Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
A GMO Position Paper
A GMO is a living substance that has its genetic make-up altered in a scientific laboratory. How it is created is the targeted injection of particular DNA into the nucleus of a cell, after which growth hormones are used to harness growth. Not exclusive to the development of plants, Genetically Modified Organisms are preferred medically to develop vaccines or disease-resistant yields. A brief history of GMOs would give Van Montagu and Mary Chilton acknowledgment of transferring tumor- resistant material from one plant to the other in the 1980s (Roberts, 62). Centuries ago, farmers used methods like a cross-pollination of different breeds to get the best produce. As a very controversial topic, GMOs are viewed as both the savior and villain of the rising instability of food production in the world (SELF, 1-2). This essay will weigh both sides of the GMO debate in the class position assigned to me before concluding.
Since the letter of my last name begins with an ‘L,’ this section will start with a position in support of GMOs. Agricultural safety is a concern for many developed and developing nations. According to the UN, up to 815 million people were on the brink of starvation in 2016 alone, with the numbers rising due to climatic changes, imperfect seeds, among others (Roberts, 63). For more than 80% of them, hunger is a result of the unreliability of the local food produce. Hence, there is a need to develop a procedure that would guarantee a bountiful harvest that is not prone to attack from pests or diseases. GMOs offer precisely that with targeted technology aimed to improve the efficiency of the seed’s survival plus a fast maturity rate (SELF, 3). Additionally, with the socio-economic benefits going up to a 37% reduction in pesticide use and increasing yield by 22% to generate more than $100 billion in profits by 2013, GMOs prove their worth in combating a dynamic of challenges (Raman, 199-203). With such a matrix, their benefits are clearly outlined.
On the other hand, arguments against the introduction of scientifically modified foods on the table give the facts of emerging nations being among the first experimental studies. While its benefits and advantages have clear statistics, there is a lack of points of their failure. The golden rice project is an example of such a project in which GMO technology promised to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency. It was met with resistance as it was to be sold to farmers in Pakistan. In this developing country, it suffers a considerable proportion of the 250,000 children who die from lack of β-carotene (Harmon, 1-2). Additional arguments involve the skepticism at the supposed high inputs of modified crops for a person to attain the nutritional benefit required. For the developing nations, this option may not be economically feasible despite the plentiful harvests expected. Lastly, the risk criteria in the transfer of equally harmful pathogens which may go undetected in a science lab may be too high to ignore (Vigani, 217). The arguments against GMOs are the overwhelming lack of evidence of failure in contrast to that praising its benefits.
In this assignment, I was assigned a pro-stance for GMOs. After the research done on this paper on their different perspectives, I agree with the benefits they promise. GMOs hold great promise of alleviating the struggles many farmers in less developed countries have. False advertising by the media and biased organizations has led to many erroneous beliefs of ‘poison’ being fed to us. However, I am not fully converted due to the lack of proprietary information related to the institutions associated with producing it. Articles by Harmon Amy and Vigani Mauro have led me to an informed decision of the cons of GMOs, but the other materials hold more weight. Science and technology are the future of the world’s food production; there needs to be more openness in talking about the effects with the involvement of stakeholders in the countries needing it the most.
Works Cited
Harmon, Amy. “Golden rice: lifesaver.” The New York Times 24 (2013).
Raman, Ruchir. “The impact of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in modern agriculture: A review.” GM crops & food 8.4 (2017): 195-208.
Roberts, Richard J. “The Nobel laureates’ campaign supporting GMOs.” Journal of Innovation & Knowledge 3.2 (2018): 61-65.
SELF. “Watch ‘Food Evolution’ and give yourself the chance to be wrong about GMOs by Yvette d’ Entremont.” SELF (18th July 2017): 1-2.
Vigani, Mauro. “17 The Role of Mass Media and Lobbies in the Formulation of GMO Regulations.” Genetically Modified Organisms in Developing Countries: Risk Analysis and Governance (2017): 200.