Although many believe the claims that biotech companies are working towards ending world hunger, they are also worried about maximizing profit. Take a look at the Monsanto company, for example. John Robbins, author of “Genetically Modified Foods Are Not the Answer to World Hunger,” asserts, "Monsanto and the other biotech companies aren't developing these seeds with the intention of giving them away. If people can't afford to buy GM seeds, or if they can't afford the fertilizers, pesticides and water the seeds require, they'll be left out" (par. 11). Robbins is referring to the vast amounts of money biotech companies are spending to allegedly end world hunger. Upon further research, the development of these genetically modified seeds in other countries is next to impossible. Monsanto has been developing a variation of golden rice that has been genetically manipulated to contain more vitamin A. Robbins claims that approximately one million children die every year due to vitamin A deficiencies and over a quarter of a million go blind; Time Magazine believes that this golden rice is a godsend and will prevent the deaths of thousands of children (par. 2). In theory, the genetically modified golden rice would be the answer to curing vitamin A deficiency; however, there are flaws in this way of thinking. "It turns out that golden rice doesn't work, even in theory. Malnourished people are not able to absorb vitamin A in this form. Even if the golden rice was available to malnourished children, they would have to consume more than 27 bowls a day to receive the minimum requirement of vitamin A (Robbins par. 10). While the vitamin A deficient children would receive minimal benefits from consuming the golden rice, those benefits would not be nearly enough to cure the deficiency. Along with the impossibility of curing vitamin A deficiencies, producing golden rice in impoverished countries is equally impossible. The golden rice needs to grow in certain soil, must be sprayed with heavy pesticides, and requires large amounts of water--all of which are not available to farmers in poverty stricken countries. Robbins proves this point when he states, "we've learned that golden rice will not grow in the kinds of soil that it must to be of value to the world's hungry" (par. 9). Yes, biotech companies like Monsanto are creating genetically modified seeds solely to increase profit, but the reason behind the creation is one of importance in regards to the advancement of agriculture around the world.
Argument
Manipulating seed genetics not only helps the soil tolerance and climate volatility, but it also helps solve problems like vitamin deficiency. While the reasoning behind Monsanto’s genetically modified seeds is corrupt, the genetic manipulation of adding vitamin A is a step in the right direction regarding the future of GMOs. Similar to adding vitamin A to the golden rice, scientists can genetically modify crops and increase the amounts of nutrients in a seed. "These include boosting nutrient density of staple crops for the poor, enhancing crop resilience to climatic extremes, and equipping subsistence farmers in the developing world with cash crops" (Sexton and Zilberman par. 7).Not only will genetically modified seeds allow scientists to enrich seeds with more nutrients, they will also increase drought tolerance and disease resistance (Lynas par. 21). Therefore, by manipulating the genetics of a seed, GMOs allow scientists to add nutrients to a seed as well as aid in preserving soil and drought resistance. Along with adding nutrients to seeds, the general public must understand one simple yet extremely important factor regarding world hunger: an increasing population. Van Montagu later expresses, "Between now and 2050, global population will rise by about one-third, to 9.6 billion from 7.2 billion, reducing arable land per capita[;] about 870 million people are already suffering from hunger and malnutrition" (par. 5). It was previously mentioned that GMOs allow farmers to produce higher yields on less land; this is important because the world population will continue to grow, resulting in less farm land. How will farmers continue to feed the already hungry world if they are losing farmland? GMOs are the only logical answer. Not only do GMOs produce more product, but scientists can also manipulate seeds to decrease browning. Genetically modifying seeds in order to make them last longer would help alleviate the amount of food that goes to waste. Shanley Chien, author of “Genetically Modified Food Is Healthy,” says that “Approximately 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes to waste as it passes through the food supply chain" (par.22). As a world that suffers greatly from hunger and malnutrition, the percentage of food that goes to waste is absurd. How often does the fruit on the counter go bad? How frequently does one throw away expired food? The answers to these questions are not something that anyone should be proud of. However, there is a solution; the amount of food that goes to waste in the nation can be decreased by the use of GMOs. With world hunger on the rise, it is imperative that farmers use GMOs to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in order to feed the hungry by modifying seeds to last longer once harvested.