Positive effects of Globalization:
I think one positive aspect of globalization is the increase in the production of crops when countries grow the crops that they specialize in meaning that the time is decreased in the production as they country already has sources to grow the crop with no problem. Instead of two countries growing crops differently , countries are assigned their specific counties and the production is increased.
Another positive effects of globalization is that it increases the export of food which otherwise would not be imported from the country. Because one of the rule of globalization is that no country can refuse to import the product of a country which participates in globalization for any reason. This way the import and export of food increases and the undeveloped countries also benefit from it as their crops are sold in developed countries and they profit from it.
One more positive effect of globalization is the movement of food from country to country. People are introduced with crops from all different countries rather that just the crops that they produce.
Negative effects of Globalization:
Globalization has many negative effects too, the one that I most don't like is that some countries get to produce more profitable crops while some countries get to produce lee profitable crops and thus are in loss. While globalization is not good fro the farmers as well as it is based on big businesses and the farmers suffer losses from it.
My thoughts:
I think that globalization has some impact on my life too as I get to eat crops from many different countries rather than just eating crops from mu country. I am introduced to new flavors. Plus, I am also against that developed countries have so much food while the undeveloped countries suffer from malnutrition. By, globalization the undeveloped countries also get a chance to make profit and this makes me feel really great. I also like the togetherness that globalization brings that countries work together to increase food production to feed the growing population.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
food safety
I think food safety is the responsibility of both producers and consumers. Producers should keep the rules for protecting food from becoming spoiled during their production. While, it is also consumers responsibility to keep an eye on the food that they consume and make sure they are eating fresh food which has less chance of spoilage. Producers should test their products before shipping it to the stores to make sure it is safe and does not contain bacteria and virus that can harm the consumers. Consumers should also inform the FSIS, if they discover that eating a certain food made them sick. So, that the FSIS can take the product of the market. General public should follow the rules to save themselves from eating spoiled food. They should keep hot foods hot and warm foods warm while cold foods cold. Proper storage of food is the responsibility of consumers as well as producers because this can help save people from food borne illnesses. So, in my opinion food safety is first the responsibility of producers, then consumers and to regulate all that and stop any spoiled food from further distribution.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Organic Food
Organic food production basically done without harming environment, animals, plants and life. Organic food production is done in a way that it does not harm the soil, is good for human health and does to have any negative effects on the environment. This usually mean abstaining from the use of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, hormones and fungicides. In organic food production, the animals are not given hormones to facilitate their growth while the plants are not given fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides. Food produced through organic food production is very healthy as it is pure and free of chemicals and hormones.
Drawbacks of organic food production:
High maintainability:
One of the problem with organic food production is that in organic farming it is really thought to save the crops from insect, pest and grown them. They require a lot of hard work since no insecticides or pesticides can be used on then and if it gets diseased the whole crops is ruined. Thus, it is bad for the industry but big food businesses do make up for their cost by increasing food prices.
Low yields:
This is another problem with organic food production that its yields are very low. Despite all the care is given the organic crops yield is low because no chemical fertilizers are used to help them grow rapidly as in non-organic farming. Also, when the animals are not given hormones their growth is slower and the yield is often less too. For example, cows are given hormones in non-organic methods so that they grow faster and give more mil while in organic method the cows grow slowly and give less milk because no artificial hormones are given.
Benefits of organic food production:
The benefits of organic farming and organic food production are mostly only for the consumers and environment in USA. Organic food is still in demand in USA, but because it is expensive, it is not preferred by most people.
Health:
Mostly people buy organic food because it is natural and healthy. Non-organic food is full of chemicals and fertilizers and is thus not very good for health because the effect of the additives can be accumulative. For example, the hormones injected to cows can accumulate in human body when we consume the milk produced by them or eat their meat. The hormones can later interfere with normal body functions and cause problems. For example, the consumption of meat in excess amount by pregnant women caused fertility problem in their sons since the hormones given to cows are female (hormones.http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5543.cfm)
Environment friendly:
Another benefit of organic food is that , its production does to harm the environment because all the chemical are not sprayed in the air like in non-organic food production. So, environmentalist advocate organic food for this reason as the organic food spares the environment. Organic farming also does not reduce soil's fertility as the non-organic farming does. All the chemicals from non-organic methods go into the environment and damage it while organic food production is environment friendly. Natural methods like crop rotation to restore soil fertility and green manure is also used as natural fertilizers.
