Category: Food

Introduction

There are a lot of common features between art and cooking; people working in these spheres may produce totally different results even using the same materials, and this is why practical skills are so significant. When it comes to cooking, it is necessary to remember that it is wrong to assess the quality of food-based only on its gustatory qualities. Apart from that, it is extremely important to consider the ways of processing food products that were used and estimate whether they have helped to maintain nutrients and vitamins that are in vegetables, fruit, meat, and fish. It is common knowledge that people who are professionals in this field and work at restaurants have to be aware of different methods of processing food products that can help to retain their hale and cook the food that will be free from harmful substances and will benefit peoples health. Nevertheless, the rules and tips that allow cooking healthy food can be applied during domestic food preparation as well.

Types of Nutrients Found in Alimentary Products

As it is clear from the laws of nature that all living creatures live in accordance with, each organism needs to be provided with food in order to experience physical development and be strong enough to survive yield progeny, and be able to protect young ones as long as possible. In order to fulfil these tasks, living creatures need nutrients that can be found in different types of alimentary products. Speaking about nutrients, we mean a range of components providing the organism with energy and allowing its cells to multiply. There is a range of nutrients that can be found in products that we regularly use while preparing food, and different cooking techniques may destroy nutrients or help to preserve them. Speaking about the latter, it is necessary to define and provide insight into the most important types of nutrients that can be found in alimentary products that we use. Thus, there are six types of them.

The first group includes proteins that help to fulfil essential functions of the human body; apart from being an important source of energy, they help to improve muscle mass. As for the particular products that contain a lot of protein, they include meat, eggs, fish, and dairy products such as milk, cottage cheese, and buttermilk.

The second type of nutrients that are important for the human body is represented by such substances as water. The latter also allows the organism to develop; apart from that, it plays an essential role because it helps to provide cells of the human body with nutrients of other types (Australian dietary guidelines, 2013).

The next type of nutrients is fat. Aside from this term, these nutrients are also referred to as triglycerides. Fats are supposed to be one of the primary sources of energy in the human body. Consumption of these nutrients may have both positive and negative influences on peoples health as fats can be found in junk food and in food that is supposed to be wholesome such as meat, nuts, and dairy products (Nuts, health, and kids, 2015).

Carbohydrates are also supposed to be an important source of energy for the organism. Speaking about this group of nutrients, it is necessary to understand that they can be divided into subgroups based on their structure and the impact that they have on the human body and its functions. For instance, large carbohydrates that are supposed to have a positive influence on peoples health can be found in chicken liver, cereal crops such as wheat and oat, bean cultures, fruit, and vegetables. As for the products containing a lot of simple carbohydrates, they include burnt sugar, chocolate, cookies, bananas, grapes, wheat bread, and rice.

Minerals also remain important nutrients that can be found in different alimentary products that we consume. The latter may contain a wide range of minerals that are divided into two large groups: trace minerals and macrominerals. As for the former, they need to be taken in relatively small amounts unlike the latter.

Vitamins are chemical substances that are extremely significant for bodily functions. Not all of them are produced by the human body and this is why it is necessary to maintain their level in alimentary products while cooking (Combs Jr & McClung, 2016, p. 3). Despite their importance with regard to metabolism that occurs in the human body, they do not present an additional source of energy. Nowadays, we single out about thirteen vitamins and vitamin groups that can be carried in the human body with the help of food and even sunlight. The lack of a certain vitamin is related to the occurrence of specific diseases; for instance, deficiency of vitamin C causes scorbutus. It is known that various cooking methods may have a different influence on vitamin levels in the products. Thus, there are vitamins that are the most likely to be destroyed during heat processing; they include vitamin C and B5.

Speaking about vitamins, it is important to understand that they may change their properties or even be destroyed under the influence of a few factors such as air, water, high temperature, sunlight, the presence of microorganisms. Considering this, it is necessary to follow specific recommendations while cooking.

Popular Ways of Cooking and their Influence on Nutritional Properties

Speaking about rules that can be used in order to cook healthier food, it is necessary to review the basic techniques and activities that are applied by common people who cook for themselves and for their children every day. In fact, cooking can be really called an art because it involves a wide range of processes used to turn raw ingredients into ready dishes. Also, cooking techniques can often be regarded as a mirror of culture together with language, traditions, and beliefs shared by groups of people living in a particular territory (Symons, 2014). In fact, the most common domestic food preparation methods can differ drastically in distant countries. Apart from that, the choice of methods depends on the skills and individual preferences that people have. Despite the fact that preferred methods can be extremely different, it is necessary to say that the majority of the most popular cooking activities involve the use of heat processing. As for the effect that the latter produces on nutrients and vitamins in alimentary products, it depends upon the particular cooking method that is used.

In general, the most common cooking techniques used even by those people who are not professionals in this field include the following ones listed below.

