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Teacher: Mr. Francis TongTJC 2002 JC2 MCTGenetically modified foods will not solve the worlds hunger problem.Discuss.

Poverty. Civil unrest. Hunger. These are but a few of the problemsbeleaguering developing countries today. There are no easy solutionsto those problems: they are complex problems with a plethora ofcausative factors, requiring patience, political willpower andpersistence if they are to be solved. Hence, I do not believe thatgenetically modified foods are capable of solving the worlds hungerproblem, believing so would be oversimplifying the problem at hand.

There are several premises upon which genetically modified foods areassumed to solve the hunger problem, the main one being that poorfarmers genetically modified crops will be able to withstand the

ravages of nature and bring them income when sold. Another would bethat genetically modified foods can increase world food supply,hopefully providing more food to the poor and the starving. Thesebeliefs are inaccurate.

First of all, the genetically modified seeds are likely to be expensiveand thus out of the reach of the poor farmers in developing countries,where the problem of hunger is more pronounced and severe. If theyare unable to afford the seeds they will be unable to reap the benefitsof genetically modified seeds and boost their income from the sale ofthe genetically modified crops. Hence, genetically modified foods will

not solve the worlds hunger problem as they are not available to thosewho are beset with starvation.Of course, there are charities and non-profit organizations whichprovide those seeds to the needy farmers, making them no longer outof reach. However, as the saying goes: Give a man a fish and youfeed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for alifetime. A better solution to the hunger problem would not rely on thecharity of developed countries, which will not last forever.

Secondly, it is inaccurate to presume that the higher yields ofgenetically modified plants will increase food supply to the poor. It is

unchallenged that some genetically modified foods do have higheryields and do increase world food supply, but there are doubts as towhether the foods are suitable for consumption by the poor andwhether the increase in world food supply will lead to an increase infood supply for the starving specifically. The majority of geneticallymodified foods are made for industrial use by multinationalcorporations and not to feed the poor. Hence, although genetically

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modified foods do add to global food supply, they are highly unlikely toincrease the food supply for the poor.Furthermore, global consumption patterns are skewed, with the worldsrichest 5% consuming more than 20% of world food supplies.

Genetically modified foods are not a panacea simply because theworlds hunger problem is too complex. It is highly probable that theroot of problem is a political one, rather than a practical one. Thepeople who suffer from hunger are likely to be from developingcountries, where people have to feed themselves on mere cents a day.How can one satiate debilitating hunger on a few cents? Looking fromthis perspective, it would seem the worlds hunger problem originatedfrom an uncomfortably uneven global income distribution. A bettersolution might then be to create jobs for the people in developingcountries; they may be able to afford more food on higher incomesfrom improved job opportunities. Other policies to alleviate or solve the

worlds hunger problem could also include a living wage for workersin less developed countries: governments or human rightsorganisations could influence and pressure multinational corporationsto stop exploitation of workers, paying them enough for food anddecent housing. Companies like Knights Apparel have proved it to be aworkable business model, dispelling the notion that exploitation isrequired to keep businesses in the black. Governments could alsoprovide better education programmes for their people, improving theirqualifications for better jobs and provide the infrastructure required,such as better transport networks so that farmers can get their cropsto market more easily.

Having said that, it is unrealistic to expect that intervention byauthorities alone will solve the worlds hunger problem. Theindividuals moral authority must play a part too. It would be extremeto encourage boycotts of every company accused of exploitation, but itis possible for responsible consumers to favour products which areFair Trade. By agreeing to pay a few more dollars for Fair Tradeproducts, people may just influence errant corporations to pay livingwages with their money votes more than any government could.

In conclusion, genetically modified foods will not solve the

worlds hunger problem as it does not combat the main causes of it,which are political and moral in nature. Other policies and programmescould do better to improve the situation.

Yeo Ying Ying (9)CG 10/0921 August 2010