Conclusion:
I think the big business of organic food and whole foods have a very bright future because awareness is increasing more and more that organic food is healthy. So, it does have a market. But, organic food requires more work and yield but big businesses compensate it by increasing the cost of their product. And the consumers are willing to pay a high price for healthy foods.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5543.cfm
Drawbacks of organic food production:
High maintainability:
One of the problem with organic food production is that in organic farming it is really thought to save the crops from insect, pest and grown them. They require a lot of hard work since no insecticides or pesticides can be used on then and if it gets diseased the whole crops is ruined. Thus, it is bad for the industry but big food businesses do make up for their cost by increasing food prices.
Low yields:
This is another problem with organic food production that its yields are very low. Despite all the care is given the organic crops yield is low because no chemical fertilizers are used to help them grow rapidly as in non-organic farming. Also, when the animals are not given hormones their growth is slower and the yield is often less too. For example, cows are given hormones in non-organic methods so that they grow faster and give more mil while in organic method the cows grow slowly and give less milk because no artificial hormones are given.
Benefits of organic food production:
The benefits of organic farming and organic food production are mostly only for the consumers and environment in USA. Organic food is still in demand in USA, but because it is expensive, it is not preferred by most people.
Health:
Mostly people buy organic food because it is natural and healthy. Non-organic food is full of chemicals and fertilizers and is thus not very good for health because the effect of the additives can be accumulative. For example, the hormones injected to cows can accumulate in human body when we consume the milk produced by them or eat their meat. The hormones can later interfere with normal body functions and cause problems. For example, the consumption of meat in excess amount by pregnant women caused fertility problem in their sons since the hormones given to cows are female (hormones.http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5543.cfm)
Environment friendly:
Another benefit of organic food is that , its production does to harm the environment because all the chemical are not sprayed in the air like in non-organic food production. So, environmentalist advocate organic food for this reason as the organic food spares the environment. Organic farming also does not reduce soil's fertility as the non-organic farming does. All the chemicals from non-organic methods go into the environment and damage it while organic food production is environment friendly. Natural methods like crop rotation to restore soil fertility and green manure is also used as natural fertilizers.
Conclusion:
I think the big business of organic food and whole foods have a very bright future because awareness is increasing more and more that organic food is healthy. So, it does have a market. But, organic food requires more work and yield but big businesses compensate it by increasing the cost of their product. And the consumers are willing to pay a high price for healthy foods.
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/ofp/ofp.shtml
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5543.cfm
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Biotechnology and labeling
My personal opinion is that producers should put labels on food to let consumers know if it is GM or not. Consumers have the right choose what they want to eat. They should not be kept unaware of what is going inside their body. So, that in the end they are the ones reliable for what they choose and not the producers.
Advantages of labeling:
The number one advantage of labeling is that consumers would know what they are eating and based on the labeling information they can decide weather or not they want to eat it or not.
In my opinion another advantage is that if everything is clearly labeled on the packages, then it will not be the producers liability later on. And the only one responsible would be the consumer because the consumer was provided with all the necessary information
Many people are allergic to the proteins used in biotechnology and by labeling all the information, those consumer would be warned to to eat that food. This would again mean that the producers will not be held reliable later on as everything was printed on the label before.
Disadvantages of labeling:
The primary disadvantage of labeling biotechnology derived food is that most people will not prefer that food and instead opt for regular food. This will mean great loss to the producers of the company.
Another disadvantage of labeling the crops derived from biotechnology has higher yields and if the consumers don't buy it after seeing the label, then the GM food producers would have to slow down the production. This will cause a rise in the price of food which consumers will have pay and also there will not be enough food to feed the world. It is biotechnology that has made it possible to feed the growing population.
Conclusion:
I think that overall, if it is labeled that a food is GM or not, then consumers would benefit from it as they can chose weather or not they want to eat it or not base on their resources. While producers would certainly feel a decrease in the sale of their food as most people would opt for regular food instead of GM food. But, society will also suffer negatively from the labeling as the population is growing so fast and the only way to feed it is through increasing the food supply by biotechnology.