Baking  this method remains one of the most popular ways of cooking due to a wide range of advantages that it involves. This method is related to the use of prolonged heat processing. Also, it is necessary to say that this very method can be combined with other ones; for instance, it is possible to bake alimentary products that have been already boiled. This cooking technique can be applied to the use of different types of equipment. If we speak about cooking at home, baking is supposed to involve the use of oven. Nevertheless, in other cases, people may bake food using hot cinders. There are a lot of types of alimentary products that can be baked; they include fish, meat, vegetables, and cereal foods. Speaking about modern human society, it is necessary to say that people have an opportunity to use a lot of different types of oven. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that equipment that is used during cooking may also have a significant influence on the results and retaining the hale of products used.

In general, baking is supposed to be a good way of cooking as it usually helps to retain nutrients that are in the products. In particular, this method of cooking seems to be great when it comes to working with meat and fish. The latter contains a lot of proteins and a wide range of vitamins such as B1, B2, and B3. If we speak about proteins and the effect that heat processing has on their properties, it is necessary to say that it can increase their accessibility. Apart from that, particular practices such as baking in foil are essential when there is a need to cook toothsome food without the use of additional oil or marinade sauce. Thus, baking in foil is the method of cooking that helps to retain the aroma and taste of the products and subject them to heat processing without making the food too greasy.

Boiling  this method involves cooking products in hot water or other liquids. Although the temperature of boiling water seems to be the same, it may take more or less time to boil various alimentary products (it depends upon the particular chemical substances that they consist of); it remains one of the most popular methods of cooking used at home as it does not require any special skills and it is quite hard to spoil products while boiling (Chen, 2015). Besides, it is popular due to the fact that it is applicable to the majority of products; for instance, it is possible to boil fish, meat, and different products used as accompaniments. Although there is a wide range of strong points associated with this method of cooking, one weakness that it has is able to make them almost insignificant: during cooking, a great part of vitamins from the products are carried to water used for boiling. This rule applies to specific categories of vitamins such as one of B group and vitamin C. Therefore, the use of boiling in order to cook meat and fish can not be regarded as the best choice.

There are some practices that can be applied in order to minimize the loss of nutrients and vitamins from the products that are being boiled. To begin with, it is important to remember that this loss also depends upon the time of cooking; therefore, it may be necessary to shorten it. In order to do that, it is possible to cut the products that you are going to boil into smaller pieces. At the same time, if there is a need to boil vegetables, it would be better to avoid peeling them as the skin can minimize the loss of vitamins and nutrients. Apart from that, it is more appropriate to put products into the water that is already boiling than to start cooking in cold or warm water. Anyway, even these methods cannot help to maintain all the vitamins in the products. Due to that, it may be necessary to use this method of cooking when you need to cook soup or jelly and the water left after boiling will be used as well.

Coddling is one of the methods related to boiling; it involves cooking food on a slow fire. On the one hand, this method is quite popular because it allows people to cook and pay attention to other things simultaneously. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the products as they are unlikely to become overcooked. On the other hand, coddling takes a lot of time and this is why more nutrients and vitamins are going to lose their useful properties. Considering the information about lengthy heat processing, it is more preferable to apply this method when cooking soups or other dishes that involve the use of stock. Besides, leaving the cooking pot uncovered is another mistake that increases the loss of nutrients and vitamins (Tips to retain nutrients when cooking food, 2016).

Steaming  the method that involves the use of steam. In order to cook food with the help of this method, it is necessary to use special kitchen equipment such as steaming pans made of different materials. This method is supposed to be the most appropriate as it follows from the opinions of those specializing in nutrition science. In order to cook with the help of this method, it is necessary to boil water and use steam; the products are supposed to have no direct contact with water. Speaking about this particular method of cooking used at home, it is important to mention that it has a lot of advantages over boiling. To begin with, it is almost impossible to overcook products when you are using this method. Besides, steaming allows one to retain more nutrients and vitamins than boiling (Spritzler, 2017). Although it is believed that eating raw products may be more beneficial for human health, there can also be unwanted substances in these products. Thus, steaming helps to neutralize them without destroying many nutrients and vitamins. Although many people suppose that steaming allows cooking only insipid food, there are certain recommendations helping to use this method and cook food maintaining both taste and nutrients. For instance, it is important to use a little water, cut products into pieces of the same size, and cover them with a lid.

Stewing  the method of cooking with the use of water or other liquids on a slow fire. With the help of this method, it is possible to cook a lot of dishes that are supposed to be healthy food as well. Almost all types of products can be stewed and this method does not involve the destruction of many nutrients. Nevertheless, the benefits that stewed products may bring to human health depend upon additional ingredients that are used during cooking; thus, people may put a lot of oil or wheat flour in sauce and it does not seem to be helpful. To minimize the loss of vitamins and nutrients during stewing, it is necessary to use a little water and avoid using too much fat.

Curing in smoke  the method involving food processing with the use of smoke and spices. Such a technique allows us to prevent different types of products from spoilage but it cannot be regarded as one helping to cook healthy food. The question concerning useful properties of smoked products is disputable but there are also certain recommendations on how to maintain nutrients in such food. Importantly, it is necessary to use only good equipment and avoid cooking for a long time.

