Essays on Herbicides

Herbicides play a significant role in ensuring healthy growth of plants. In Canada, approximately seventy herbicides are utilized in the forestry sector. They have been used since the nineteen forties. The herbicides assisted in rapid clearance of weeds leading to increased production in the forest sector. However, utilization of these herbicides has adverse effects on wildlife and environment. It is essential to ensure these effects are minimized. This paper gives a summary on the utilization of glyphosate herbicide (Vision). Additionally, it discusses various adverse effects resulting in its utilization. It also provides an examination of the benefits of herbicide ...

<< Name>> <<School>> <<Date>> Part 1: Based on the reports given for June to January quarters of 2016 and 2015, here are a few insights and recommendations on marketing inputs and strategy.

Global Breakout

In the overall context, the revenue per day has grown 9.066% from $96,976 to $105,768. The contribution of revenue from Domestic segment has increased by 9.98% while the International segment grew by only 2.4%. On a quarter to quarter growth basis, the JFM quarter revenue for 2016 is $66,119,977 and the April to June quarter ...

Abstract

Pinto bean is a popular plant in the United States and Mexico, so knowing how it grows is an important topic in the field of botany. One of the factors that influence plant growth is the soil condition in which the seeds are planted on. Based from the many studies conducted on pinto bean, as well as soil condition and plant growth, the amount of water in the soil is an important factor in the quality and production rate of the plant. Lack of water can negatively impact the growth of pinto bean, but some varieties of the plant ...

Introduction

Human activity on the natural resources causes threats to the land sustainability either directly or indirectly. This paper examines soil erosion, genetically modified grains and overpopulation as the main threats to land sustainability.

Soil erosion and how it impacts the global food supply

Soil erosion is the washing away of the earth’s topsoil by agents such as wind and rainwater, and it occurs mainly due to human activities. Agriculture is the primary cause of soil erosion. When people clear natural vegetation to create framing fields, the topsoil is exposed to erosion agents such as the wind. Deforestation is also a leading contributor of soil erosion. As people cut ...

Define dilemma. Why is it a dilemma?

Genetically modified foods are the foods, genetic material of which has been artificially manipulated under the laboratory conditions through the process of genetic engineering (Rabesandratana, 2014). There is a growing evidence that connects genetically modified foods with environmental damage, health issues and violation of farmers’ rights and consumers’ rights. Countries like Japan, Australia and European Union have banned the production and selling of GM foods (Ho and Sirinathsinghji, 2013).

Two Extreme Viewpoints

The two extreme points about this dilemma reveal that on one hand genetically modified foods offer greater resistance to pests and viruses, have longer shelf life and possess better nutritional ...

In generic sense of the term, a "genetically modified organism" is a living organism whose genome has been altered artificially. This understanding includes all the possible ways of modifying the genetic information, from crosses method for genetic engineering tools. From a legislative point of view, a large number of countries and organizations use a more restrictive definition in reference to that specified in the Cartagena Protocol, which means "living modified organism" "any organization living with a novel combination of genetic material. " However, this definition is not universally recognized. Some countries, including the United States, do not make this use ...

Introduction

Silent Spring provides a documentary of the destructive effects of indiscriminate application of pesticides in the environment. Rachel Carson noted that the use of pesticides to control the increased insect population in the United States after WWII have a damaging effect to the environment. She was concerned about the destructive effect of pesticides in the environment and the human health, that she was spurned to conduct her own research. She teamed up with other scientists to gather concrete evidences that provided evidence on the detrimental impact of DDT and other pesticides. The evidences were used to substantiate and support ...

Agriculture is a major part of the United States economy. To increase food abundance, the United States has incorporated various biological and mechanical technologies and innovations. Some of this innovations include genetic engineering and green revolution. Genetic engineering popularly referred to just GE is the biological modification of an animal or plant genetic composition through artificial means. Genetic engineering mostly involves transfer of genes or specific characteristics from one plant or animal into another entirely different plant or animal. Green revolution on the other hand is the increase in capacity to produce food through use agricultural research, development and ...

Abstract

This is an advocacy letter on hormones in food. There is growing fear that presence of hormones in food can potentially cause harm in humans. Despite the continued reassurances from food manufacturers on the safety of the hormones in the food, consumers remain a worried lot. This has been occasioned by the food processing companies’ reluctance to publish the foods that have hormones. With hormone containing foods unlabeled, associations between the introduction of hormonal ingredients into the food supply and human illness present a difficult task to be systematically tested and causation conclusively established. This letter is targeted at ...

