American Public University
Technological development is expected to provide a more comfortable life for people. However, there is no certain scientific proof that exhibits that technological development could assist us to solve poverty problem or any other social issue based on limited natural resources. The primary expectation is to substitute limited natural resources with capital and solve the satisfaction problem of people. In this paper, I will discuss two main issues with food production: conventional farming and genetically engineered food. Also, I will consider Malthus' law of population to indicate that even technological development cannot create desired conditions for a large world population.
The increasing world population is increasing demand for food, and the limited size of arable lands in the world is limiting maximum amount of agricultural production which is the primary resource for the food production. Also taking that agricultural production is mainly dependent on climate and other natural conditions, food production becomes volatile. The advanced technology in agricultural production enables producers to secure a certain amount of production and even increase the amount.
New technologies in the agricultural production bring us some advantages and disadvantages. Benefits can be classified under that following headings: 1-producing more insect resistant crops, 2-developing stronger crops, 3-increased amount of agricultural production, 3-developing new crops relatively better for ecological sustainability, 4-decreasing the adverse influence of climate change on the agricultural production, 5-increasing the nutritious effect of agricultural products, 6- decreasing use of pesticides, 7-increasing income for producers, 8-decline in the need of deforestation by substituting the soil, 9-decrease in food prices in general thanks to increasing amount of food reserves (Connect Us 2015).
Conventional agricultural production technologies were based on the exploitation of natural resources, and this approach caused large damages in nature. Most of the production lands were gained through deforestation. The sicknesses in the crops were used to be treated by using some pesticides those caused soil pollution. The pesticides also increased the resistance of some insects against the pesticide, and more soil-polluting pesticides were developed and used. This situation created a cycle of deterioration in the agricultural production, and it caused relatively more pollution in the soil and the natural water resources. Also, using pesticide has killed many naturally useful insects including bees. The most striking example of the death of the insects is bees, and the disappearance of bees is an important threat to the agricultural production. The bees are important for pollinating the plants, and the decrease in the number of bees is reducing the productivity of the agricultural production. Similarly, the number of worms has declined due to the extensive use of the pesticides. As a result of the conventional agricultural production implementation, the soil, and nature have had some damages.
Another important fact about the technology used in the food production is the genetic engineering. The genetically engineered food has been the subject of a lengthy discussion in the world between the scientists and the people. Some scientist believes that the genetic engineering would be the way to produce enough food for the increasing world population while some other scientists believe that the genetic engineering will create an unsustainable agricultural production. The genetically engineered food might cause the following adverse influences on our societies: 1-Allegic reactions developed in the human body because of eating genetically modified food, 2-not environmentally friendly agricultural production, 3-decreasing level of biodiversity, 4-decreased antibiotic efficacy, 5-unusal taste of food, 6-exploitation of natural resources because of genetic engineering technologies, and 7-new diseases due to consumption of genetically engineered food. Therefore, the genetic engineering in the food industry carries a high level of risk regarding individuals' health and nature conserving. Some scientists believe that the genetic engineering could be improved so that the adverse sides of the genetic engineering could be diminished to a certain level (Connect US 2015).
The Malthus’s law of population defines the maximum point of world population based on limited natural resources. According to this law, when the amount of food production is enough, the world population increases because wealthy and comfortable people are relatively more interested in reproducing. However, when the world population increases, the amount of produced food becomes less than the amount necessary, and then the world population decreases because people cannot feed themselves properly, and they get sick. According to Malthus, the world population has a maximum, and it is not possible to pass this maximum (Humphrey & Moroney, 1975).
The Malthusian theory has been tested by many different economists, and the findings indicate that the law works. However, if technological development could find a way to substitute natural resources by capital, and then it would be possible to increase relatively more food as independent of the limited natural resources. One might claim that the technological advancement after 1980 has accomplished this; however, we observe that new diseases have come to existence. Therefore, it is not possible to claim whether technology has solved the poverty or limited natural resources problem (Seth 2014).
References
Connect Us The Global Issues Blog, (2015). 27 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods. ConnectUS. Retrieved 1 July 2016, from http://connectusfund.org/27-big-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-genetically-modified-foods
Humphrey, D. & Moroney, J. (1975). Substitution among Capital, Labor, and Natural Resource Products in American Manufacturing. Journal Of Political Economy, 83(1), 57-82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/260306
Seth, T. (2014). Malthusian Theory of Population: Explained with its Criticism. Economics Discussion. Retrieved 1 July 2016, from http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/malthusian-theory-of-population-explained-with-its-criticism/1521