Advantages of labeling:
The number one advantage of labeling is that consumers would know what they are eating and based on the labeling information they can decide weather or not they want to eat it or not.
In my opinion another advantage is that if everything is clearly labeled on the packages, then it will not be the producers liability later on. And the only one responsible would be the consumer because the consumer was provided with all the necessary information
Many people are allergic to the proteins used in biotechnology and by labeling all the information, those consumer would be warned to to eat that food. This would again mean that the producers will not be held reliable later on as everything was printed on the label before.
Disadvantages of labeling:
The primary disadvantage of labeling biotechnology derived food is that most people will not prefer that food and instead opt for regular food. This will mean great loss to the producers of the company.
Another disadvantage of labeling the crops derived from biotechnology has higher yields and if the consumers don't buy it after seeing the label, then the GM food producers would have to slow down the production. This will cause a rise in the price of food which consumers will have pay and also there will not be enough food to feed the world. It is biotechnology that has made it possible to feed the growing population.
Conclusion:
I think that overall, if it is labeled that a food is GM or not, then consumers would benefit from it as they can chose weather or not they want to eat it or not base on their resources. While producers would certainly feel a decrease in the sale of their food as most people would opt for regular food instead of GM food. But, society will also suffer negatively from the labeling as the population is growing so fast and the only way to feed it is through increasing the food supply by biotechnology.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Advantages and disadvantages of biotechnology
After reading more about biotechnology I think that in today's date biotechnology has more upside than down-sides. Either the downsides of biotechnology are not know yet or we are just overestimating the dangers of consuming GM foods.
Advantage
The number one advantage of biotechnology is the increased production of food. Biotechnology has made it possible to produce crops that are disease resistant, drought resistant so the yield of the crops is increased dramatically. The increased production of food has made it possible to feed the growing population. Increased quantity of food also means that consumers will pay a decent price for the food.
Biotechnology has also made it possible to grow crops without the use of much chemicals, pesticides and herbicides since the GM crops already have built in immunity to diseases and pests. This means that GM crops are environment friendly and will spare environment unlike the usual crops which required a bundle of chemicals to be sprayed on them which afterwards damaged the environment.
Due to biotechnology, the cost of producing crops is decrease since the need for pesticides and herbicides is decreased. This had increased efficiency in the field of agriculture and reduced the overall cost. This also means that the consumers are also not going to have to pay a lot of money for the food since the cost of producing it was less.
Some GM crops produced by biotechnology are also high in some nutrients that ordinary crops are not high in. This is a very good benefit of biotechnology, since it is very healthy for the consumers to get the extra nutrients from GM crops. For example, golden rice which has extra iron and Vitamin A which can help save people from going blind in undeveloped countries due to vitamin A deficiency.
Another benefit from biotechnology is that it has increased the shelf life of some crops which is a good trait for the producers, seller and consumers. It will make food to stay fresh longer.
Disadvantages
One fear from the use of biotechnology is that the genes could be transferred to other crops which they are not intended to go in and lead to problem, since the transfer of the genes would not be known. Consumers could get an allergic reaction to the food when they consume food that is contaminated with the gene or bacteria transmitted through cross-pollination unknowingly.
Seeds of GM crops are relatively higher in cost, so the poor farmers have a hard time reaching them.
With biotechnology, there are some fear of health risks that might not be know now and developed later. This would really be devastating as the use Gm crops increasing throughout the world
Conclusion
The benefits f biotechnology over weigh the downside in today's date. Since, it is really important to increase the production of food to meet the needs of growing population. While, the safety of the GM crops is tested fist by USDA, FDA and EPA before any GM crop is given permission to grow and sell.
Work Cited:
Levetin, E and McMahon, K., 2006, Plant And Society,Fourth Edition,New York City, 524p.
Advantage
The number one advantage of biotechnology is the increased production of food. Biotechnology has made it possible to produce crops that are disease resistant, drought resistant so the yield of the crops is increased dramatically. The increased production of food has made it possible to feed the growing population. Increased quantity of food also means that consumers will pay a decent price for the food.