Introduction

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are arguably beneficial socioeconomically. However, there are rising concerns over the harm GMOs pose to the humans and their environment. The process of genetic modification entails altering the genetic composition of organisms to award them properties that are more desirable. According to Rifkin (17), the world is in transition toward a biotech age as illustrated by the advancement of GMOs. In the current society, the adoption of genetically engineered crops, such as soybeans, cotton, and corn, is widespread in the United States following two decades of concerns over consumer reception, and environmental and economic impact ( ...

An Assignment Submitted by

GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) are used for a wide range of different purposes: production of pharmaceutical drugs, experimental biology and medicine, and, of course, agriculture. The latter is the most controversial because it is directly connected to consumption. The most popular GM foods in US are corn and soybeans (Johnson & O’Connor, 2015). Corn is the most widespread GMO product in the world, but a very little part of it is sold on the cob. Large amounts of it are used to produce ingredients for different processed foods and drinks, especially corn syrup, rich in fructose, and corn starch. ...

My two-year crop rotation plan will include seed corn and soybeans. Soybeans will be planted in the first year on a virgin land followed by seed corn in the second year. The inclusion of a leguminous crop, like soybeans, in crop rotation, improves the soil fertility as well as the structure (Mohler and Johnson, 2009). Legumes releases nitrogen to the soil, which will reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed for the sweet corn in the following year (Griffin, Liebman, and Jemison, 2000). These crops will be planted in North Carolina.

Soybeans

The soybean cultivar to be planted is Envy, ...

This paper critiques the film King Corn based on specified prompts

Overview King Corn is a very insightful movie, which focuses on the crop species, corn. The makers of the film, two university students, embark on a journey to ascertain what they had discovered from a laboratory test. The filmmakers, while at the university had a test of the human hair to find out its composition. To their surprise, they found out that the main component of the human hair was corn. This was something that bewildered most other students at the university. Consequently, they embarked on a journey to their ancestral land in the state of Iowa. While at ...

Introduction

Genetically Modified Cotton (GM Cotton) is one in which biotechnology has been applied to come up with transgenic or altered and desirable traits such as increased pest resistance. Approximately 25 million hectares have been put under cotton around the world especially in China, India, US, and Pakistan. GM cotton has been engineered to address two major issues. The first one is ability to resist glycophosate-based herbicides and the second issue is the ability to produce a toxin that kills bollworms which is a primary destroyer of the crop (Eyhorn, 2007). There are controversies regarding the benefits or disadvantages of ...

Introduction

The food system and the all the supply chain activities between production and the delivery of the food to the final consumer are dominated by very few corporations. The effect of this concentration of corporate entities in the food system is that the small farmer has been pushed out of business because of the mass production systems of the corporate farm owners. In the previous millennium, the sociology of agriculture was concerned about whether the family-owned farms would survive (World Congress of Rural Sociology & Bonanno, 2010). In an ideal situation, the food system should benefit from the activities of ...

Complete this teacher-scored portion of the Unit Test, and submit it to your teacher by the due date for full credit. (10 points) Explain the term Green Revolution, and describe both its intended and unintended outcomes. (Give at least two intended outcomes and two unintended outcomes.)

Answer:

Explain the term Green Revolution: Humans have experienced numerous revolutions that changed the way they live. Examples of such revolutions include the Industrial Revolution, American Revolution, and Green Revolution. The Green Revolution is a term that is widely used in reference to a set of developments, research, and initiatives of transferring technology which ...

Agricultural Biotechnology

The field of agricultural biotechnology is mainly a collection of scientific techniques that are used to improve plants, animals and microorganisms. Agricultural biotechnology has many environmental and social impacts. Scientists constantly work on developing solutions to increase agricultural productivity based on the understanding of DNA. As expected, the issues associated with agricultural biotechnology are complex and varied. The complexities of this field arise from the creation and management of science, the intellectual property rights, public and private research interactions, safety concerns, marketing of products and the economic factors influencing industries participating in agricultural biotechnology (Carpenter J, 2001). Different countries ...

In Big, Smart, and Green: A Revolutionary Vision for Modern Farmer, Keim explored the how Marsden Farm has revolutionized farming by combining the best aspects of two practices – organic and industrial farming – while addressing sustainability and food supply issues. This combination is called an alternative version of farming, which was described as “smart, green and powerful” (Keim). The goal of this alternative version of farming is to adopt practices in industrial farming to meet the target yield while eliminating the use of chemicals and avoiding the consequences of industrial farming on soil quality and yield. The alternative was a result ...

