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Global warming is one of the biggest challenges the world
is facing right now, and it’s making it harder for us to grow enough healthy food.
At the same time, the human population
keeps increasing and more people are suffering from hunger and poor nutrition.
As the world struggles with the escalating impacts of global warming,
GMO’s stand out as a vital solution for ensuring human survival.
GMO’s help us
grow more food in tough climates, add nutrients where they’re needed and reduce the damage caused by harmful farming methods.
The human population has been increasing rapidly since
the early 1900’s, and with it, the demand for food.
With climate change causing harsh conditions like
droughts, heat waves and floods, traditional farming isn’t enough to maintain agricultural productivity.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
agricultural biotechnology will be crucial in meeting rising food demands.
GMO’s can grow fast and produce higher yields,
even when the climate isn’t ideal.
In fact, GMO’s have already
boosted food production.
Over the last 25 years, they’ve helped produce
over 330 million tonnes of soybeans and over 595 million tonnes of maize.
Without GMO’s, fighting global hunger and climate change
would be even harder, considering that there are more than 820 million people around the world that still don’t get enough to eat every day.
Traditional farming uses chemical pesticides to
kill insects that damage crops.
These chemicals are not only expensive and time consuming to apply,
but they also contaminate soil and water, kill pollinators, and represent risk to human health.
GMO’s can significally
reduce this dependency.
For example, Bt crops
are modified with a gene from a natural bacterium that allows the plant to produce its own insecticide, eliminating the need for external chemical sprays.
According to research from the University of
Goettingen, GMO’s have reduced pesticide use by 37% and increased crop yields by 22%.
Even though herbicides are still used,
some GMO’s are resistant to them, which means the crops can survive and produce more food, leading to better farming results with less environmental damage.
As CO2 leves increase, plants tend to
produce more sugars and carbohydrates, but they lose important nutrients like protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins.
This is a serious problem because
humans need a balanced diet full of these nutrients in order to stay healthy.
Iron deficiency
can lead to fatigue and anemia.
A lack of folate can
cause birth defects in pregnant women.
Zinc deficiency, which affects around
1 billion people worldwide, especially women and children, damages the inmune system and development.
Meanwhile, GMO’s can help
retain or even increase the nutritional value of the food.
One famous example is the Golden Rice,
a genetically modified rice that contains beta carotene, which the body uses to produce vitamin A.
This innovation helps fight
vitamin A deficiency in countries where rice is a major part of the diet.
In conclusion, GMO’s are a powerful tool to use against
global warming and food insecurity.
They help us feed a growing population,
reduce the need for harmful chemicals, and improve the nutritional quality of our food.
In a world that is facing serious environmental and health challenges,
GMO’s give us a way to adapt and survive.
Instead of fearing this technology, we should
embrace it because it is an effective option to securing a healthier and sustainable future for everyone.