Biotechnology has also made it possible to grow crops without the use of much chemicals, pesticides and herbicides since the GM crops already have built in immunity to diseases and pests. This means that GM crops are environment friendly and will spare environment unlike the usual crops which required a bundle of chemicals to be sprayed on them which afterwards damaged the environment.
Due to biotechnology, the cost of producing crops is decrease since the need for pesticides and herbicides is decreased. This had increased efficiency in the field of agriculture and reduced the overall cost. This also means that the consumers are also not going to have to pay a lot of money for the food since the cost of producing it was less.
Some GM crops produced by biotechnology are also high in some nutrients that ordinary crops are not high in. This is a very good benefit of biotechnology, since it is very healthy for the consumers to get the extra nutrients from GM crops. For example, golden rice which has extra iron and Vitamin A which can help save people from going blind in undeveloped countries due to vitamin A deficiency.
Another benefit from biotechnology is that it has increased the shelf life of some crops which is a good trait for the producers, seller and consumers. It will make food to stay fresh longer.
Disadvantages
One fear from the use of biotechnology is that the genes could be transferred to other crops which they are not intended to go in and lead to problem, since the transfer of the genes would not be known. Consumers could get an allergic reaction to the food when they consume food that is contaminated with the gene or bacteria transmitted through cross-pollination unknowingly.
Seeds of GM crops are relatively higher in cost, so the poor farmers have a hard time reaching them.
With biotechnology, there are some fear of health risks that might not be know now and developed later. This would really be devastating as the use Gm crops increasing throughout the world
Conclusion
The benefits f biotechnology over weigh the downside in today's date. Since, it is really important to increase the production of food to meet the needs of growing population. While, the safety of the GM crops is tested fist by USDA, FDA and EPA before any GM crop is given permission to grow and sell.
Work Cited:
Levetin, E and McMahon, K., 2006, Plant And Society,Fourth Edition,New York City, 524p.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Biotechnology in Rice production
A type of rice in made in Kansas that has a protein that produces human- immune system proteins in their seeds. This is the first crop that has been given okay bu agriculture department that contains is genetically engineered to contain human genes. The protein can be extracted and used in health foods and given to children to help with diarrhea. Three such types of rice have been produced, each supplied with a different gene and produce lactoferrin and lysozyme. This can be very helpful as the engineered rice proteins can relieve children from diarrhea. Studies showed that children recovered faster from diarrhea when they were given salty fluids with this protein in it. But, there are concerns with this engineered rice to as their are no long term studies done to see the side -effects on humans when it is consumed. One concern is that the proteins that are being produced in rice might be allergens for some people.There is also a concern that the genetically seeds of engineered rice might migrate to other field crops and then come into th food that they are not supposed to be in. This way the consumers might be scared that genetically engineered crops are getting mixed with usual crops. People allergic to th proteins found in genetically engineered rice would accidentally consume the protein, this can have serious consequences. These genetically altered rice are produced in Ventria and Kansas.
Work cited:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/AR2007030101495.html
Work cited:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/01/AR2007030101495.html
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
green revolution
Yes, technology is very important to increase food production, but I think that it will only increase the quantity while decreasing the quality of the food. I value quality instead of quality, but then we do need a lot of quantity of food to feed the whole world.
Technology is very important t increase the food supply because the new machines have made it possible to plant and cut the crops faster. The chemical fertilizers have made it possible to increase the soil's ability to nourish plants artificially. New technology has made it possible to breed new diseases-resistant, high yielding crops and thus enabling us to increase food production. Without new technologies, it used to take a lot of time to plant the crops by hand then pick them by hand. And the new disease-resistant crops also help increase the food production as otherwise some of the crops might get damaged by the disease. Therefore, new technologies are very important in increasing the quantity of the food.
Technology is very important t increase the food supply because the new machines have made it possible to plant and cut the crops faster. The chemical fertilizers have made it possible to increase the soil's ability to nourish plants artificially. New technology has made it possible to breed new diseases-resistant, high yielding crops and thus enabling us to increase food production. Without new technologies, it used to take a lot of time to plant the crops by hand then pick them by hand. And the new disease-resistant crops also help increase the food production as otherwise some of the crops might get damaged by the disease. Therefore, new technologies are very important in increasing the quantity of the food.
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