Frying  the method of cooking without water that involves the use of oil. Such a method is extremely popular as it allows us to cook fast and maintain the taste of products. Despite that, this method does not help to cook healthy food, it causes the loss of the majority of vitamins, and such food may prevent the digestive tract from proper functioning (Bradly, 2013). High temperature causes destruction of such nutrients like proteins, B vitamins, vitamin C and A. Frying is supposed to be the worst cooking method and this is why it is better to avoid using it. Nevertheless, to retain certain nutrients, it is necessary to use a small amount of oil as possible and shorten cooking time.

Canning  method of preserving products with the use of jars and thermic treatment (Boz & Erdodu, 2015, p. 157). Specific practices used while canning may vary in different countries but there are a few rules helping to use this technique and maintain as many nutrients and vitamins in canned products as possible. To begin with, canning is supposed to be a good method of cooking as it usually helps to retain useful properties of products (especially in the case of vegetables). Thus, pickling and fermentation are believed to be techniques that do not only help to maintain useful properties of vegetables but also increase them. For instance, fermented cabbage contains more vitamin C than raw cabbage. There is a variety of techniques related to canning that can be used at home; although it is often impossible to eat such food right after cooking, such techniques allow to prevent B vitamins and vitamin C from being destroyed. In order to ensure that vitamins and nutrients are maintained, it is necessary to use proper equipment and avoid the use of very high temperatures while canning. What is more, using appropriate headspace while canning also helps to maintain vitamins and other nutrients.

Conclusion

In the end, there are many methods of cooking applied at home but many of them may decrease the levels of nutrients and vitamins in food products. In order to avoid it, it is necessary to pay attention to such methods as baking in foil, canning, steaming, and stewing as they allow to retain useful properties of products (Mota et al., 2016). Apart from that, it is important to remember that the most appropriate method should be chosen with regard to the specific product that needs to be cooked; for instance, in case of products containing a lot of water-soluble vitamins (such as meat and fish) it is necessary to prefer steaming over boiling, and this principle can be applied in other cases as well.

References

Australian dietary guidelines. (2013). Web.

Boz, Z., & Erdodu, F. (2015). Handbook of vegetable preservation and processing. New York, NY: CRC Press.

Bradly, T. (2013). Cooking and frying oils  How do they affect your health?Web.

Chen, B. (2015). Cooking methods and vitamin loss. Web.

Combs Jr, G. F., & McClung, J. P. (2016). The vitamins: Fundamental aspects in nutrition and health. London, UK: Academic Press.

Headspace requirements. (2017). Web.

Mota, C., Nascimento, A. C., Santos, M., Delgado, I., Coelho, I., Rego, A.,& & Castanheira, I. (2016). The effect of cooking methods on the mineral content of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), amaranth (Amaranthus sp.) and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 49(1), 57-64.

Nuts, health and kids. (2015). Web.

Spritzler, F. (2017). How cooking affects the nutrient content of foods. Web.

Symons, M. (2014). Australias cuisine culture: A history of our food.Web.

Tips to retain nutrients when cooking food. (2016). Web.

Vitamins and minerals. (2012). Web.

Food security is one of the most important factors that define quality of life in a given country. Candel and Biesbroek (2018) define food security as all people, at all times, having physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (p. 196). As shown in the definition above, food security is defined by a number of factors.

First, the issue of reliability is critical when a country is trying to ensure that it is food secure. Secondly, it should be sufficient. Having a supply of food that only meets the needs of a section of the society, especially the rich, is a sign of food insecurity. A food secure country should be able to meet nutritional needs of all its citizens irrespective of the socio-economic status. The third factor in the above definition is the affordability of the available food. It is not the responsibility of the government to buy food for its citizens. However, it is critical to make sure that the price of food is affordable to all citizens. Finally, the definition emphasizes the need to ensure that food made available for the citizens is nutritious.

Food security is a major concern in most developing countries. Several cases have been reported where people die of hunger in parts of Asia. According to Sahn (2015), extreme poverty is common in countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and parts of Asia. One of the major problems that people in these regions face is poor harvesting and storage strategies. During harvest periods, a significant amount of food is lost because of poor storage.

A few months after harvesting, citizens are left with little amount of food that cannot meet their needs. In Asia, such problems have been witnessed in countries such as Cambodia, Yemen, North Korea, Bangladesh, and Myanmar (Ulrichsen, 2017). Some of these countries are affected by prolonged drought while others suffer from constant internal armed conflicts. Food insecurity is a great hindrance to a countrys economic growth.

Importance of Food Security

Having a food secure country is critical for enhancing economic growth. According to Gardner (2013), food scarcity is one of the leading causes of various type diseases. Marasmus, kwashiorkor, and diarrhea are some of the leading causes of deaths among infants in the developing countries. Severe lack of nutrition and limited balanced diet may lead to marasmus or kwashiorkor. On the other hand, when a child has to eat unhygienic food items because of poverty may lead to diarrhea (Trauger, 2015).

