Speaking of how far science and technology have come, we can also talk about the concept of gene therapy and genetic modification. Gene therapy is being used world wide to cure most cancers and diseases even though it comes at a cost and obviously, there’s bound to be side effects. But the good part is, scientists have been able to make a headway when it comes to disease control and prevention across the globe, thanks to the advancement of technology.
Looking into our agricultural sector, I’m no farmer but I do know what goes into what I eat on the daily basis. And I also know what to eat and what not to eat. For a while now, we had the introduction of genetically modified foods in our system and most of us find ourselves consuming these foods knowingly and unknowingly. I’d like to believe all started as an issue of pesticide and all of that. We moved from fertilizers and all of that and now , we are engineering our food. How nice!
But, with everything comes its consequences. My first experience with genetically modified food in Ghana is when I bought banana from the roadside one day. We all know the local banana in Ghana is small but where from this huge bananas with a not so sweet taste all of a sudden. I was then told that we have local banana and another type of banana which is grown at a faster rate. I read more about these stuff those days but now it’s grown to be a normal thing.
I wouldn’t say I’m really a fan of such foods but I can’t also say I’m totally against them. One reason I’m not a fan these genetically modified foods is its reduced nutrient content. Most of these modifications are done to our food to make them grow faster, make them pest resistant and also give them a longer shelf life. So, the price we have to pay for getting all these premium packages on our food is us having less nutrients than required in our food. And this automatically means that we have to consume more in order to get the required calories.
On a larger scale, the whole concept of genetically modifying our food is a great move. With the issue of climate change we are facing today and the need to save and grow more food to meet demand , genetically modifying our food might me the solution we’ve long been waiting for. But on the other end, we’d have to pay for this with reduced nutrients.
Are you an active consumer of modfied foods?
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Technology has made it easy to cultivate crops without putting in so much energy but trust me it will always cost you a lot of money. Sooner or later all we will be left with when it comes to food will be chemically enhanced foods.
That’s true. Let’s just hope for the best.
Technology in agriculture is good, but we are losing our precious health as a price to pay. All that is in the market are chemicals-based.
We are tired!
Hmm. Let’s hope for the best in the years to come.