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There has been a notable increase in the global population in the last decade or so. Ever-growing population in turn also means huge demand for food, which is difficult to cater. Scientists and experts believe that genetically modified crops / foods offer a viable solution to this problem. I am a strong proponent for utilising genetically modified foods, to tackle the problem of starvation, especially in under-developed economies and would be highlighting some reasons for this choice.
GM foods are crops/ vegetables, whose DNA is genetically modified through genetic engineering. These are immune to external factors that affect the life of a crop like pests or other attacking organisms. Moreover, since these are genetically processed in laboratories, they have no dependency on weather, external environments for their growth. In a study by the WHO, it was formulated that every year about 20% of unnatural deaths ,around the globe occur due to hunger and malnourishment. With the introduction of GM foods, the world food production would increase at a rapid pace, solving the hunger crisis ,that is being experienced globally. Also, we can be certain that the shelf life of foods would be higher, leading to a substantial decrease in the food wastage numbers. With pesticides proven to be extremely harmful for the human body, it is imperative that governments across the world, move to GM alternatives which offer a fast producing and non-chemically treated, food consuming solution.
Some naysayers are of the opinion that these foods could pose a threat to the local farmers that depend on agriculture for their living. However, I throughly believe that the increase in the food demand is necessary to take steps in this direction and would eventually need both food options to co-exist.
To conclude, I hope we see a wider utilisation of GM foods and benefit from this wonder of genetic engineering , to eliminate the food supply and hunger problems, in the modern world.