Such conditions not only affect the family of the victims but also the government. More resources have to be set aside for the healthcare department because of the high number of people seeking for medical attention. Adults are not spared either from the problem of malnutrition. Goiter, scurvy, and xerophthalmia are medical conditions directly related with poor nutrition.

Food insecurity may have numerous social consequences if it is not addressed at the right time. Food is a basic need and when one is unable to afford it, he or she can do anything to have access to it. Some people engage in prostitution because of poverty. They expose themselves to dangerous diseases such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and many other venereal diseases. Others may opt to join criminal gangs to rob others as a way of getting basic needs. Amery (2015) explains that when a section of the society decides to engage in criminal activities to have access to basic needs, it is always a sign of failure on the side of the government. It may not be easy to achieve economic progress in a society where crime is common. As such, one of the first steps in enhancing a countrys economy is to ensure that there is food security.

Continental Asia has a population of over 4.5 billion people, which accounts for 60% of the total population in the world. According to Khoury et al. (2014), despite having 60% of the worlds total population, the continent only accounts for less than 30% of the earths total area. It has some of the most populated cities in the world such as Tokyo, Mumbai, Beijing, New Delhi, and Manila. China and India are the worlds most populous countries, each having more than 1.2 billion people.

With such a large population, food security is a major country. For instance, India has to ensure that its 1.225 billion citizens have access to nutritious and affordable food supply throughout the year. The ability of the region to provide reliable and nutritious food supply is affected by pollution, hash climatic conditions such as prolonged drought, flash floods, tsunamis (Hanieh, 2018). The region is also affected by political instability. Countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria are currently affected by civil wars that limit the ability of citizens to engage in meaningful economic activities.

The United Arab Emirates has remained relatively peaceful in a region that is currently affected by civil wars following the Arab Spring and War on Terror. The government of the UAE has invested many resources to ensure that the country does not over rely on the export of petroleum products as the main economic activity. Public-private sector partnership has been embraced to promote other sectors such as tourism, transport, and trade in the country. However, Eise and Foster (2018) warn that for the country to achieve the level of diversity it desires, it needs to address the issue of food security.

Given that the countrys population is growing rapidly, the government needs to ensure that there is a reliable flow of food throughout the year to meet the increasing demand. The country largely experiences drought for the better part of the year, which means that traditional agricultural practices are not sustainable (Godfray & Garnett, 2014). In this paper, the researcher will focus on ways and measures that can be taken to ensure that the UAE is food secure.

Background Information

The United Arab Emirates has a limited supply of rainfall throughout the year and limited amount of arable land. The country imports over 80% of its food supplies from other parts of the world (Ulrichsen, 2017). Soon after independence, oil became the primary economic activity in the country. The government and private sector players focused on the petroleum sector because of the growing market and improved international prices (Thompson & Amoroso, 2014).

Agriculture was ignored because the income generated from the sale of oil and gas would facilitate purchasing of food from other parts of the world. However, it is becoming increasingly important for the country to find better strategies of enhancing food security than what has been used in the past. The population of the country is growing rapidly. The strategy of the government to diversify the countrys economy is yielding fruits as tourism, real estate, transport, and trade continue to grow over the last decade. The growth of these industries means that the demand for food in the country is increasing.

The government and players in the private sectors have embraced varying strategies to ensure that the country is food secure. In this section of the report, the focus will be to discuss these strategies and determine their relevance in promoting availability of food in the country.

Promoting Local Agriculture

The government of the UAE has remained committed to promoting local agriculture. As the population of the country continues to increase, a need to enhance food security has become a major priority for the government. Although measures have been taken to ensure that the country imports enough foodstuffs needed by the local residents, new farming methods are promising to transform the local agricultural sector.

One of the concepts gaining popularity in the country is the use of greenhouses to cultivate vegetables and some fruits. Figure 1 below shows a farmer inspecting onions grown in a greenhouse. This concept is effective because it uses little water and crops tend to have higher yields than those grown in open fields. Chandrasekaran and Raghuram (2014) explain that when using greenhouse, one can use a small parcel of land to grow many crops. The controlled environment also means that plants are protected from various pests and diseases. A farmer is able to detect an emergence of a disease and immediate measure can be taken to avoid its spread to other plants or greenhouses.

Desalination is another growing concept that has the potential of transforming the countrys agricultural sector. As Chandrasekaran and Raghuram (2014) explain, one of the biggest challenges that the sector faces is the scarcity of water for irrigation. The limited freshwater available is often used for domestic purposes. The emerging technologies have made it possible to desalinate seawater at low costs for use in the agricultural sector. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) initiated a project meant to desalinate seawater and make it available for industrial and agricultural use (Thompson & Amoroso, 2014). The initiative will help more farmers to focus on crop production to help reduce the countrys reliance on imported food.

