Genetically Engineered Foods
Ever since humans began to grow their own food thousands of years ago, we have been struggling to find ways to make our crops grow bigger and better. In recent centuries though, science has made great improvements in the field of agriculture. This started with Robert Blakewell, an English farmer in the 1700's. Blakewell created herds of superior cattle, horses, and sheep by only breeding his best individual animals. By taking the best and eliminating the worst, he was able to raise livestock that was better than any other farmer's (Trede). By the 1900's, Americans had begun to produce hybrid corn by combining all different kinds of corn into one strain (Trede). From the early 1920's through the 1960's and even up until today, this method has more than tripled the yield of the world's best cropland (Avery). Because of this, Third World countries now have 35% more food per person than they did before any scientific advancements. The method of cross-breeding to create superior hybrids is known as classical breeding. Classical breeding has been going on for years, and continues to be used by farmers and planters. It is a simple way to help a plant or animal evolve into a more desirable breed. Based on this technology alo
Also, because Cal Gene picks its tomatoes closer to ripeness, the tomatoes are softer when being shipped from the farm to the store. The second new gene makes the cell resist the affects of an antibiotic called canamyocin. Genetic engineering companies also have to deal with consumers who don't trust their products. No matter how valuable it may be, a company can't just create a genetically engineered product and suddenly put it on the market. Another method, called marker-assisted breeding, could be the answer. However, basic classic breeding is too inefficient to do anything. Cal Gene proved both of these things, and was able to sell their tomatoes all over the country under the brand name MacGregor (NPR 1996). This is a slow process that doesn't always offer substantial results. This method, known as genetic engineering, can be much more precise when creating new strains and therefore can produce much more efficient crops than classical breeding. ne, we have been able to create breeds efficient enough and with a high enough yield to sustain us so far. This would be very convenient in countries where most of the people are poor and too spread out to give vaccinations to everyone. With today's technology, we may already have the answer. For example, sudden freezing temperatures in California killed off $600 million worth of citrus crops.
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Acceptance Essays
