Internationalism & GMO

Tuesday 8 March 2011

What is needed for meeting global food issues?

Golden rice, salt tolerant crops, insect resistant crops may seem to be the best way for the world population to be fed in the future.  Andrea Messer of Penn State University writes about how global food issues will need greater international cooperation whether it be for the promotion of GMO crops or better use of limited resources.    She deals with waste water use, salt tolerant species and breaking the barriers to allowing GMO crops.  In the article, Ms Messer clearly explains the importance of global cooperation to address the issue of food production.  The IBO biology syllabus calls for students to take on internationalism as a way to learn and react to world issues. This article could be given to students to read and react to when they are studying Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology.  

Questions that students could react to include:

What are the benefits of GMO crops? 

Why are countries around the world reluctant to allow GMO crops to be cultivated?

What strategies might the student suggest to increase food production while economising resources such as water, land, pesticides?

How can societies avoid the monopolies of agrobusinesses which invest millions of dollars to produce modified crops?


Tags: genetics, genemanipulation, DNA, food, BTmaize, goldenrice