A gene is a DNA code that contains some accurate information that determines a particular characteristic in a given crop. Genetic modification of crop plants refers to the process by which a DNA from a different plant or animal is introduced to another plant. The new gene introduced leads to a permanent change in the genetic makeup of the cell to which the new DNA is introduced (Freedman, 2009). According to Chrispeels, Sadava and Chris peels (2003), there are several steps through which genetic modification of crops is done. The gene is first isolated from the plant or an animal containing it. This process ...

Introduction

General mills Inc. is a leading breakfast cereal companies in the world with brands such as Chex, Cocoa, Puffs, Kix, Trix, total and Cheerios. In addition to these, it produces other food lines such as betty Crocker dessert mixes, gold medal flour, Yoplait yogurt, pop secret microwave popcorn and nature valley granola bars. The company markets its products in over 90 countries worldwide (Chassy, et al). The company began to expand internationally in 1989 and has formed partners with cereal partners such as Nestle SA, a Swiss based food product giant. In 1993, general mills experienced slowdown in the core business ...

[Subject/Course] [Submission Date]

The term genetically-modified food is used for all the products that are “produced from organisms where their genetic structure has been adjusted or altered from that which would occur naturally” (“Genetically Modified Food”). In other words, genetically-modified food refers to the crop plants that are manufactured (to be consumed by animals or human beings) by employing the most up-to-date techniques of molecular biology. In the contemporary society, the introduction of the GMOs' cultivation and their circulation all over the world has turned out as a debatable topic in many countries. This controversy regarding the farming and ...

World hunger is an issue of increasing importance with today’s growing population. One question that has weighed heavily on the minds of agriculturalists, scientists, and public officials is how to feed all of these people. Many people starve to death every day all over the world. Some regions, like many in Africa, experience starvation as an everyday part of life. In an effort to remedy this issue, scientists began producing GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. Otherwise known, as super crops, GMOs were engineered specifically to help with the world’s hunger crisis. While there are many alleged benefits ...

TA ABSTRACT – Genetic engineering now has straight forward ecofriendly strategies to produce transformation in plasmids. The transformation process allows engineers to introduce DNa with specific desired capabilities into a host plasmid. In this way plants can be created that are able to resist a particular enemy or stressor without having to use toxics like herbicides and insecticides. The bacteria E. Coli was used to determine whether it can be made resistant to ampicillin or not. AmpR was integrated into the host cells and the tracer, GFP was used to identify expressed cells. The laboratory demonstrated that transformation by plasmids so ...

The world is constantly developing and growing. Similarly, the population of the world is increasing day by day. The elevation in population correspondingly increases the demand of resources and requirements needed by the people. Consequently, a scarcity in resources is observed due to this increase in population. The people eventually are left undernourished and suffer from malnutrition as the particular deficiency among the resources is found in the provision of adequate food to the people. Evidently, FAO 2014 has reported the number of people which is approximately 805 million who have been facing the insufficient food supply. Subsequently, the shortage ...

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 ...

Introduction

As defined by the Brundtland Commission, sustainability is a "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" (EPA 2014). Food production and consumption patterns and trends are one of the main contributing factors to environment pollution today. In the event of a growing global population and demographic change, the sustainability issues arising out of the food system are likely to turn more serious in the near future. It is expected that the economic prosperity and the growth of population will increase the demand for food beyond the natural capacity, ...

Genetically modified foods refer to crop plant-produced human and animal use using the new molecular biology methods. The plants are adapted in the laboratory to enhance them with desired traits such as improved nutrition content and increased resistance to herbicides. The enhancement of the desired traits was traditionally got through breeding. Conventional plant breeding techniques are time consuming and at times may lack accuracy. Genetic engineering produces plants that have the desired traits and are fast and very accurate. For instance, plant geneticists can separate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert it in a different plant. The new plant ...

- Explanations - Food miles and 100-mile diet A 100-mile diet refers to a diet that consists of foods raised and grown within 100 miles of a dinner table (Tancock). Usually, food travels some 1,500 miles before reaching the dinner table in North America (Tancock). The traveling miles are called “food miles” and affect the environment, quality of food and farming practices. Food miles increase carbon emissions through the numerous planes, boats, and trucks involved in the transport of food materials. In addition, food miles promote unsafe agricultural practices because the consumers are unlikely to visit the farms ...

