Among the many problems plaguing society today, one of the most prominent is hunger. Every day, all over the world, people are starving because there is not enough to eat. While one of the primary reasons for this is, they do not have enough money to afford food; the secondary issue is there simply is not enough food. Humans survive on livestock, natural, ad synthetic nourishment in order to survive. Those attempting to survive predominantly from crops experience the most hunger. Crops can suffer, and even die, for many reasons. Weather, pestilence, and even the pesticides designed to keep garden bugs at bay can all affect a crop’s likelihood to thrive and feed people. While there are many sources of food, this is one of the largest and most important. If there were more reliable ways to grow crops, it could be a solution to hunger. For this reason, I believe that more sustainable crops, such as genetically modified organisms, are the answer to the world’s hunger crisis.
Many people have a bad opinion about genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, because they are not viewed as a natural food source, according to “Genetically Modified Food: A Golden Opportunity? .” The statement is true, GMOs are technically not natural foods, organically grown as those you would buy at a farmers market or those you would grow in your own garden. These “unnatural” foods serve an important purpose when it comes to keeping people around the world alive. They are able to sustain more than natural foods because of their modifications. For example, genetically modified organisms are able to withstand harsher weather than regular crops . A regular crop of corn, wheat, or any other food would not withstand a drought, flood, or sudden cold snap. Harsh weather would most likely kill an average crop.
However, the genetically modified foods are able to live in even the most barren or drenched terrain. Not only does this make them apt candidates for creating more food to feed hungry people around the world, but it also has the potential to cut shipping costs of food. The cost of food will go down for people around the world. Those who need food the most will have easier, cheaper access to it. They will be able to grow it themselves without worrying about the rough environment they live in. “Framing GM Crops as a Food Security Solution,” state crops that are prepared to grow in deserts or swamplands mean crops that can be grown in Africa or remote parts of India, for instance . People in these regions suffer significantly due to hunger, but GM crops are sustainable, cheap, and have the power to help them.
Another problem solved by genetically modified crops, according to “Genetically Modified Crops Versus Agricultural Biodiversity” is the pestilence that often overtakes normal crops . Organic farmers are the only farmers who know the true plight of crops against pestilence, as they refuse to use harmful chemicals to get rid of any bugs that plague crops. They rely on traditionally natural methods to rid crops of pestilence. Unfortunately, these home remedies rarely result in a full yield that could feed more than a small town’s worth of people . Genetically modified crops, however, are impervious to attacks perpetrated against them by bugs of all kinds. Locusts, slugs, ladybugs, spiders, worms, and other unwanted creatures are no longer able to affect the crops growing because the genetic modification renders them unable to damage the food . Typical, natural crops are often damaged and even killed by pestilence because they have no ordinary defenses against nature. While many take issue with genetically modified crops, their modifications were necessary in order to create a sustainable food source.
There are more than just weather and pestilence fighting against naturally grown crops. Weeds, when left unchecked, can also choke a crop’s water supply, causing them to wilt and die. According to, “Preventing Hunger: Biotechnology is Key,” genetically modified crops do not experience this because they are stronger than any known weed strain in nature . According to Sven-Erik Jacobsen and his colleagues, weeds are the cause of the loss of nearly thirty-two percent of otherwise viable crops every year. Those who do not believe GMOs are a sustainable food source do not understand how many people the thirty-two percent of lost crops could feed; the answer is over four million Weeds and other unwanted vegetation have the power to choke the life out of crops that could otherwise feed hungry people around the world. Genetically modified crops are engineered to sustain these attacks, not only by being stronger than the opposing plant life, but sometimes by mutating with them. The genetically modified crops are able to block withstand any attempts made on water sources, but are also able to crossbreed with some types of weeds; in some cases this results in the crops gaining two water sources. The consequence of crossbreeding has been known to cause issues in surrounding ecosystems, but is easily remedied if the adjacent weeds are disposed of prior to growing crops.
Farmers committed to growing crops organically, or in a more natural manner argue against genetically modified crops because they believe they are bad for the planet. They also believe genetically modified crops are bad for human consumption. Much like any new product on the market, there are risks associated with genetically modified crops. For example, though they are resistant to the characteristic attacks from weeds, they are prone to hybridization in nature. This means the genetically modified crop can crossbreed with the weed. The consequence can mean nothing, or it can mean that genetically modified weeds would breed with the potential power to take down entire ecosystems from the ground up . The weeds, essentially, would take on the characteristics of the crop. They would be resistant to harsh climates, and pestilence would not kill them. Most importantly, typical herbicides would not harm these weeds in the same way that herbicides would not harm the genetically modified crops. The weeds would be unstoppable and could choke life out of everything around them, effectively growing out of control. While genetically modified crops may be sustainable, if they do in fact have the capacity to bring down entire ecosystems, they may not be worth it. Cursory studies have suggested genetically modified crops contain carcinogens, but nothing has been proven conclusively . Furthermore, the same farmers who argue against the scientific horror of genetically modified crops have no problem spraying their crops with harmful pesticides and weed repellants in an attempt to help their own crops succeed.
Though there are many differing opinions, the facts speak for themselves. The loss of crops from weeds alone each year is thirty-two percent. The food in those crops is enough to feed over four million people. If genetically modified crops were used, that percentage would not be lost and those individuals would not be hungry. Change is often difficult for people to accept, especially when it involves something they are putting into their bodies. Genetically modified crops are new, and relatively unnatural compared to the other crops we eat today. However, they are not unnatural when compared to the processed food we buy in boxes at the store, or the burgers we order from drive-thru stands when we are in too much of a rush to cook. If these food substitutes that do not even pretend to masquerade as natural food pass the test, why not genetically modified crops. A GMOs only purpose is to withstand the elements a natural crop cannot withstand in order to make it to a hungry individual’s dinner plate. Scientists and bioengineers have managed this feat, allowing us to use their technology to grow food in places and under conditions we never thought possible. Genetically modified crops may seem unnatural at first, but they are sustainable, and can be grown anywhere in the world without the use of pesticides. There may be some remaining issues concerning crossbreeding between GMOs and weeds, but beyond that, this sustainable food source is the world’s answer to hunger.
In sum, genetically modified crops are a sustainable food source that has a true capacity to help solve world hunger. Unlike typical crops, genetically modified crops are unaffected by harsh or unexpected weather patterns. GMOs are also engineered to be unaffected by the pestilence that can render entire crops useless. Moreover, genetically modified crops are also unaltered by weeds, which sometimes choke the life out of weaker crops. Their strength and diversity allows them to be grown in different areas, cutting costs of food and allowing different populations cheaper access to food. As with any new experiment, there are issues with the GMOs. For example, they have the potential to breed with weeds and disrupt ecosystems. However, this could be remedied by disposing of weeds surrounding the crops, rather than spraying the crops themselves with harmful chemicals. While genetically modified crops may not be viewed as natural as “normal” crops, they are not doused in harmful chemicals, and they are proven a sustainable food source that could solve hunger if given the chance.
References
Dibden, Jacqui, David Gibbs and Chris Cocklin. "Framing GM crops as a food security solution." Journal of Rural Studies (2013): 59-70. Article.
Jacobsen, Sven-Erik, et al. "Feeding the world: genetically modified crops versus agricultural biodiversity." Agronomy for Sustainable Development (2013): 651-662. Article.
Johnson, Susan. "Genetically Modified Food: A Golden Opportunity?" Sustainable Development Law and Policy (2014): 56-62. Article.
Juma, Calestous. "Preventing hunger: Biotechnology is key." Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science (2011): 471-472. Article.
