GMOs: Salvation for Impoverished Farmers? What Economic Effect can GMOs have on the Farmers of African Countries and India?
Faculty Mentor(s)
Professor Yolanda Vega
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-10-2015
Abstract
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genetic material has been modified to alter their functions, typically to increase crop yields. GMOs have been blindly blamed for the distress that farmers in developing countries face and viewed as detrimental to the society due to their environmental hazards and potential human health risks. This research aims to debunk myths concerning the GMOs and highlight the advantages to growing GMOs for farmers in the world fighting against poverty and starvation. GMOs have been highly successful in countries that implement genetically modified soybeans and Bt cotton. Although many African countries are against GMOs, Burkina Faso and South Africa, two of very few that have planted GM crops have witnessed a tremendous economic growth and have proved the potential of GMOs in saving people of hunger and poverty. India, a main Bt cotton grower, has also seen a dramatic increase in cotton yield. GM crops have shown to create a future for the farmers rather than destroy them, but the actual problem behind GMOs is the monopoly of multinational agribusiness corporations, full of gluttony. International acceptance of GM crops and support from global public sectors are needed to battle these companies and to further assist farmers who comprise the majority of the impoverished in the world.
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