- Key Facts - A lawsuit was filed in 1979 on behalf of veterans that were harmed by Agent Orange (chemical product). Monsanto agreed to settle for $180 million. - In 1987 Monsanto was found liable for failing to warn Missouri town residents about the risk of a 1979 chemical spill. The jury awarded plaintiffs $16.2 million in punitive damage. - Monsanto agreed to pay $1.5 million fine for bribing an Indonesian high official for bypassing an environmental study. - Criticism for Roundup Ready: Roundup Ready was a genetically modified soybean crop launched by the company in ...

Water Supplies in Sun Valley, AZ

Sun Valley is located in Arizona. It is situated along interstate 40. It is 31.56 square miles. Sun Valley has different water supply options. Some of these options are groundwater, surface water and reclaimed water. Groundwater is water found beneath the ground. They are usually in rocks and pores of the soil. Sun Valley is supplied by Arizona’s water supply. Groundwaters that supply Sun Valley are aquifers and wells. Main aquifers in Arizona are stream alluvial and basins fill. Ground water can also be sourced from sedimentary rock. Basin Fills are of three type’s namely carefree formation, ...

In different societies in the world, the argument whether to be or not be vegetarian has caused a lot of controversies. The problem in this essay is whether the human race should stop eating meat or whether this practice is morally and ethically acceptable. The main argument presented by vegetarian individuals is that the average human being should be able to survive on a vegetarian diet that the nutritional needs can be met without resorting eating meat. Vegetarians usually base their argument on the moral and ethical implications of eating animal meat and that animals are caused suffering in the quest ...

The Definition of Genetically Modified Food (GMF)

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that through the introduction of foreign genes genetic code given new properties. GMOs are divided into the following types: - Genetically modified organisms; - Genetically modified animals; - Genetically modified plants. Each animal and plant has thousands of different characters. For each feature meets certain gene, which is a small segment of the molecule of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). If you remove the gene responsible for the appearance of any sign, the sign itself and disappear, and if we introduce a new gene, the animal or plant there a new quality. ...

This essay will discuss about Genetically-Modified (GM) Foods or also known as genetically-engineered or transgenic food or Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMO). GMOs are “crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content”. Traditionally, enhancement of organisms’ genes has been done by humans through selective breeding which depends on nature . This selective breeding eventually evolved to systematic hybridization which involves the controlled transfer of genes within species and not between different species. Hybridization though ...

The ultimate nutritional value of any food is primarily dependent on its ability to support growth, reproduction and health over successive generations of humans or animals. Farming methods, as well as food preparation techniques, have a significant influence on the nutritional value of food. Some farming methods and food preparation techniques lead to the production of highly nutritious foods while others lead to the production of foods that are not relatively nutritious (Boland et al., 2000). One of the most popular farming methods currently is organic farming. This farming method mainly relies on green manure, compost, crop rotation, mechanical ...

Meat industry has been in the past few years experienced much growth as more people embrace the idea of incorporating meat into their diet. This growth is expected to continue growing more in the future as the population increases. This is driven by the fact that as the population grows, there is more demand for animal products, and a large proportion of the population become affluent. Beef is mostly liked for it is one of the most readily available sources of protein and is available on most parts of the world if not on all parts. As the meat ...

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2010-2012, from the total of about seven billion people living on Earth, there are approximately 870 million people that suffer from hunger (FAO). That means that one in eight people are undernourished, which is a worrying and sad fact at the same time. One in three children in developing countries, suffer from poor nutrition, representing about 33 percent of the overall population of developing countries (de Onis et.al). The vast majority of those undernourished live in developing countries; in other words, a fourth of the population in developing countries is ...

The World Health Organization defines genetically modified foods (GMO) as “organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally”. It involves technology often referred to as gene technology, modern biotechnology or genetic engineering. The process allows for selective transfer of genes from one organism to another. The transfer of genes can be done between organisms of the same species or of different species. Genetic engineering has been practiced for many years. We often hear of cases where a specific gene is selected from an animal or plant and introduced into a different organism ...

Introduction: A documentary film titled Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives, declares GMO or Genetically Modified Organism food as the most dangerous threat that human beings are facing today. Likewise, a headline in Pravda newspaper criticizing the decision to broaden GMO agriculture in Russia, reads "Russians are proud to poison themselves with GM food from their own land" (Caplan, 2013). This is how notorious GMOs are known worldwide in this generation, and anti-GMO groups have been formed to get rid of them in the market. But how true is it that GMOs are killers when there are also advocates ...

