The promise of GMOs is to end world hunger by being able to produce even more food to feed the world. However, not growing enough food doesn’t really seem to be the problem. Looking deeper, the problem seems to be more with our system of distribution and how we allow access to the food we already produce.
 |
| Preparing my demonstration field in Zambia with a ripper instead of a traditional plow. |
In the 1970's, the developed ‘first world’ unleashed a new
agricultural development agenda upon the developing ‘third world.’ It was
supposed to end world hunger and eliminate poverty by replacing small traditional
farming practices with modern industrial agriculture; creating dependency upon
big machines and petroleum based fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and commercially
produced seeds. It was called the Green
Revolution even though it had nothing to do with eco-consciousness or
sustainability.
I saw the results of this Green Revolution during my Peace Corps service in Zambia
(2009-2011) where I experienced the cycle of debt as farmers struggled to buy
these now much needed synthetic inputs and commercially produced seeds every
season. I saw crop outputs declining and people relocating from the exhausted
soils of the southern region of Zambia because our industrial agricultural
system depletes the soil instead of nourishing it. It seems this Green Revolution didn’t work and made
things worse for the people it was supposed to help. Perhaps intentions were
good, but the technology of industrial agriculture didn’t end world hunger.
Now, a second Green
Revolution is under way; however, this time it isn’t industrialization which
will end hunger, it is the Genetically
Modified Organism (GMO). The genetic manipulation involved in creating GMOs
is not the same as the selective breeding and hybridization farmers have been
practicing for thousands of years because traditional practices use natural
processes to modify genes already existing within the plant’s genetic code.
GMOs introduce completely new genes from a different species requiring a
sophisticated laboratory. GMOs won’t nourish the soil either and still rely
upon applications of toxic pesticides and herbicides which will continue to
run-off into our water. We will keep doing more of what doesn’t work, polluting
ourselves and our environment, while people still go hungry. GMOs represent a
shallow solution to a problem that really requires a fundamental shift in how
we do things. When we look at problems like world hunger, our first reaction is
to think there isn’t enough food! So
the solution seems to be we must grow
more food! However, in reality, we already have more than enough food being
grown and produced. Look around. How much food is thrown away on a daily basis?
How much food do grocery stores throw away? If we are throwing away so much
food, clearly we have more than enough. And with so much food being thrown
away, why are so many people hungry here in the United States? If industrial
agriculture and GMO technologies are the solutions to world hunger, why do we
have hunger here in the developed world? Obviously in our current economic
system, people aren’t allowed to eat the food unless they have enough money to
buy it. The problem is actually our current system of distribution and a lack
of access to the food we already produce. It is as simple and complex as that.
Understanding this, it is easy to conclude that GMOs
will not end world hunger, but could in fact perpetuate hunger while creating a
slew of potentially devastating unintended consequences. We must never forget
the primary motivation of any corporation, as required by our current economic
system, is to make a profit for its shareholders at any cost; not to benefit
humans or the planet. Are we sure we want a small handful of corporations,
under these conditions, to have ownership of genes and so much control over our
food supply? Are we sure we want to allow corporations to tinker with inserting
genes from completely different organisms into our crops for profit? Is all of
this risk while increasing the wealth and power of corporations under the guise
of saving the world really what we
want? Or is there another way that will better benefit people and planet?
So, what are some solutions to this problem? Check out my
next blog, Instead of GMOs!
Sources and things to check out:
3 vile myths too many food companies are shoving down our
throats. Gross. (Web Article)
By
Franchesca Ramsey for Upworthy
Accessed
on March 12, 2015
100 years ago, people were eating things that most of us
will never taste. So what happened? (Web Article)
By
Megan Kelley for Upworthy
Accessed
on March 12, 2015
A Silent Forest: The Growing Threat, Genetically
Engineered Trees (Documentary)
Directed
by Ed Schehl
2009
(USA)
Produced
by: Three Americas, Inc.
Studio:
Create Space Studio
An
Invitation to Environmental Sociology, 2nd Edition. (Textbook)
By Michael Mayerfield Bell
Published in 2004 by Pineforge
Press: Thousand Oaks
Environment
and Society: Human Perspectives on Environmental Issues, 3rd Ed.
(Textbook)
By Charles L. Harper, Jr.
Published by Prentice Hall
Food, Inc. (Documentary)
Directed
by Robert Kenner
2008
(USA)
Produced
by Participant Media
GE
Trees May Be Even More Damaging to the Environment than GE Foods (Web Article)
By Dr. Mercola
Published on April 27, 2013
GMO OMG (Documentary)
Directed by
Jeremy Seifert
2013 (USA)
Seeds of Change (Web Article)
By
the Take Part Staff
Published
on December 1, 2014
APA Format:
Bell, M.M. (2004). An Invitation to Environmental Sociology, 2nd
Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Pine Forge Press.
Dr. Mercola. (2013, April 27). GE
Trees May Be Even More Damaging to the Environment than GE Foods. [Web
Article]. Retrieved From http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/27/ge-trees.aspx
Harper, C. L., Jr. (2003). Environment and Society: Human Perspectives
on Environmental Issues, 3rd Ed. Prentice Hall.
Kenner,
R. (Director). (2008). Food, Inc. USA:
Participant Media.
Kelly, M. (Accessed 2015, March 12).
100 years ago, people were eating things that most of us will never taste. So
what happened? Upworthy. [Web
Article]. Retireved from http://www.upworthy.com/100-years-ago-people-were-eating-things-that-most-of-us-will-never-taste-so-what-happened?c=upw1
Kunau, J. Howerton, J. Kucinich, E.
(Producers) & Seifert, J. (Director). (2013). GMO OMG. USA.
Ramsey, F. (Accessed 2015, March 12).
3 vile myths too many food companies are shoving down our throats. Gross. Upworthy. [Web Article]. Retrieved from http://www.upworthy.com/3-vile-myths-too-many-food-companies-are-shoving-down-our-throats-gross?c=click
Take Part. (2014, December 1). Seeds of Change. Take Part. [Web Article]. Retrieved from
http://www.takepart.com/video/2014/12/01/seeds-change?cmpid=foodinc-fb
Three Americas,
Inc. (Producers) & Schehl, E. (Director). (2009). A Silent Forest: The Growing Threat, Genetically Engineered Trees. USA: Create Space Studio. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUUYaTz0Brg
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thoughtful and respectful comments are welcome and discussion is encouraged. Disagreement is expected but doesn’t require rudeness, name-calling, or offensiveness. All comments are subject to moderation and approval and may be deleted according to the blog manager’s discretion.