Ikenna Ike
Ikenna Ike- Are GM foods the solution to world hunger?
Food insecurity and world hunger are ongoing problems in developing nations. Crops that have been genetically modified (GM) and contain genes from several species may help to address the global food shortage. Even while there are still doubts regarding the advantages and universal acceptance of GM crops, it’s likely that they won’t be seen as an effective way to reduce global hunger.
Although there was immediate excitement, it is still unclear if GM crops will be beneficial.
Since genetically modified crops may not germinate, kill beneficial species, reduce soil fertility, and perhaps pass on insecticidal or virus-resistant genes to their wild cousins, it is crucial for developing nations to understand how they affect the environment.
The scientific community believes that increasing agricultural export revenues can aid in reducing food insecurity and hunger in developing nations. Even while crop types developed through biotechnology can increase yields, there are still challenges, and they cannot end the problem of hunger in underdeveloped countries (at least not by themselves).
With less fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticide use, biotechnology has the potential to be useful in agricultural applications like controlling animals, preserving commodities, and maintaining crop yields. However, the issue is how well we can apply biotechnology treatments.
Synthetic food alternatives are made available via biotechnology, which also advances traditional plant breeding methods. It is capable of satisfying consumer demand for sustainable agriculture when paired with cutting-edge agricultural technologies. More Green Revolutions might happen if GM crops give small and marginal farmers a competitive advantage.
12.6% of the world’s population suffers from malnutrition (or hunger, as most people know of it) and 854 million people, mostly in poor nations and notably children, are undernourished. The effects of illnesses like malaria and measles are made worse by this undernourishment. According to a recent analysis by the Food and Agriculture Organization, biotechnology may prove to be a vital tool in the global fight against hunger and poverty.
A lack of vitamin A affects roughly 140 million low-income children in 118 countries, primarily in Africa and South-East Asia, posing a public health risk. According to the World Health Organization, 250,000 to 500,000 vitamin A-deficient youngsters go blind each year, with half of them dying within a year. Three novel genes that generate provitamin A have been uncovered in golden rice by German and Swiss researchers. Because biotechnology businesses relinquished their patent rights, this rice is now widely available. This is one of hundreds of cutting-edge biotech products that benefit society’s health.
The private sector’s patent-protected monopoly on plant DNA has raised concerns about the technological environment. Large corporations now wield great power over plant genes, potentially affecting farmer income and food security. For example, Monsanto and AstraZeneca have stated that the "Terminator" seed-sterilization procedure would not be marketed. At least three dozen patents in the biotech industry govern seed germination or critical plant germination processes. This commercialization of plant genetic resources may jeopardize agricultural research in developing countries and harm the livelihoods of small farmers in Africa, Latin America, and Asia who rely on seed saved from previous harvests to sow the next.
IPR in biotechnological products and processes may be harmful to underdeveloped countries, since private and public organizations’ intellectual property rights make it difficult to apply biotechnology for crop species development without infringing on a patent. This makes it difficult to differentiate biotechnology potential from corporate incentives. As a result, emerging countries that do not invest in biotechnology risk falling behind in the future.
Biotechnology experts’ decisions need extensive investigation because they frequently possess unique skills and may require additional expertise to cope with the complicated issue of hunger and food security in poor countries.
Biotechnology provides significant prospects for developing countries, particularly in food security, poverty alleviation, and environmental conservation. Crops that are high-yielding and resistant to disease and pests can assist enhanced productivity and long-term livelihoods. India ranks fourth among 14 mega-biotech crop countries, with 7.6 million hectares. In India, five million farmers use Bt cotton, which defends itself against insects without the use of an external pesticide. This change resulted in a 31% increase in output, a 39% reduction in insecticide consumption, and a $250 revenue increase per hectare.
Advances in biotechnology have the potential to boost plant-based oil extraction by up to 90%. Plant oils, such as biodiesel, may face price and quality competition from oil, coal, and gas as the world’s hydrocarbon sources deplete.
As a final and important reflection, hunger is caused by unfairness, not a lack of food. Hunger is a result of unequal distribution of healthful food among impoverished areas. Armed conflict and natural disasters, for example, impede poor people’s access to nutritious food on political, environmental, and economic grounds. Meaning, the solution does not rely on making more food, but rather, distributing it better.