The Importance of GMOs in the Future
Population growth, juxtaposed with limited resources, is exacerbating the global issue of food scarcity. Global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050, according to the United Nations, while the availability of food resources is decreasing. The only realistic and viable solution to mitigate the disproportionate ratio of our increasing population and decreasing resources is GMOs: genetically modified organisms.
GMOs refer to plants and animals genetically modified through a process of genetic engineering, during which a genome is altered in an attempt to derive a specific trait from an organism. In the process of altering traits, scientists can manipulate a number of factors that affect the growth and distribution of crops. For example, corn, one of the most widely produced and consumed GMOs, is modified to be more resistant to pests. Another such example of a GMO is plums, which are resistant to a virus specific to the fruit called the plum pox virus. Similarly, rice has been modified to be richer in vitamin and Coho Salmon are modified to mature quicker.
The manipulation and alteration of traits, not only facilitate crop growth, but also, help with the environment. Because modified crops are able to grow faster, less fertilizer is needed; consequently, fewer greenhouse gasses are released, helping the environment greatly. GMOs evidently bring various positive impacts - from expanding food resources to reducing greenhouse emissions - to our global community, and they are unquestionably a great innovation that will help the population thrive. Nonetheless, controversies surrounding the use of GMOs have hampered the much-needed wide implementation and distribution of the genetically modified products.
Easy access and wide availability of GMOs to consumers have raised health concerns. Many fear that the nature of genetic modification may cause detrimental side effects such as sterility or cancer. Not only have there been movements to ban GMOs, but also, there have been attempts to paint unreasonably negative images of these alternative food resources by exhibiting tomatoes with fish tails, claiming the “natural state of the product is not to be meddled with and nature ensures our wellbeing”. However, there has been sufficient scientific evidence that GMOs are safe to eat, and no risk of harm from eating modified organisms has ever been proven.
GMOs can be a double-edged sword just like most technological innovations have proven to be. As much as they benefit our food chains and ecosystem, they may risk our health. However, we are approaching a cul de sac where our resources are likely to be depleted. In order to sustain humanity, we need to seek alternative solutions. And GMOs, by far, are the only option.
