Genetically Modified Organisms have gotten a lot of hate over the years. Since the first GMO made it to market in 1994, they have been vilified more than almost any technological advancement. And they really shouldn’t. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 88 percent of scientists consider GMOs safe to eat, versus 37 percent of Americans.
The big reason the public is so averse to GMOs is that they don’t know much about them. They sound unnatural, foreign, contaminated. Genetically Modified? No thank you, they say, I’ll stick with my ‘natural’ foods instead. However, ‘natural’ foods can be even more misleading.
People overlook that there are multiple ways to genetically modify crops that are all under the same label.These modification techniques vary tremendously, from the most damnable Montsanto Round-up Resistant crops which still require pesticides, to a Blight Resistant Potato that could help fix a $5 billion a year problem. When facts and statistics are lumped together, the worst ones tend to rise to the surface, while the positive ones tend to gain less attention. No one yells louder than someone with negative facts.
However people may be condemning potentially lifesaving technology before they have all the information. GMOs can be the catalyst for increased global food security.
According to an article published by the Public Library of Science, “On average GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37 percent, increased crop yields by 22 percent, and increased farmer profits by 68 percent…. Yield and profit gains are higher in developing countries than in developed countries.” This is exactly what the world needs to defend against food shortages.
By utilizing modifications that reduce susceptibility to disease, farmers can achieve higher yields. By modifying crops to make them inedible to insects, farmers can stop using pesticides. Without using pesticides, farmers can make more money off their crops, which in turn can result in a higher standard of living. By modifying crops to last longer in storage farmers can sell more of them and they can be kept longer, which, overall, results in more food for all--something we’re going to need even more in the near future. It’s something we already need.
The population of the planet is growing more quickly every day. Projections put the world population at around 9 billion by 2050. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, the world will require a 70 percent increase in food production to keep up with those sorts of numbers.
It’s difficult because the world already produces enough food to feed 10 billion people, it’s just not being allocated correctly. According to the Huffington Post, “the bulk of industrially-produced grain crops goes to biofuels and confined animal feedlots.”
Which is kind of humbling seeing as there are over a billion hungry people out there already. Genetic modification of crops could significantly reduce world hunger. Improvements in pest management alone could bring the number of chronically hungry down 30 percent, which is no small feat.
Right now 60 percent of fruits and vegetables don’t get eaten. This is due in part to poor collection techniques, small windows to harvest, transportation, and them simply going bad before people can eat them.
Potato bruising alone costs the industry at least $289 million annually. Earlier in 2015, after over a decade in development, Simplot’s Innate Potato received FDA approval. This potato doesn’t bruise or blacken as easily, is resistant to the Late Blight pathogens, and can be stored for longer. This is huge. Some of the biggest losses in the industry come from bruising during transportation. If that can be reduced, even marginally, the results will help people. And that’s what this is all really about isn’t it?
Advances in alternative forms of pest control and temperature mitigation are also getting better every day. The implementation of forms of Trichoderma, a genus of fungi found in soil, can make a huge difference in the life expectancy of crops. They form a symbiotic relationship with crops that can delay or prevent diseases, or increase the growth and yield of crops such as wheat.
People have demonized GMOs, slandered and condemned them, without knowing the whole truth. It’s time to stop and smell the genetically modified roses. Crops that last longer, can be harvested later, and those that resist disease are a way to step up and feed the countless hungry people in this world. It’s time to stop worrying, and love the GMO.
And go to TAKE ACTION NOW to call on world leaders to give everyone access to nutritious and affordable food.