Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and their role in feeding the growing population

This research investigates the importance of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in feeding the growing population, and their relationship with global hunger. It discusses the potential harms of GMOs on human health and the environment, and the need to integrate new technologies to produce enough food for the expanding population. The report also highlights the history of GMOs, their benefits and limitations, and the challenges faced in fighting global hunger.

Biology
Teacher:
Name:
Claim: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) assist in feeding
the human population
Wordcount: 1363 words
Rationale
GMOs and genetically modified food will be an important element for feeding a worldwide
population that is anticipated to exceed 10 billion people by 2050, according to new research from the
World Resources Institute. The organisation warns that if we are to produce enough food for this
expanding population, we must accept and integrate new technologies, and GMOs are one such
technology that will have to be part of the answer. GMO crops and other genetic engineering
techniques are crucial to many of the solutions highlighted in the study, which was co-released by the
World Bank, the UN Development Program, and the UN Environment Program. Genetic manipulation
protected the Hawaiian papaya population from a fatal virus, according to the report, and it may be
able to preserve potatoes in Uganda, soybeans in Brazil, and tomatoes in Florida. (Stebbins 2019)
reserach questions
 what is GMO and its importance.
 What are the relationship between GMO and global hunger.
the study on genetically modified organisms is issue. It has become issue now because it is doing
harm to huamn health and also harmful for environment. As it has various harmful effects on human
body. After consumtion of genetically engineered foods can bring diseases in an individual and that
are immune to antibotics. As per many reseracher it is said that in food where GMO is present is
harmful for consumption. So might not be consumed. So that is why reserach is important on this
topic because many cournties still don't allow GMO food for consumption.
According to the other Yale National Initiative research, the world's current population is around 7.4
billion people. One billion of the 7.4 billion individuals are deemed chronically malnourished.By
2050, the world's population will have grown by at least 2.5 billion people, the majority of those will
live in areas where chronic malnutrition and famine are currently a concern. These two issues are
exacerbated by the fact that they are intertwined: more people need more food, more food needs more
productive land, more productive land is not accessible, more food is not available, and people grow
more malnourished or risk famine.
GMOs have proven promise in improving crop yields in strained areas, and they may be
critical in feeding the world's rising population. Nevertheless, many people are misinformed
about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their pros and cons. The enormity of the
global food problem, its interconnection with climate change, and the role GMOs may play in
addressing this issue must be understood by the next generation of voters, consumers, and
scientists. (Michael A. Doody 2018)

Both of the reports all stated that GMOs is an important technology in feeding the world’s
growing population. This propose the following research question:
“Will Genetically Modified Organisms able to solve one of the most
important problems in the worlds nowadays: world hunger”
Background
Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen collaborated to create the first successful genetically modified (GE)
organism in 1973, which was a huge advance in GMO technology. The United States Supreme Court
held in 1980 that General Electric scientists may patent microorganisms that were genetically
modified to break down crude oil and aid in oil spill mitigation. This judgment established legal
ownership rights over GMOs, incentivizing major corporations to produce GMO technologies that are
both useful and profitable. In 1987, the first field trials of genetically engineered agricultural crops
utilizing recombinant DNA technology began. Calgene's Flavr Savr tomato was the first food crop to
be certified for commercial cultivation by the US Department of Agriculture after five years of
intensive health and environmental testing. The FDA authorized ATryn, a medicine intended to treat a
rare blood clotting disease, as the first biological product generated by a GE animal in 2009.(Rangel
2015)
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are creatures that have had their genes changed by
genetically modified. Genetic engineering is the process of changing an organism's genetic make-up to

change its phenotypic. Simple mating or genetic recombination are the most common methods of
genetic engineering. (SPH n.d.)
According to GMOs answer, when modern scientists construct a genetic modification plant, they start
by choosing a desirable feature, such as insect resistance or the capacity to withstand drought. To
figure out how to produce a GMO with this desired characteristic, scientists must first look for those
genes in nature by looking for organisms that show the trait they wish to express in the genetically
modified plant, such as other microorganisms. The next step in the development process is to
transplant the desired gene into a crop plant after detecting a trait and isolating the specific gene or
genes that regulate it. (GMO answer 2015)
Only by choosing the strongest genes, isolating them, and transplanting the desired gene into a crop
plant can GMOs enhance crop quality.
Globally, 1.02 billion people are considered to be undernourished (FAO 2009). Hunger and
malnutrition are the underlying causes of approximately 6 million child deaths each year (FAO 2005),
making them one of the leading causes of human death.
Natural catastrophes, political and economic instability, high food costs, and supply shortages have all
contributed to temporary food insecurity in various nations. A short-term or temporary inability to
fulfill minimal food intake needs is known as transitory food insecurity. To prevent loss of life during
food shortages, these short-term variables often necessitate help (mainly external). Despite the fact