Providing an example to some specific cultural practices that exists within different communities in the world, we can immediately associate the kind of the meal each community consumes with their cultural practices. Cultivated rice can be referred as one of the distinguished developments in pre-historic and historic time. There has been a fierce debate for quite some time over the original producer of rice. In the recent days, there has been evidence that suggests Oryza Sativa rice was first adopted from a specific community around the middle area of the Pearl River in southern China. This breed of rice was first ...

Genetically modified foods come from organisms whose genetic properties have changed. The foods do not occur naturally. The genetic foods stem from plants in most cases but other foods are from genetically modified microorganisms and genetically modified animals. The genetically modified crops have resistance to plant diseases and a high tolerance to herbicides. The crops have high yields compared to the naturally existing plants. Another purpose of human-made genetic recombination in food is to reduce the time taken by the plant from the time of planting to harvest. The use of the foods arising from this genetic combination is ...

Health Effects if Ingesting GMO’S

Genetically modified organisms have been evaluated in terms of the risks they pose to the environment over the past years. This has been done by comparing the dangers identified and exposed estimates to give a decision to the agencies that regulate these products. Assessing the harsh effects of a GMO on the environment remains one of the key controversies to decisions makers and institutions that assess risks as well as scientists. The Society of Toxicology is among the institutions that have dedicated their objectives to protect and improve health in humans, animals as well as the environment. They give their stand ...

Biotechnology has had a lot success in the world over, but with an equal measure of opposition that has continued to derail its full blown application in the food production. The application of biotechnology has found its way in the genetic modification to attain high productivity by organisms as well as resistance to diseases and pests that would have otherwise derailed its potential harvest from the farm. Genetic modification is called genetic engineering where a gene from one plant is transplanted from one crop/organism to another which would otherwise have not occurred naturally. This result in a genetically modified organism (GMO) and ...

Introduction

In order to fulfill the food demands of the fast growing population of the world, a faster process of producing crops with enhanced desirable traits has replaced the conventional production. Since conventional plant breeding is a time consuming affair, genetic engineering technology has been put to use for producing plants with enhanced amount of nutritional content and increased resistance to herbicides and pests. Though genetically modified or genetically engineered foods have certain benefits, in recent years a great many side effects of these foods have come to the forefront. In the wake of the health issues and environmental hazards caused by GM ...

Introduction

There has been a raging debate on the existence of genetically modified foods. Proponents of the genetic modified foods base their argument on the increasing population and the need to have food sufficiency. There are many advantages fronted by these proponents as to why genetically modified foods should be encouraged. Genetically modified foods are pest resistant. Therefore, they can withstand attacks from pests. In this regard, genetically modified foods shield farmers from possible financial losses that would be occasioned by pest attacks. Consumers, on the other hand, do not wish to eat food treated by pesticides due to the associated ...

A pesticide is a contraction that is used to describe various agents, which are categorized based on their ability to kill living beings. These include herbicides, insecticides, as well as fungicides. Even though the utilization of pesticides has duplicated each ten years from 1945, pest destruction to crops is more widespread now than it used to be. Several pests are now resistant to pesticide because of the omnipresent pesticides’ presence in the environment. Residues of chlorinated pesticide are there in the soil, air, and water, with a co-occurrence presence in human beings. Carbamate as well as Organophosphate pesticides, the compounds that ...

The use of genetically modified foods has been a controversial topic for many years. There are several potential benefits to their utilization, but some negative aspects as well. The negative aspects have been discussed earlier in this paper. There are potential human health and environmental costs to utilizing genetically modified (GM) crops. Benefits, however, may outweigh the risks. The use of genetically modified crops has provided food security, especially to developing nations. GM crops have also made food production more cost effective by reducing the amount of crop loss due to pests and weeds.

Cost Effectiveness

The use of GM crops has ...

Introduction

The researcher will base the arguments on the works of three authors, Farrell, Tony with “The “Frankenfoods” Phenomenon” which was published in Vegetarian Times, Saunders, Doug with “ 'Frankenfoods' have moved on. When will opponents?” published in Biotechnology, and Shelton, Deborah with “Frankenfoods: Do you know what your meals are made of?” published in Essence. The researcher will dwell on the validity of genetically modified foods (GMO).

Synthesis

Biotechnology has had a lot success in the world over, but with an equal measure of opposition that has continued to derail its full blown application in the food production. The application of biotechnology ...

