 05). Pros and cons of genetically-modified food. New Straits Times. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/266446020?accountid=32521 Global Research Center for research on Globalization Robbins, John, (2002) Are Genetically Altered Foods The Answer to World Hunger? Earth Island Journal, Winter Edition Ruse, M. (2011). Genetically Modified Foods: Debating Biotechnology. Prometheus books Spears, J.F. (2011) BiotechKnowlogy, Genetic Engineering of Food, Feed, and Fiber: Understanding Genetic Engineering. Retrieved from: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/crops/ag546-1/_world_hunger/ Reference Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, (2011) Genetically Engineered Animals. Retrieved from: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/Genetic Engineering/GeneticallyEngineeredAnimals/default.htm

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    So this study aims to explain and give more understanding to the pros and cons of the genetically modified organism. It also aims to answer the questions; 1) What are the impacts of genetically modified organisms to human health and the environment. Is it safe or risky? And 2) Can GMOs be safe and useful in achieving sustainable…

    • 480 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Many opponents of genetically modified foods doubt the safety of those artificial foods. They are the products of people’s intelligence and creativeness, but compared to the eternal law of the nature, human knowledge is not always right. People make mistakes, and sometimes they do not notice about these mistakes until the problems arise. Though developers and manufacturers make sure that there are various advantages of consuming genetically modified foods, due to the potential genetic defects or problems in these foods, they may still damage humans' bodies and undermine the environment. Regarding their benefits such as variation of food choice and the decrease of the cost of food production, genetically modified foods do bring improvements to our…

    • 1154 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic engineering has been a useful technique to change the characteristic of crops. Through genetic modification, favorable traits such as resilience and resistance to insects can be amplified within a species. In some areas of the planet, this sort of experimentation has been the difference between fruitful harvests and starvation. Some areas are so dry and desolate that citizens have struggled to provide adequate food for survival. Genetically engineering crops has allowed people to grow food in areas that were otherwise barren.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Creon In Antigone

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Antigone is a tragic play wrote by Sophocles about the conflicts between family members. Oedipus the king of Thebes and his wife both killed themselves due to a mistake that they made in the past. After Oedipus died his two son Polyneices and Eteocles killed each other to see who will be the next king. Both die and Creon, Oedipus’s brother in law, is the next in line to became king. The first law that Creon made since he became king is no one is allow to bury Polyneices body because he is a traitor to Thebes. Anyone who buries Polyneices will die. This law has everyone involved in suffered greatly. Creon has suffered enough for his actions and the Thebens people should not punish him any further.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Thus, it is very hard to popularize GM food globally. In order to solve the global hunger, we need to think about other solutions like protect the cultivated land and develop the techniques of pest control instead of developing GM foods. After all, growing GM food is not the only way to get rid off global…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetic modified foods can be very beneficial to farmers who have loss crops from pests and insects that eat them. Originally farmers used chemical pesticide annually to kill pests however; they found that consumers would not eat the food as it was a health hazard. Also it had harmed the environment as the pesticide would poison the water supply. By having genetically modifying crops food can be protected from insects and pests. Bacillus thuringiensis(BT) Corn is an example of a genetically modified crop, which contains delta endotoxins and when insects are exposed to this the toxins will paralyse the insect’s digestive system and kill it. Hence GM foods can be very beneficial as the production of agriculture will be less damaged.…

    • 852 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Gm Foods Persuasive Essay

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Food shortage, world hunger, an starvation have been a big problem for the world. Scientist are trying to grab a hold of these problems before matters get any worse. Food shortage, world hunger, and starvation are three reasons as to why scientists have decided to modify foods. GM foods are a new genetically modified way to "improve" crop production, but these new improvements are not as helpful as scientists planned them to be. GM foods should play no role in the global food supply because GM foods have no beneficial role within humans lives.…

