A solution to global hungerLet’s face it! Every minute, life generally improves by leaps and bounds. Things that we used to think as science fiction now are pure reality. If someone from the 1800’s suddenly came back to life, he would think he is in heaven. All the lights, the vehicles, the super jets, the iPod, et cetera are advances that have made the earth look heavenly. We don’t have to envy aliens anymore; we can make our own gadgets. Unfortunately, poverty remains one area that is giving policy makers a hard time. Whereas population growth spirals out of control, food production is embarrassingly inconsistent. For this reason, the brightest of scientists have taken sleepless nights to discover ways on how to increase food production. Food that is not affected by pests, is long lasting and still equally nutritious. Like all aspects of our world, food too, has had a significant revolution. We shouldn’t think of it as a curse that people have found out artificial ways of making food, but rather be glad that at least more food will be available for the poorest family living deep down in the desert where a simple maize seed can’t mature. As expected, some people are skeptic about this whole idea of food engineering, saying that it is unnatural and that the food may cause adverse effects to the person who eats it. Let me ask you one question: Have you ever eaten some type of food and your body started to swell out of the blue? That means you are allergic to that food. So, indeed, natural food too does have adverse effects on some people who consume it. The doctors who are in the food engineering business are trying to make food better, not worse. By modifying the DNA of food crops, the properties that cause allergies are completely eliminated, meaning that, someone who loves beans but can’t have them because they swell every time they try eating beans, can now eat a bowlful. Many food crops take a long time before they reach maturity. During that time, they are prone to diseases, pest attacks and weather change. So, you can imagine how frustrated a farmer can get, after spending most of his mornings planting maize seeds, only to harvest nothing. A farmer can be assured of a good harvest after acquiring genetically modified seeds, which on top of growing faster than natural crops, are more resistant to pests, diseases and weather changes. The truth of the matter is; modified foods have been on the market since the early 1990s. Unlike some people who preach that this food is going to kill us, they should know that its main purpose is to reduce hunger in the world. Naturally grown food is simply not enough! As Jonathan Rauch, an American activist put it: “…world food output will need to at least double and possibly triple over the next several decades. If properly developed, disseminated, and used, genetically modified crops might well be the best hope the planet has got.” mugishaivan@yahoo.com
