Many third world countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have problems feeding people. People from these countries don’t have access to all the necessary food to keep them healthy. The majority of them are unhealthy because there are not enough fresh vegetables to give them enough nutrients. A solution to the problem of hunger in the third world is the genetically modified food.
Genetically modified food, also called GM food, is genetically modified to grow in bad conditions and also to provide more nutrients. One example of genetically modified food is the golden rice. Golden rice is a kind of rice that is genetically engineered to provide beta-carotene, which is vitamin A. By giving third world countries the ability to grow golden rice, it would not only feed the population but also provide them with more nutrients. A license is made so that farmers making under $10,000 a year would be able to plant golden rice for free. This really benefits the farmers in the poor developing countries because they don’t have that much money to begin with. Some vegetables can also be grown in dry and cold places. This means that farmers don’t need as much water to grow these GM vegetables compared to normal vegetables. Even if the country has a drought, they should still be able to grow some GM vegetables to feed the population.
Another advantage of genetically modified food is that most of them are pesticide resistant. Examples are soybeans, corn, sugar cane and rapeseed. Genes are added or transferred to them so that pesticides won’t harm them. In places where there are lots of bugs, farmers will spray a lot of pesticides and insecticides. These will kill all the bugs but will also harm the normal food. When a person eats this food, they might get really sick and develop diseases. By using GM food, the pesticides won’t cause damage to the vegetable or plant because the GM food is resistant to it. People eating GM food can be sure that they are safe from the dangerous pesticides and insecticides.
All of these advantages of GM food should give a good reason for third world countries to grow it. It would be better for those people because GM food is easier to grow and provide them with the necessary nutrition.