Opportunities for local farmers

Local farmers can take advantage of the opportunities that exist in the country to ensure that they achieve sustainable growth to compete with regional farmers. One of the biggest opportunities is the growing population of the country. According to Hanieh (2018), the countrys population of 9.5 million people is projected to increase to 11.5 million by 2015. The growing population is a sign that the market size is increasing.

It should be a proper motivation for the local players to increase their production. Access to the global market is another incentive that local farmers can take advantage of as they seek to expand their operations. The Dubai International Airport is the largest regional airport. The seaports have also increased in size and capacity over the past decade as Dubai becomes the gateway to Africa and the Middle East. It means that the local farm produce can easily be exported to regional and international markets because of improved means of transport.

New technologies in the field of agriculture are also promising to transform this sector. New seeds, which are drought resistant, have become popular, as they need minimal rain to grow to maturity. It is also becoming cheaper for the local farmers to desalinate seawater for irrigation. Embracing best practices from some of the neighboring countries has helped the local farmers be self-reliant. These initiatives have increased food production by increasing the size of arable land through irrigation.

Challenges faced by local farmers

The countrys farmers face numerous challenges that impede their ability to engage in large-scale agriculture. One of the biggest impediments is the limited supply of rainfall (Eise & Foster, 2018). The agricultural sector largely relies on a regular supply of rainfall during specific periods within the year. However, the country is often dry for the better part of the year, which means that local farmers cannot rely on rainwater.

They have to irrigate their land using the limited water available. Some of them are forced to desalinate seawater so that it can be used for irrigation. The cost of treating seawater and pumping it to the arable lands is relatively high. As such, it is cheaper for the country to import some food products, especially those that require large amounts of water, than to produce them locally.

Limited arable land is another issue. Areas of the land that would be suitable for agriculture is in locations that cannot be easily irrigated because of their terrain. Large-scale production, processing, transportation, and storage of oil in some parts of the country have led to land pollution. Oil spillage, according to Thompson and Amoroso (2014), has devastating consequences on agriculture.

Land affected by the spilled oil is not suitable for agriculture. Some players in the agricultural sectors have also complained that the government has failed to make necessary investment into this sector. The incentives offered to other industries such as trade and tourism has helped them grow. However, the same is yet to be done to the agricultural sector.

The availability of cheap food in the international market has been a major factor that hinders local agriculture in the UAE (Fischbach, 2018). Countries such as Brazil, India, France, and Japan have embraced sustainable agricultural practices, which enable them to produce more than what is needed locally. They export their farm produce to the international market at relatively low prices. Local farmers, who have to spend a lot in technology to produce food products, cannot compete with the imported products. Some of them opt to import instead of cultivating these food products because of the cost implications. The more the country relies on imported products, the lesser the local agricultural sector will grow.

Strategic Partnerships Regionally and Internationally

The government of the United Arab Emirates understands the need to increase food supplies in the country because of the growing population. It appreciates the fact that although initiatives have been introduced to promote local agriculture, the local production capacity cannot meet the growing demand. As such, it has embraced various strategies to ensure that the country is food secure. It has signed agreements with various countries to ensure that there is a steady supply of food. Various countries in Asia-Pacific export food products to the United Arab Emirates. It is necessary to look at some of the major suppliers of various food products in the country.

India

Rice is a popular food in the UAE for both the natives and immigrants. Unfortunately, the climatic condition in the country is not suitable for rice growing. As such, the country has a strategic partnership with India to ensure that this popular food is supplied reliably and in the right quantity. India is one of the worlds leading importers of oil. As it buys petroleum products from the UAE, it sells rice to the country to ensure that a balance of trade is achieved. Basmati rice from India has a huge market in local cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The relationship developed between these countries has ensured that some of the popular foodstuffs are always available for the locals.

Thailand

Thailand is known for its production of rice, meat, and fish that it exports to the international market. The United Arab Emirates has made steps to ensure that it promotes rearing of livestock. Sahn (2015) notes that the main challenge those local farmers who specialize on rearing of livestock are the time it takes these animals to mature. In the process, they use a lot of water and grass before they can be slaughtered.

It forces the country to supplement the locally produced beef with that imported from other countries. The close business relationship between Thailand and the UAE makes it possible for large beef companies in Thailand to export their products in the country. The UAE also relies on fish from Thailand. Hanieh (2018) explains that the demand for fish has grown significantly because of the increasing population.

Brazil

Brazil is known to produce soybeans and sugar in large quantities. Many people living in the United Arab Emirates take tea and soymeal almost on a daily basis (Ulrichsen, 2017). However, these crops cannot be produced locally in large quantities. Sugarcane takes several months to mature and require a lot of water. It is often grown in large plantations. The arable land in the UAE is limited, which makes it difficult for sugar to be produced locally.

The strategic partnership between Brazil and the UAE has made it possible for large sugar companies in Brazil to export their products to the UAE. The locals can have access to this important foodstuff at reliably throughout the year and at affordable price. Brazil also exports soybeans and other food products to the country. The desire to have a balance of trade between the UAE and this country has made it necessary for the country to accept import of various agricultural products.

