Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Are GMOs good or bad?
Position2 of 3
GMOs are good
Argument4 of 4

GMOs can help address world hunger

GMOs can address world hunger by adding nutrients to food, being disease resistant, producing higher yields, growing in severe weather conditions, and being able to be transported farther to those in need.

The argument

GMOs have modifications that can help address world hunger. First, GMOs can add important nutrients to food. One prominent example of this is Golden Rice, which is modified rice that is vitamin A enhanced. Other modifications are to increase yield and create disease resistance. There are also modifications to help crops grow faster and tolerate environmental stressors, which means that the crops can grow in non-ideal farming areas such as those that suffer droughts. All of these modifications can help people grow enough food across the world despite the climate crisis. Modifications can also help crops stay fresh longer, which means they can be transported farther to areas in need. These factors mean that GMOs could be the answer to addressing world hunger with an ever-growing population. They could help us navigate how to grow with the challenges of climate change.

Premises

[P1]GMOs can add vital nutrients to food, as with vitamin-A-enhanced Golden Rice. [P2] Other modifications increase yield, resist disease, and let crops tolerate stressors like drought, so food can grow in non-ideal areas despite the climate crisis. [P3] Modifications that keep crops fresh longer also let food reach farther areas in need. [C] Therefore, because GMOs can help address world hunger, GMOs are good.

Counter-arguments

This argument is predicated on the notion that world hunger is a result of a lack of food. That is incorrect. According to the World Food Programme, the world produces enough food to feed the entire global population more than 2,000 calories a day. The problem isn’t a lack of food; it is a lack of purchasing power. In areas of famine, you can actually have food being exported because the people there don’t have the purchasing power to buy the food.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] GMOs won't help address world hunger because it isn't caused by a lack of food, but by a lack of purchasing power.