that international efforts have made a significant contribution to reducing hunger (particularly during
food emergencies), long-term factors such as high population growth, changing climate, limited
natural resources, and inadequate technology application are making it increasingly difficult to
overcome chronic food insecurity. These issues have raised major worries about the food production
line's capacity to fulfill global food demand and reduce the number of hungry people in the next
decades. (Nah & Chau 2010)
Potato is the GMO crop which genes are modified with the help of genetic engineering. The objective
behind modification are bringing pest resistance, tearing the chemicals produced by the plants and also
preventing browning of tubers. It is modified so that it can produce starches which can be used for
inductrial purpose.
Evidence
According to a National Geographic article, GM crops can help fight world hunger, but just improving
agricultural output or nutritional content (via any approach) will not tackle the bigger issue of food
disparity. They found that GM seeds are largely manufactured by a few major corporations that hold
the intellectual property rights to the genetic variants. A switch to GM crops would bring global food
production tighter to the operations of a few important corporations. From an economic viewpoint,
this creates the risk of a single-point failure, which might threaten long-term food security. If that
business ran out of money to invest, the crop it produces would be unavailable to the individuals who
rely on it. (National Geographic Society 2020)
Further
more, because data shows that natural disaster, population constraint and poverty is the major cause of
hunger, it is uncertain if these farmers would be able to sell their crops or utilize their earnings to buy
nutritious food in a conflict-ridden country. (National Geographic Society 2020)
In the supply-side strategy to solving global hunger, GM seeds play two functions. The first is to
enhance overall agricultural productivity (which may or may not involve food crops). The second
purpose of GM crops in the new supply-side strategy is to enable the development of more nutritious

and robust food crops in the face of changing environmental conditions (William G. Moseley 2017).
Farmers in wealthier nations are discovering that while GM crops might cut pesticide use, they don't
solve the problem of insect populations gaining resistance to pesticides (Tabashnik and others 2013).
Because the most frequently utilized GM crops are now controlled by corporate interests and their cost
tends to put them out of reach of the really impoverished in poorer countries. Furthermore, because of
the technology's nature, fresh seeds must be acquired every one to three years, making this a recurrent
cost. The majority of impoverished farming households lack the financial means to purchase these
seeds, or are deemed uncreditworthy for agricultural loans to do so. They won't try to utilize these
seeds to boost output while taking on the financial risk of a loan for a firm that is inherently risky, like
farming. (William G. Moseley 2017)
The data is collected in this report is in very systematic format. Data has been collected through
various websites and that after thorough reading those information is extracted and processed which
are related to GMO and helps to fulfil aim of report. As data is collected from authentic website so
there are few chances that data is uncertain. Data is displayed in numerical format by using tables and
charts. Diagrams are used so that information will look more attractive and also it will become easy to
interpret. Major limitation which is found in doing the report is are lack of time, money, resources,
sample selection, personal issues etc. As due to limited time and money complete information on
GMO has not been found and also it is not able to find out various challenges to fight global hunger. It
is also found that due to political and economic instability, food shortage are witnessed and that has
caused shortage in food supply and also created food insecurity. It can be also said that food insecurity
also occurs due to natural calamities like flood, earthquake, drought etc are causing huge loss to
people and needs of people at those situation are food and water. It can be said that this study is valid
because data is taken from authentic soruces. If talking about GMO crop potato, its genes are silenced.
It can be said that potato can gets damaged. Crop of potato can be altered so that they make low level
of acrylamide when it gets cooked. GMO potato is called as Simplot innate brand.
That is why reference list is also attached at the end of the report so to show that relevant and valid
information is taken while making this report. Validity and realiability of the study is also maintained
properly. For fulfilling validity aspect information is used as it is and no modification is made in
existing information. For the reliability aspect copyright and patented soruces are used for the
information. For investigation process evidence are very useful so that effective outcome can be
received. For collecting evidence various websites are referred. Reference are also attached as a
evidence so that it can prove that information is gathered from effective soruces. So there is less
chances that information would be wrong. If talking about quality of evidence than it can be said that
it is of good quality because autehntic sources are used. Data which is presented in the report are in
numerical and theory form both. The reason behind including both type of data in the report is to
increase its understandability. If theory will get supported by numbers than inpretation of report will
become easy. In order to get food in natural calamities it is very important that food should be stored
separately for such situation.
Evaluation
There is a scarcity of data on world hunger, and using GMOs to tackle such a large problem is a risky
proposition. However, because of the poverty in developing countries, GMOs are becoming more
difficult to get by farmers in these countries. Natural disasters are also a significant issue. GMO
technology can only increase food nutrition today, but it can't prevent natural disasters like droughts,
storms, or earthquakes. As GM crops are helpful in fighting world hunger so it is very important that

