Nguyen 1

Kevan Nguyen
Mr. Geist
Honors English Language Arts Block 1
February 19, 2016
Why the World needs Genetically Modified Food
"Population, when unchecked, increases in a geometrical ratio. Subsistence increases
only in an arithmetical ratio (An Essay on the Principle of Population)." This quote by Thomas
Malthus states that population grows exponentially, while food supply only grows at a linear rate,
implying that population will outgrow the worlds food supply unless population growth gets
limited, or food production increases massively. While the crisis he warns of didnt happen
during his lifetime, the thought of the world running out of food doesnt seem far-fetched
anymore, because as of now, there are roughly 7.4 billion people in the world, and the population
is still rapidly increasing (World Population). Scientists have looked into this dilemma, and their
solution is to increase food production. They do this by making genetically modified foods that
are larger, last longer, and are tastier than their unchanged counterpart. In 1994, the first
genetically modified foods started to show up in stores. Genetically modified foods should be
accepted because without them, there wouldnt be enough food to feed the entire world, and on
top of that, they can be modified to have more nutritional value than their normal, unmodified
version. They shouldnt be feared, and even if there are people who do not accept it, there are
ways to acknowledge their decision while also supplying the rest of the world with GM foods.

Nguyen 2
Genetically modified food is starting to emerge due to the increase in population. Its
become clear that farmers are not able to produce enough food to supply the rapidly rising
population, and so scientists turn to genetically modified crops to solve this food shortage
problem. In The Next Green Revolution, Ramadhani Jumas cassava crops are failing due to
viruses, and since he needs the crops for subsistence and a source of income, one could imagine
things are not going too well (Next Green Revolution). If Juma were using modified versions of
the cassava crop, he would be much better off, as the modified would be immune to the virus,
and could have a multitude of better characteristics, leading to his crops surviving the season. In
How I Got Converted to G.M.O. Food, Mohammed Rahman, a farmer in Kenya, grows
genetically modified eggplant in his farm. His version of eggplant doesnt need pesticides
because it is resistant to insects, which not only makes it safer than a normal eggplant, it also
allows it to survive the growing period, leading to more food. (How I Got Converted to G.M.O.
Food).
Not only do genetically modified foods aid in keeping the world fed, they are more
advantageous than normal crops in virtually every way, as they can be modified to last longer, be
bigger, taste better, and resist viruses. Nearly everything humans have eaten throughout the ages
have been genetically changed by human intervention, whether it be through selective breeding,
or genetically altering them, like the present. In 1994, the United States starting putting
genetically modified tomatoes on store shelves. The Flavr Savr tomatoes boasted a longer shelf
life than normal tomatoes, and, sure enough, it lasted longer than a normal tomato (GM Crop
Database). GM crops can also be modified to have more environmental resistances, contain more
nutritional value, and require less pesticides. As a result of using GM crops instead of normal
crops, there has been a decrease in food prices because theres a surplus of crops, less

Nguyen 3
deforestation because farmers can grow more in their farm, which leads to an overall decrease in
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Advantages of Genetically Modified Foods).
Although GM foods are clearly better than normal food in virtually every aspect, some
people do not eat GM foods because nobody knows about the potential side effects that it can
have. They fear the potential long term side effects of GM foods, and decide to abstain from
eating them. However, these people are in the minority, and the majority of people are
completely fine with GM food, as roughly 90% of the most commonly grown crops are
genetically modified (GMOs: Facts). In Health Impacts of Genetically Modified Foods Still
Unknown, Renee Sharp conducted a study, called Americans Eat Their Weight in Genetically
Engineered Food. It showed that the average American consumes about 193 pounds of GM
food annually. After being interviewed, Sharp asks, If you were planning on eating your body
weight of anything every year, wouldnt you want to make sure it was safe to eat? (Health
Impacts of Genetically Modified Foods) The answer obviously being yes, but there is no way to
tell if there are any long term effects of consuming GM food. However, in the last 17 years since
GM foods were first introduced to the masses, there has not been a single problem (Irrational
Fear). The people who are anti-GM foods are just extremely effective at spreading false
information about how the modified foods cause cancer and other diseases, and the people who
believe them are too scared of what may happen they havent realized that nothing has gone
wrong. The solution that appeals to both anti-GM and pro-GM would be to label GM foods so
that people who refuse to eat them can continue doing so, and the rest of the people can still
purchase the modified food.
Throughout the years, the age-old question has been asked, What will happen if the
world runs out of food? With it first being asked sometime during the 18th century, the question

Nguyen 4
hasnt really been gotten much attention. Its only started to resurface in the past twenty years,
since overpopulation doesnt seem that bizarre an idea anymore, because there are so many
people on the planet now than in the 18th century. Genetically modified foods are necessary
because the worlds population is starting to outgrow the food supply, and if we didnt have GM
foods, there would most likely have been a food shortage by now. GM foods also have many
benefits over normal crops and foods, such as having immunity to diseases and viruses, being
more nutritious, being larger in size, and being tastier. There are people who refuse to eat GM
foods, but that is because they listen to false evidence of the modified foods being linked to
diseases.

Nguyen 5
Works Cited
"27 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods." ConnectUS. 2015. Web.
17 Feb. 2016.
"Current World Population." World Population Clock: 7.4 Billion People (2016). Web. 19 Feb.
2016.
"GM Crop Database." FLAVR SAVR. 20 May 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Folger, Tim. "The Next Green Revolution." National Geographic. Oct. 2014: 32-54. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Kallas, Julia. "Q&A: Health Impacts of Genetically Modified Foods Still Unknown." Global
Information Network. 20 Oct. 2012: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Lallanilla, Marc. "GMOs: Facts About Genetically Modified Food." LiveScience. TechMedia
Network, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Lynas, Mark. "How I Got Converted to G.M.O. Food." New York Times. 26 Apr. 2015:
SR.5. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Malthus, Thomas R. An Essay on the Principle of Population: The First Edition (1798) with
Introduction and Bibliography. London: J. Johnson, 1798. Print.
Van Montagu, Marc. "The Irrational Fear of GM Food." Wall Street Journal. 23 Oct. 2013:
A.15. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 16 Feb. 2016.
Weise, Elizabeth. "Genetically Engineered Foods Q & A." USA Today. Gannett, 2012. Web. 16
Feb. 2016.

Nguyen 6
Grading

Criteria
Content
and Ideas

Organization

Description
Clear argument about social issue
Support uses
- ethos
- logos
- pathos
4 or more credible sources used
Antithesis addressed and refuted

Diction/
Syntax/
Convention
s

Publication
/
Appearanc
e

Effective introduction and

conclusion include hook, thesis, and
final statement
3 organized paragraphs include
claims, explanations, and transitions
Sequence is logical
Writing is all in 3rd person
Quotations are embedded and
properly cited within the essay
0-3 Errors in grammatical structure

Creative title/rough draft ready on

editing day 2/16-17
Proper MLA formatting; heading
that includes student name,
instructors name, class, and date
Works cited page is appended.

Points
0 10

20

30

40

30/40 PEER 1 Ted revise whole thing

and try to relate to pathos, ethos, and
logos.
40/40 PEER 2 Trent - You did all of this
well
30/40 Self grade
0 10 20
30
=
20/30 PEER 1 Ted try to add more
quotes and relate them to your topic.
30/30 PEER 2 Trent - good hook
20/30 Self grade
0 5 10
15
=
15/15 PEER 1 Ted Bueno Trabajo
15/15 PEER 2 Trent - Great Organization
15/15 Self grade
0

10

15

15/15PEER 1 Ted good job

15/15 PEER 2 Trent - Great Formating
15/15 Self grade