Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Matt Sorensen
Justin Christoffrerson
John Barnett
Jordan Malovich
Ashlin Rohbok
English 1010
Wade Bentley
December 9th, 2015
Using GMOs as a Humanitarian Aid
Every year, the equivalent of the population of Utah(State and County Quick
Facts par. 1) (2.7 million children under the age of five) dies unnecessarily due to
vitamin A deficiency and to the lack of other vital nutrients (Mayer par. 1). But GMOs
(Genetically Modified Organisms) may be the solution. Simply taking one piece of DNA
and enhancing it produces a more fruitful and resilient product and at a lower cost. But
many people, especially in the developed world, are afraid of GMOs, fearing that
changing the genetic structure of these crops produces an unknown, a Frankenfood, not
to be trusted. Organizations such as Greenpeace even dispense biased and
unscientifically proven information. We believe the problem is the lack of education
among the population regarding the many benefits of GMOs. If we could alleviate their
fears and educate them, convincing them of the millions of people who would no longer
suffer from malnutrition and death, they could become an important force in getting
GMOs to the developing countries. In particular, the GMO Golden Rice, an important
source of vitamin A, would be an excellent product to make available to these farmers.