cultivation of such crops should be increased. If food issue have to be solved than only focusing on
nutritioanl content will not help but production of food has to be increased. Investigation can be
improved if reseracher will take care of the fact. Avoid such information which is single sourced. As
signle soruced information is considered as less relevant. Analysis should be done only fate carefully
reading the complete information. As with half read information proper analysis cannot be drawn. If
data is collected through interview than is to be make sure that interviewing skills should be good
which include confidence, communication skills etc.
Suggestions for imrpovement are-
lure longer stems: make sure that potato is not buried too deep rather it should be buried few inches
deep only. Patiently wait until it is come to surface and after that bury it again. Repeat the procedure
until it is on the surface.
Targeting soil fertility: fertility of soil plyas vital role. As potato extract nutrients while going deep
into soil. All essential stuff which is put on soil reaches to soil with the help of water and that is the
food for potato.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the claim that GMO will feed the world population is not properly invest, they lacks of
evidence prove that GMO will be the main source to feed growing population
There are also many reports stated that GMO is unable to end world hunger, a part is because GMOs
is technology that helps to improve the quality of the food and world hunger needs a wealthy problem
to solve. GM crops can be used to fight world hunger. This report has also focused on GMO and its
various implcations. Information of this report is valid because it is collected from valid sources.
Evidence of the information is also given in form of refernce list at the end of the report. In order to
improve hunger problem it is necessary to focus on various issues which is causing this problem.
Analysisng will make it easy to find out solution for the issue.
References
FAO 2005, Food Insecurity in the World, viewed 16 July 2021,
<http://www.fao.org/3/a0200e/a0200e.pdf>.
FAO 2009, “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2009,” Fao.org, viewed 15 July 2021,
<http://www.fao.org/3/i0876e/i0876e00.htm>.
Stebbins, M 2019, “How GMOs Can Help Us to Feed Our Growing Population | BIO,”
www.bio.org, viewed 12 July 2021, <https://www.bio.org/blogs/how-gmos-can-help-us-feed-
our-growing-population#:~:text=Improve%20crop%20breeding%20%2D%20the%20very>.
SPH “Genetically Modified Organisms,” sphweb.bumc.bu.edu, n.d.,viewed 12 July 2021,
<https://sphweb.bumc.bu.edu/otlt/MPH-Modules/PH/GMOs/GMOs_print.html>.
GMO answer 2015, “How Are GMOs Made and How Do They Work?,” GMO Answers,
viewed 12 July 2021, <https://gmoanswers.com/how-are-gmos-made-and-how-do-they-

work>.
Michael A. Doody 2018, “18.05.04: Feeding the World Using Genetically Modified
Organisms: A Survey of GMO Technology and its Impact on Agricultural Production,”
teachers.yale.edu, viewed 12 July 2021,
<https://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/viewer/initiative_18.05.04_u>.
National Geographic Society 2020, “Are Genetically Modified Crops the Answer to World
Hunger?,” National Geographic Society, viewed 15 July 2021,
<https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/are-genetically-modified-crops-answer-world-
hunger/>.
Nah, S-L & Chau, C-F 2010, “Issues and challenges in defeating world hunger,” Trends in
Food Science & Technology, vol. 21, no. 11, pp. 544–557.
William G. Moseley 2017, “A Risky Solution for the Wrong Problem: Why GMOs won’t
Feed the Hungry of the World,” viewed 17 July 2021,
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1111/gere.12259?
casa_token=Io15n66ReR0AAAAA:JFKJqJxH30BPCfwgC8NLyBcxsZFdeTNqdA2bst9Wf
WtX4B-Wy-ufRWS2UvG5CqlabSuJR4L6bbYd>.
Tabashnik, BE, Gassmann, AJ, Crowder, DW & Carriére, Y 2008, “Insect resistance to Bt
crops: evidence versus theory,” Nature Biotechnology, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 199–202.
Rangel, G 2015, “From Corgis to Corn: A Brief Look at the Long History of GMO
Technology,” Science in the News, viewed 18 July 2021,
<https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/from-corgis-to-corn-a-brief-look-at-the-long-
history-of-gmo-technology/>.