Genetically Modified Organisms in Relation to World Hunger, Research Proposal Example

Recently, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have replaced people’s diet with foods that are genetically  altered, which has adversely impacted human health at the community level. GMOs are resistance to pesticides and herbicides, and they are produced by splicing the genes of various species that are later fused via genetic engineering. This process is virtually impossible to accomplish in nature. Critics contend that individuals who consume processed and genetically alter foods, which exacerbates their risk of diseases and possible cancer.  However, supporters posit that GMOs provide an opportunity to address the issue of world hunger, especially in Third World countries where famine has resulted in an inadequate food supply. A political debate has germinated regarding the stipulation of labeling of foods created out of GMOs. Moreover, some farmers have promulgated that they prefer to grow organic produce vis-a-vis traditional farming practices rather than through genetic engineering to ensure that their businesses remain intact.  In contrast, larger corporations prefer GMOs in order to yield higher profits while enhancing efficiency and intensive labor required therein. This debate over GMOs has persisted into the present day because technologies and studies are still in their nascent stages with minimal evidence-based material that proves the dangers of GMOs for human health. GMOs would enhance sustainability through the abate of world hunger, especially in Third World countries. My working thesis is as follows: While consuming genetically-engineered foods has inherent risks and hazards associated with it, the United States government has promulgated that genetically-engineered crops and foods consumed by animals are one hundred percent safe. Furthermore, GMOs help people’s immune system build up resistance to certain debilitating diseases while also reducing poverty levels in nations torn asunder by starvation and famine. Therefore, GMOs and genetically-modified ingredients present the next evolutionary step because they have the potential to alleviate the various ills spawned by overpopulation across the globe.

I have limited knowledge on the subject of genetically modified organisms, although it is an accepted belief that GMOs have the potential to eradicate world hunger in the near future. While there are noted adverse consequences of GMOS—such as monoculture and potentially pernicious effects on human health—it is nonetheless commonly believed that they can provide a corrective for the problem of world hunger. In public discourses, I have learned that critics of GMOs underscore the health risks in connection to certain types of foods. GMOs have only been introduced in to the U.S. food supply since the middle of 1990s, critics point to the adverse side effects that they cause, although no causal evidence firmly justifies such observations. Allergic reactions, resistance to antibiotics, and addition toxic hazards have been linked to the consumption of GMOs. Critics claim that while the aforementioned side effects are minute from a broader vantage point, GMOs cause more long-term damages.

Research questions for this project include: Do GMOs cross ethical boundaries? Should GMOs be accepted because of their utilitarian nature? Is the genetic engineering process beneficial or hazardous? Have GMOs hitherto spawned lower percentages of world hunger? I would like to ascertain whether or not multiple studies can prove that maladies purportedly caused by GMOs consumption, or if critics of GMOs are merely skewing the truth regarding extant studies and research. A nuanced analysis of GMOs and its potential to quell world hunger is necessary in order to resolve this ongoing debate over the efficacy and currency of GMOs.

For sources, I plan to use printed materials, empirical studies, and scientific discourses that are relatively new in order to write this paper. Biology and environmental science textbooks provide ample background on this divisive issue. Moreover, the databases JSTOR and EBSCO provide a wealth of literature and studies on GMOs and their currency in addressing epochal exigencies. This topic is fruitful site for scholarly debate since so many people have different feelings regarding modified foods.