An Examination of the Controversial Debate on the Ability of Genetic Engineering in Ending the Issue of World Hunger

As the world progresses, technology progresses alongside. This technological growth has allowed humans to accomplish some amazing feats, as well as cure many diseases people once thought incurable. Just recently, a group of French scientists claim to have found the functional cure for adults with HIV. (CNN-IBN, 2013) Despite these leaps in scientific and medical progress, however, there are still a number of problems afflicting the world today. One of the most pervasive of these issues is world hunger. While many people argue that world hunger does currently not have a solution, others believe that we already have the capability to end it through genetic engineering. The following paper will explore both sides of the debate on genetic engineering’s ability to end world hunger, ultimately arguing that world hunger can be eradicated through genetic engineering.

World Hunger: A Background

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For many people living in industrialized countries, world hunger seems like an abstract, intangible concept. In these developed countries, food is regularly wasted, either due to its expiration or simply because an individual does not want it anymore. According to The Hunger Project, over 800 million people in the world (more than the combined populations of the European Union and the U.S.) do not have enough to eat. Another very important statistic, casting light on where the problem lies in regards to world hunger is that 98% of the people affected by world hunger live in underdeveloped countries. 2/3 of these people live in the same seven countries. (The Hunger Project, n.d.) Clearly, the world hunger problem is correlated widi
poverty.

Genetic Engineering: A Background

Genetic engineering (GE) is a fairly recent development in the world of science. Though the actual technicalities of the process are not a necessary part of the discussion for the purpose of this paper, it is important to grasp how GE works on a very basic level. Genetic engineering involves using biotechnology to change an organism’s genome to have a different characteristics or perform different functions than it would naturally. An organism that has been genetically modified is referred to as a genetically modified organism (GMO). (Kolb, 2007) The very first GMOs were designed in 1973. Since then, many organisms of many different types, from mammals to bacteria, have been genetically modified. One of the most commercial uses of GMO has been in the food industry. Genetically modified crops have been in the marketplace since the early 1990s. Scientists have also created genetically engineered fish and chickens to improve food production as well. (Kolb, 2007)

Genetically Modified Food

In discussing the purposes of genetically modified organisms in nourishment, there are generally four main goals that genetic engineering attempts to accomplish. (Kolb, 2007)

First of all, GE seeks to protect the organism from environmental threats. For instance, a head of lettuce might be engineered to have higher resistance to cold weather, or to naturally repel insects. Similarly, the organism may have a resistance to herbicides or other harmful things such as viruses or fungi. This is often the most considered and highly sought after reason for producing genetically modified organisms in the commercial world. (Kolb, 2007) Just examining this first goal, one can see how GE seems highly beneficial to the food industry.

The second goal of GE in food is to better the actual quality of the food itself. This can mean many things. For example, certain organisms are genetically altered to have a higher nutritional value than they would naturally. Other organisms are modified in quality for different reasons other than being healthier. For instance, certain cows are genetically engineered to produce milk with more protein levels, which facilitates the production of cheese. One kind of potato has been modified to produce a more industrially usable combination of starch. (Kolb, 2007)

The third goal that is often achieved with genetic engineering is to have the organism produce things that they normally would not. This has been particularly applicable to the fuel and medical industries as organisms can often be used as bioreactors to produce some type of substance. Recently, in 2009, the FDA approved a drug that was produced in goat milk through GE. (United States Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, 2010)

The fourth and final goal that is considered with GE in food is to improve the yield provided by the food organism. (Kolb, 2007) For instance, plants that grow faster and larger than their organic counterparts would fall under this category. Similarly, cows and chickens have been genetically modified to produce growth hormones and grow larger than they normally would.

Conclusion

Despite the evidence and arguments levied in this paper, the truth is that scientists and regular citizens alike have yet to see the long term effects that may be associated with GMOs in food. While the industrialization of GE has somewhat limited the applications of GMOs to solving world hunger, there are clear possibilities for its use in solving this harmful and pervasive problem. Though a lot of the cause of world hunger does lie in the poverty-ridden nations themselves, there is no doubt that science and kindness can help alleviate the issue at least somewhat. Hopefully, these interventions occur as soon as possible.

References

1. CNN-IBN, (March, 2013). French Scientists Claim “Functional Cure” for HIV with Early
2. Treatment. IBNLive. Retrieved from http://ibnlive.in.com/news/french-scientists-claim-functional-cure-for-hiv-with-early-treatment/380812-17.html.
3. Kolb, Robert W., (2007). The Ethics of Genetic Commerce. Malden, MA; Oxford: Blackwell Pub.
4. The Hunger Project, (n.d.). Know Your World: Facts About Hunger and Poverty. THP.org. Retrieved from
5. http://www.thp.org/learn_more/issues/know_your_world_facts_about_hunger_and_pover ty?gclid=C Jb VzJX 117 YCFQ WonQodxxc A4w.
6. United States Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, (2010). New
7. Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies. Washington, D.C.: Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.

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