Abstract

Genetically modified organisms have large impact on our environment. Although there is not much proved evidence against it but still the amount of evidence available is enough to discuss it with its implications. GMO crops affect nearly crops by gene follow which could be minimized to some extant will the help of designing separate places for different crops. GMO also effect natural cycle of nitrogen and Carbone reproduction. GMO crops could be a risk in long time that it could alter some properties in human DNA. Steps should be taken by government and other organizations to minimize its effects to ...

- What are GM foods? Genetically modified foods are derived from genetic engineering of various organisms. Unlike mutagenesis which results in non-specific alterations of the DNA, genetic engineering results in precise changes to the DNA component in an organism. The sale of GM foods commenced in 1994, and the first GM food to be sold was a tomato that was genetically engineered to ripen at a slower rate (International Food Council 125). Genetically modified foods are mainly derived from transgenic plants. These plants are derived from artificially inserting genes into them which alters their DNA composition. The inserted gene, ...

According to Mit.edu (Para 1), man has modified the nature of agricultural organisms for thousands of years. However, the growth in technology has driven this to a higher level where man has derived ways of using the recombinant DNA technology. This technology allows scientists to genetically engineer the genetic composition of an organism by inserting DNAs into the genomes of organisms, especially plants. This leads to the creation of new species which have the desired traits. Of course, there are both the positive and negative effects of this technology and each has won a good share of supporters. The proponents of ...

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF APPENDICES LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature review 2.1 Definition of GM products and foods. 2.2 Historical development of GM Foods. 2.2.1 Bioengineering and agriculture. 2.2.2 Biopharming. 2.3 GM food regulation and legislation

2.3.1 Production regulations

2.3.2 Import regulations

2.3.3 Labeling requirements 2.3.3.1 Article 8 Regulation (EC) 258/97. 2.3.3.2 Regulation (EC) No 1830/2003: Traceability and labeling. 2.3.3.2.1 “May contain GMO” labels. 2.3.3.2.2 “Does not contain GMO” labels 2.4 Risk assessment of GM ...

1. Introduction

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2010), nearly one billion people suffered from hunger in 2010, representing nearly 16% of the population of developing countries. At the same time, the world population is growing and global warming threatens the production of crops. Profound changes are needed in the way that food production and food consumption are perceived, or the world may face mass starvation. Genetically modified (GM) technology has been found capable of feeding the world but there are concerns regarding its safety (Moseley 2002, Carpenter 2010). Consumer acceptance of GM foods in the ...

1. Introduction

1.1 Perception of GM foods in the UK According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2010), nearly one billion people suffered from hunger in 2010, representing nearly 16% of the population of developing countries. At the same time, the world population is growing and global warming threatens the production of crops. Profound changes are needed in the way that food production and food consumption are perceived, or the world may face mass starvation. Genetically modified (GM) technology has been found capable of feeding the world but there are concerns regarding its safety (Moseley 2002, ...

Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)

GMFs are foods whose DNA has been manipulated by scientists to change the essential genetic constitution of plants and animals (Mather, 2012). This modification involves inserting genetic material from one species into another one so as to give it desired characteristics like pest resistance and resistance to herbicides. The use of GMFs is highly controversial; while they are accepted in countries like the United States, they cannot be sold in Australia and the European Union without labeling, and are banned in Egypt, Japan, and Ireland (Mather, 2012). Proponents of GM foods cite several reasons to advance their cause. ...

Ethical behaviors of Syngenta

This report aims at revealing the unethical business practices of Syngenta, the world largest agrochemical corporation. It provides a detailed background of the ethical violation by the company, the ethical concepts that were violated in the agrochemical industry, and gives recommendations on what the company could have done to remedy the situation.

Section 1: Background of the ethics violation

Syngenta is the world’s largest producer of pesticides. The Swizz based company is also the third largest producer of seed in the world. It generates more than 75% of its revenue from pesticides. Some of its common agrochemical products that are sold in various countries across the ...

Forty years before the their immersion in Afghanistan, America had faced a similar problem in the Vietnam jungles. They urgently needed to find a way of counteracting the enemy’s capacity to hide from weapons while living off the land. They decided to use Agent Orange, a herbicide designed to kill the forests that were sheltering the enemy. However, this decision was arguably one of the worst that were made throughout the course of the war. The herbicide proved to be a cause of cancer (cancer). Moreover, even today, children are being born with defects and illnesses as effect of the use of ...