    • 666 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Genetically Modified Organisms have become a scientific phenomenon in curing world hunger. Unfortunately, over one billion people fall victim to one of the world’s leading causes of death, malnourishment. Many critics believe that GMOs do not provide enough nutrients and “good stuff”, therefore they believe that many people consuming GMOs are in danger. Others say that GMOs can fix world hunger because they can produce hundreds of GM foods at a time. My side is to believe that GMO shouldn’t be used to solve the problem of world hunger.…

    • 758 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Pro Gmo Research Paper

    • 1512 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), an organism who’s DNA has been altered in such a way that it would be more beneficial, has garnered great debate as to whether or not it is harmful or if it will be the crop of the future. Many scientists believe that GMOs have the possibility to end world hunger as well as produce a higher density of crops which would result in less deforestation. This could lead to lower cost for, not only farmers, but the consumers as well. Secondly, the enhancing of certain genes will give the ability to plant crops in third world countries in which crops are very hard to maintain and keep alive. With the use of GMO seeds that are hardened for that specific environment, the ability to keep world hunger at a minimum…

    • 1512 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Assisted Suicide and euthanasia can be fought by two sides. For it or against it. No one can choose the decision for someone else. This research project will change opinions and maybe opinions will remain the same as before the paper was viewed. Euthanasia is a controversial topic and facts can come from either side, Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia are such controversial topics, which causes two sides of the story. Age-limits and specific guidelines should be modified for the sake of the people.…

    • 343 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The controversial issue of genetically modified foods, commonly known as GM’s, has only gained the attention of millions, since it became a prominent and highly debated global issue. Genetically modified foods are created when the genes of an organism are engineered and modified to create a new or enhanced version of that organism. The process of using different genes from different sources to genetically modify foods led to public outcry and sometimes, praise. People in support of genetically modified foods claims it will enhance the quality of the food, improve the food’s resistance to pests and other harmful elements, lower food costs, and also increase food security for the future. However, those opposed to genetically modified foods claim…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Enzyme Background Paper

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Morris J. Birnbaum, MD, PhD (2001, June 1) Loss of Enzyme Produces Diabetes-Like Symptoms. HHMI.…

    • 1069 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Gmo's

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Up until the 1980s’ people had to resort traditional methods of farming to improve their harvest, such as: breeding, using pesticides, and changing irrigation and/ or planting techniques. However since the 1980s’ scientist have been breaking biological boundaries with a technology called genetic modification. Genetic modification creates genetically modified organisms (GMO). According to Dr. Arne Holst-Jensen, “GMO is a living organism whose genetic composition has been altered by means of gene technology”. That means a piece of DNA and/or synthetic combination of smaller pieces of DNA are placed into the genome of organism being modified. GMOs have been used for pest control and disease resistance, to increase yield of crops, and to add extra nutritional value to food. Some are even manufactured to create their own antibiotics. Indeed genetic modification is a pyridine shift; however, GM (genetically modified) products should go back to the lab and stay there until the results show us that they are completely safe and helpful.…

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Gmo Persuasive Essay

    • 2205 Words
    • 9 Pages

    American agriculture is the world’s leader in production and also seems to be the envy of other countries. The reason why is because U.S. agri-business consistently produces more food on less land and at cheaper cost than the farmers of any other nation. When famine loomed in Mexico and southern Asia in the mid-20th century, agricultural crop researchers saved the day. Scientists at Mexico 's International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and the Philippines 's International Rice Research Institute came up with new, high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice that raised harvests and kept starvation at bay.(Dimick) Today as the population grows we need to look at new research again. This type of research may need to come in the form of genetically modified food production. The impact of GM food production will affect the world’s food supply.…

    • 2205 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are overwhelming arguments against genetically modified foods with justifiable reasons against adopting genetically modified foods on a large scale. For this reason, it is critical for all stakeholders to oppose faithfully any effort to try make it seem normal the production and consumption of genetically modified foods in the world. Also, it is important to have adequate legislation to govern the production and marketing of genetically modified food (Jaffe, 2001). In the meantime, the myths and facts of genetically modified foods can only be established precisely through time, experience and unbiased…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays