Our World

Gene Technology: a solution to world food supply and rural poverty?

Across the globe people are starving, getting sick, and dying by the millions due to hunger and poverty. That could all change with the introduction of gene technology to the rural areas of the world. By using science to alter the plant’s genetic make-up and allowing for more efficient farming of crops, many people could be saved from starvation. This is very wishful thinking; however it does have the possibility of working. It may take years, or even decades but it is a start.

The definition of gene technology is: any alteration of genetic material, as in agriculture, to make them capable of producing new substances or performing new functions; also called genetic engineering, genetic manipulation, gene splicing, gene technology, recombinant DNA technology

Positive and negative effects could result from gene technology but in my opinion the positive effects would greatly outweigh the negative ones. The positive effects are obvious; being less people would have the problem of starvation and hunger. Gene technology would increase the amount of food being produced, in order to keep up with the growing population. The negative effects could be unknown until after the fact, possibly leaving people sick.

I believe this is a good article that relates to previous discussed topics we've had in class about food production. In the perfect world, enough food would be produced to keep everybody healthy and well fed. Until then, scientists are attempting to come up with efficient ways of faster food production and gene technology seems to be on the top of the list.

http://www.kit.nl/smartsite.shtml?id=7182&ch=FAB

posted by Anonymous @ 10/10/2006 09:27:00 PM