Food Security in Asia

Asia as a continent has a rapidly growing population. However, some parts of this continent experience extreme weather conditions that make it impossible to practice agriculture. Overexploitation of natural resources is another problem in this continent. Such challenges may compromise the ability of a country to be food secure. It is important for countries on the continent to find ways of feeding its huge population. Various countries have embraced different strategies to meet their nutritional needs based on various environmental factors and resources at their disposal. It is necessary to look at some of the countries that have embraced best practices in food production.

China

China is the worlds most populous nation with over 1.3 billion people. Feeding such a large population may be a serious challenge when farmers are affected by the problem of climate change (Behnassi, Pollman, & Gupta, 2018). China not only produces enough food for its citizens but also exports excess produce on the regional and international markets. With over 300 million people actively employed in the agricultural sector, the country ranks first in the world in terms of farm produce. Wheat, rice, barley, sorghum, millet, soybeans, tea, peanuts, tomato, and potatoes are some of the main food crops grown in this country.

Before the land reforms that were introduced by Mao Zedong, land was primarily owned by rich property owners who determined what to grow. They heavily relied upon rainfall and in most cases, their crops were affected by extreme weather conditions.

However, the land reforms redefined agriculture in this country. Land was taken away from the rich and redistributed to the masses. New agricultural practices based on the emerging technologies were embraced to ensure that farmers do not rely on rainfall to water their plants. Currently, farming is fully mechanized in this country. Famers are using modern machines and tools to prepare the land for planting, to weed, and harvest their crops. Measures are also taken to protect crops from pests and extreme weather conditions. Chinese are currently producing enough maize to meet the local demand and export excess to the international market.

Japan

Japan is one of the most populated countries in the world. According to Oda, Rupprecht, Tsuchiya, and McGreevy (2018), Japan was one of the worst affected countries during the Second World War. The government realized that one of the best ways of restoring economic growth was to ensure that the country was food secure. Working closely with private sector players, government agencies came up with different programs to enhance agricultural production.

Mechanization was considered one of the best steps in improving agricultural production. Rice is the staple food in Japan. By introducing mechanization, local farmers were able to produce enough to meet the local demand. In fact, Oda et al. (2018) explain that Japan is currently exporting rice to the regional and international markets because of the initiatives it has embraced.

Urban agriculture is another initiative that has proven successful in Japan. The growing population in the country means that new initiatives must be embraced to ensure that increased food demand is met. Urban agriculture has become a reliable farming approach where farmers use small greenhouses within spall spaces to grow fruits and vegetables (Oda et al., 2018). The move is meant to ensure that urban dwellers have access to fresh vegetables throughout the year.

The concept of urban agriculture has gained momentum because of the growing demand for low chemical and organic food in major cities. Some suppliers are keen on ensuring that they only sell organic farm produce to their customers. The strategy has reduced the demand for large-scale farmers to produce vegetables, making it easy for them to focus on rice production. Such strategies can be embraced in the UAE.

Partnerships as a Strategy to Enhance Food Security

It is important to note that sometimes a country may not grow some crops or keep some animals needed in the local market because of various factors such as unfavorably climatic conditions. Some countries in the Middle East have achieved success despite the harsh climatic conditions by embracing science-based farming methods (Tschirley, Reardon, Dolislager, & Snyder, 2015). However, some of them are unable to maintain steady production of some of the popular food products.

The unreliable rainfall makes it difficult for the local famers in Bahrain to produce enough beef to meet the local demand. As such, the Bahrain government has signed trade agreements with beef producing countries such as Brazil to ensure that this popular foodstuff is readily available in the country. In such trade agreements, Brazil exports maize products to Bahrain. On the other hand, Bahrain exports its minerals to Brazil.

The goal is to ensure that there is a balance of trade between the two countries. According to Trauger (2015), having such trade agreements is crucial in ensuring that the deficit is met in an economical manner. Terms are often agreed-upon by the two governments to ensure traders, who may want to charge high prices for their imports, do not exploit local consumers. Despite some of the best practices that China has embraced, it still has to import dairy products, some beverages, and soybeans from other countries. Like Bahrain, China has trade deals with European Union and North American countries to ensure that these products are made available in the local market at reasonable prices. In exchange, it exports industrial products to these countries.

How the United Arab Emirates Can Embrace the Best Practices

The United Arab Emirates can learn from some of the regional and international best practices as it strives to achieve food security for its growing population. The first step should be benchmarking. The local players in the country should use best practices witnessed in countries within the European Union to redefine the most appropriate approach that they should take to promote local agriculture. Other than embracing the concept of irrigation, these countries are keen on importing food products not available locally (Candel & Biesbroek, 2018). The local farmers have a lot to learn from some of the Egyptian farmers.

