[Food] Are GMO's Good For This World?

 This unit was a quick one! Last week, we learned about a farmer and scientist named Norman Borlaug, who developed a form of selective breeding superwheat that grew really fast and yielded a lot of grain. This sort of technology was then adapted to GMO’s and that subject is quite controversial. Then, we talked about graphs and probability. We talked about Punnett squares after that. Then, the thing we did just yesterday was going to a farmers market and interview a lot of farmers about GMO’s. 

My equation on this graph is 1175x+39744=y. This means that the slope, or the rate that the yield of corn goes up, is 1175 hg/ha per year. The Y intercept, or how much was yielded the first year data was recorded is 39744. There have been of course peaks and valleys but it seems like it is going on a fairly consistent positive trend. If we look ahead to the future, we can use this graph to try and predict how much corn will be yielded in 2030, for example. We can use the equation from before, replacing the x with the year value. But first, to figure that out, we have to do 2030-1961 (Where the data was first collected) and we get a value of 69. Then we just plug it in and 1175*69+39744=120819. 

This number is increasing and there is a reason for that. We are developing more and more efficient versions of corn. We used to do this very slowly by choosing the best crop for each generation and spreading that seed. Now what we do is, in a lab, we carefully edit the genes in the plant to get hyper-efficient seeds. This is called a Genetically Modified Organism, or a GMO. GMO’s are a very controversial subject, but I personally believe that GMO’s are a good thing. The first reason I think that they are a good thing is that a lot of countries rely on them to survive. One of the largest users of GMO’s is India, which is ranked by Global Hunger Index in the serious column, and that is WITH using GMO’s. If they weren’t using GMO’s, the situation might be even worse. 

The second reason I think they are a good thing is that there has never been a study that proves that GMO’s are harmful, in fact, they are more heavily tested than most foods and are made sure to be safe for the market, according to Purdue University. Some people might say that it’s not natural, which it’s not, but I do think that everyone should at least have the chance to choose whether or not they want to use a GMO, and a farmer I talked to that works for Nichols Farms said that while his plants are non-GMO, he recognizes the fact that a lot of people need this and it should be everyone’s choice. I completely agree and if you don't like GMO's, it's very simple. Just don't buy them! Otherwise, everyone should have a choice.

Sources:

-Do GMOs Harm Health?, ag.purdue.edu/GMOs/Pages/GMOsandHealth.aspx#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%20over%20the%20two,them%20over%20non%2DGMO%20foods. 

-“India.” Global Hunger Index (GHI) - Peer-Reviewed Annual Publication Designed to Comprehensively Measure and Track Hunger at the Global, Regional, and Country Levels, 2020, www.globalhungerindex.org/india.html. 

-“What GM Crops Are Being Grown and Where?: Royal Society.” What GM Crops Are Being Grown and Where? | Royal Society, royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/gm-plants/what-gm-crops-are-currently-being-grown-and-where/#:~:text=Among%20the%20countries%20growing%20GM,Mha)%20are%20the%20largest%20users.