Statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 2012, one in eight people in the world is suffering from chronic undernourishment. This means that these people go for many days without food or without enough food to eat. Besides, even the little they can access to eat lack the essential nutrients, as it is mostly carbohydrates. The situation in not made any better by the widespread effects of climate change such as drought and high incidences of diseases and pests, reducing agricultural production. One way of addressing the issue is through widespread use of Genetically Modified Foods.

It would be important that we engage in this debate with sobriety, so that we do not curtail the benefits that those suffering from hunger and malnutrition across the world would gain from GM foods. Debate around this issue, has been dominated to a large extend by financial and political interests, rather than solid scientific facts. Unfortunately, it is the world’s poor who are bearing the brunt of such a sterile debate. It is therefore incumbent upon us to refocus this debate in the right direction.

GM foods could help combat effects of pests to agricultural production. In some countries, pests would drastically reduce production, leading to food insecurity. The only way of controlling pests is through application of pesticides, and amounts used increase gradually as pests develop resistance to the chemicals. This increases cost of production and leads to pollution of the water sources as the chemicals are washed into water sources such as oceans and rivers whenever it rains. Besides, the grains, fruits and vegetables produced may be harmful due to the effects of the chemicals to consumers. The best answer to this problem is the production of GM foods which are resistant to pests. This means that those farmers can realize improved yields without applying many tons of pesticides as used today. Besides, cost of producing food will drop, leading to food security across the world.

In most parts of the developing world, a good percentage of the population, especially children, suffer from malnutrition. This is because their diet mostly consists of carbohydrates, because fruits and vegetables, which can give them vitamins and proteins, are expensive and not easily available. GM foods can resolve this problem. The staple foods, such as rice which is cheap and therefore easily available, could be made more nutritious so as to supply the required proteins and vitamins. Besides, as we have seen earlier, GM foods are cheaper to produce than other conventional ways of agricultural production.

GM foods, unlike what many people think, are safe, cheap to produce and can dramatically increase crop yields. For instance, a growing body of research has helped to discount the long held view that genetically modified foods are not safe for human consumption. Now, there is a lot of research work that proves that indeed, genetically modified foods are good for consumption and should be encouraged. According to World Health Organization and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, GM foods are less risky to human health compared to crops produced through biotechnology.

In conclusion, GM foods are set to play a key role in alleviating the world’s hunger and malnutrition. Given that some of the world’s leading research institutions have given GM foods the green light, it is hoped that most countries of the world will begin to adopt growing GM foods for both human and animal consumption.

References

Feed A Child .(2013).The Current Challenge in South Africa. Retrieved November 12, 2013

from http://www.feedachild.co.za/?gclid=CPGDioTE3roCFS_KtAodkB4Aog

Food and Agriculture Organization(2012).The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012.

Retrieved November 12, 2013 from http://www.fao.org/docrep/016/i3027e/i3027e00.htm

Whitman, D. B. (2000).Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Retrieved November

12, 2013 http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php