The two countries experience similar climatic conditions. They both have limited amount of rainfall throughout the year. Despite these similarities, the UAE imports over 85% of its food while Egypt has put measures to ensure that it is food secure. It means that Egypt has developed unique farming practices that local farmers in the UAE should embrace. The second step is to develop partnerships and trade agreements with other countries to ensure that foodstuff that cannot be produced locally is imported at reasonable cost that can be affordable to the locals. These strategies will ensure that the country is food secure. The sustainable socio-economic development of a country depends on its ability to maintain steady supply of food.

Recommendations

The United Arab Emirates has one of the fastest developing economies in North Africa and Middle East (MENA) region. The countrys population is also growing rapidly in part because of the economic immigrants coming to take advantage of the local job opportunities. However, the country is affected by the problem of limited arable land and scarcity of water that forces it to rely on imported food products. Measures should be taken to enhance the countrys food security. The following recommendations should be taken into consideration to enhance the countrys food security:

• The primary focus of the government should be to promote local agriculture to reduce reliance on imported foodstuffs. As such, incentives such as reduced taxation and promotion of locally produced products should be used to motivate local farmers to increase their production capacity.
• Local farmers should embrace best farming practices to improve their production. Some countries in South America such as Brazil are using modern technologies to increase their crop production. Embracing such practices may increase local production of various agricultural products.
• It may be necessary to take these farmers through some form of government-sponsored training in foreign countries so that they can learn how to use limited available land to produce adequate food for the country.
• The government should identify foods that cannot be viably produced locally, such as sugar and rice, and develop measures that will ensure that they are always available for the locals. A strategic partnership with some of the leading rice and sugar producers may be used to ensure that these products are made available to residents of the country at affordable prices.
• Investors in the UAE can consider investing in the agricultural sectors of foreign countries with the primary aim of selling their produce to the local market. Producing rice in countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh is relatively cheap. Given that they understand the market gap, they will know the amount of rice or sugar that needs to be imported into the country.

Conclusion

Food security is one of the most important parameters of standards of living in a given country. The United Arab Emirates is one of the emerging economies in the world. The government, working closely with private sector players, has managed to diversify the economy of the country to help reduce its reliance on the oil and gas sector. Currently, the city of Dubai is one of the top global tourists destinations.

It also has a robust real estate sector that is attracting both regional and international investors. These economic achievements have attracted many people from different countries into the local cities as tourists or economic migrants. Food security is emerging as a major concern in the country as the population continues to increase. As shown in this paper, it is necessary for the government to ensure that its citizens have access to quality affordable food at all times.

The government and private players can use various strategies to ensure that the country is food secure. One of the most important strategies is to embrace emerging technologies in agriculture to ensure that the limited space and scarce water can be used effectively to increase food production in the country. It is also necessary for the government to have trade agreements with countries producing sugar, rice, and other popular food products not available the country. The trade deals should be made to ensure that these products are reliably made available to the locals at affordable prices. It may require elimination of brokers who may hike prices of imported food products to make high profits.

References

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Behnassi, M., Pollman, O., & Gupta, H. (Eds.). (2018). Climate change, food security, and natural resource management. New York, NY: Springer.

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Introduction

The contemporary society faces multiple challenges that to a greater degree are associated with its consumer character. The constantly increasing demand for new products and goods contributed to the blistering development of all spheres of industry and their acquisition of a key role in the modern world. At the same time, this dynamic growth is responsible for the significant deterioration of the environment affected by emissions, waste, and pollution generated due to the work of multiple factories and plants.

The critical state of basic elements needed for peoples living and further development triggered vigorous debates in the society about the need to refuse from the heavy use of science and industry in areas critical for the survival and environment. These discussions created the basis for the emergence of the phenomenon of organic food free from the impact of science and as a result more useful for people and environmentally friendly. At the moment, it is considered a potent solution to the problem of genetically modified food (Zukerman 2016). However, there from the scientists point of view, its development should not be promoted.

Organic food can be determined as products manufactured in accordance with the existing standard of organic farming which means that the use of pesticides, fertilisers, synthetic food additives, and irradiation is strongly prohibited. The cycle can be presented in the following way:

At the same time, production of conventional products can be described in this way:

It is expected that organic sort of nutrition will have a positive impact on the health status of nations across the world and contribute to the development of a new lifestyle characterised by the increased attention to the environment and decreased role of science in manufacturing products needed for individuals survivals (Paritosh et al. 2017). However, despite numerous claims that the given practice is the solution to problems that the society faces, scientists do not recognise the necessity in the promotion of organic food as it can hardly be a promising way of the evolution of the community and its further becoming less dependent on weather conditions, natural disasters, and other factors that cannot be predicted of changed.

Discussion

One of the first pieces of evidence proving the idea that from the scientific point of view the method mentioned above should be promoted is that there is no sufficient evidence in the credible literature that organic food is safer or healthier (Aubrey 2016). The majority of investigations devoted to the issue have not found radical differences in the ways conventionally grown, and organic products impact people (Baranski et al. 2017).

Regardless of numerous claims that so-called genetically modified vegetables, fruits or corns undermine the health status in the long-term perspective, three is no proof of this idea (Mie et al., 2017).

