One of the most important issues facing the world today is a shortage of food and some think genetically modified foods are a possible solution. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

With the rapid increase in population resulting in the never ending demand for food, some section of people opine that genetically modified food is the answer, while others believe that it might actually be a curse for the masses and the environment. I assert that altering the gene make-up of plants, using biotechnology might prove more harmful than a boon to human race. This essay will discuss this issue using relevant examples to demonstrate points and support arguments. Firstly, from the economic perspective, GM food could be costly. Furthermore, pesticides and herbicides use increases. These pesticides are poisonous for the people as well as for the wild-life. For instance, in South America, pesticide spraying is causing serious health problems for the people as well as for other forms of life. Consequently, this might culminate into some chronic diseases or it might even lead to new diseases in the future generation. Secondly, long term effects of GM foods are still a matter of research. In addition, they might prove to be toxic to certain organisms, such as bees and butterflies. For example, a research has shown that bees, being an important pollinator of many food crops, might endanger their existence. Therefore, many developing countries across the world are moving towards ecological farming, which might be a better and safer way to feed the poor and hungry. To conclude, I believe that GM food does affect our health and well-being in spite of Food and Drug Administration claiming that they are safe. The claim of ending the world hunger is false, as it is not caused by shortage of food production but by sheer mismanagement and lack of access to food brought about by various social and political causes.