Moreover, the prolonged use of organically farmed products does not have an obviously beneficial impact on consumers (Is organic food better for you? n.d.). At the same time, there is no difference in taste, which is always used as one of the advantages of the new way of farming (Is organic food actually better? Heres what the science says 2018). For this reason, there are no serious grounds for the complete shift of priorities from the conventional to new products.

Accepting the argument suggested above, another problem with organic food emerges. The fact is that it prohibits any scientific intervention to improve the quality of final products or assist plants in their growth (Von Essen & Englander 2013). In such a way, science becomes deprived of one of the potentially promising spheres of its development.

For decades, agriculture has remained a domain that attracted the attention of scientists and provided them with the basis for many research projects focused on the investigation of the ways to increase plants resistance to multiple impacts, improve their ability to grow in various conditions, and productivity. The prohibition to interfere means stagnation and gradual decline in a particular branch of science and other spheres connected with it. In such a way, organic food becomes a threat to the evolution of science and its future ability to meet peoples requirements.

Another reason not to promote organic food from the scientific point of view is critical differences in conditions needed to grow various cultures. For instance, due to the massive and effective use of science, the modern society acquired the opportunity to enjoy fruits, vegetables, and crops not typical for the area (Von Essen & Englander 2013). It can be considered a significant achievement of researchers who managed to increase resistance to various factors and create new sorts adapted to local conditions (Lott 2015).

This process, at the same time, became a potent stimulus that guaranteed the further development of particular fields of science and their growing importance (Von Essen & Englander 2013). However, the prevalence of organic products characterised by the limited or even minimal use of innovative decisions will end the era of research, which will have a negative impact on the overall society because of the decline of other spheres of science associated with the agriculture sector and its support.

Finally, another potent argument against the promotion of organic food from the scientific perspective is that today humanity faces the problem of overpopulation. Millions of people in growing cities have an increased demand for food and products.

To satisfy these demands, an extraordinary effort of multiple industries supported by science is needed. Researchers report significant progress in the creation of engineered food that will be able to provide all people with nutrients fundamental for their survival and development (Ronald & Adamchak 2018). At the same time, the shift of priority from these projects to the question of organic farming will mean the reduced attention to projects mentioned above. At the same time, the science will have to face a new challenge associated with the lack of human resources because of the decreased need for projects in the sphere of agriculture.

Conclusion

In such a way, these facts evidence the idea that from the scientific perspective, the development and further spread of organic food should not be promoted. First of all, there is no credible evidence of its beneficial impact on the health of nations, especially if to compare with the conventionally farmed products. Second, there is no difference in tastes which means that this factor will not impact peoples choice.

Finally, it can pose a threat to the development of science, especially spheres closely connected with the growth, cultivation, and the further spread of the most popular products. From the scientific perspective, the promotion of engendered food becomes a preferable option as it will help to provide all people with food and prevent them from starving.

At the same time, these projects will create the basis for new research needed to grow crops to support rising countries and provide populations with the required food. From the discussion, it also becomes apparent that science is concerned with the further improvement of products to make them more beneficial which means a new era for farming and goods.

Reference List

Aubrey, A 2016, Is organic more nutritious? New study adds to the evidence, National Public Radio. Web.

Baranski, M, Rempelos, L, Iversen, P & Leifert, C 2017, Effects of organic food consumption on human health; the jury is still out!, Food & Nutrition Research, vol. 61, no. 1. Web.

Is organic food actually better? Heres what the science says 2018. Web.

Is organic food better for you? n.d. Web.

Lott, J 2015, Natural deception: a sobering look at the truth behind the organic food industry, Archangel Ink, New York, NY.

Mie, A, Andersen, H, Gunnarson, S, Kahl, J, Kesse-Guyot, E, Rembialkowska, E, Quaglio, G & Grandjean, P 2017, Human health implications of organic food and organic agriculture: a comprehensive review, Environmental Health, vol. 6, no. 111, pp. 1-22. Web.

Paritosh, K, Kushwaha, S, Yadav, M, Pareek, N, Chawade, A & Vivekanand, V 2017. Food waste to energy: an overview of sustainable approaches for food waste management and nutrient recycling, BioMed Research International, vol. 2017, pp. 1-19. Web.

Ronald, P & Adamchak, R 2018, Tomorrows table: organic farming, genetics, and the future of food, 2nd edn, Oxford University Pres, New York, NY.

Von Essen, E & Englander, M 2013, Organic food as a healthy lifestyle: a phenomenological psychological analysis, International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, vol. 8. Web.

Zukerman, W 2016, Science vs organic food: is it really any better for you?, News Com.au. Web.

Introduction

The concern for the environment becomes more widespread all around the world, and people try to change their lifestyle to minimise the potential harm to the ecology. Consuming organic food and supporting organic farmers are some of the most straightforward ways to contribute to the cause without significant efforts. According to New York Post (2015, p. 16), the U.S. Department of Agriculture certifies products as organic if they meet certain requirements including being produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, or routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones. Thus, for farmers it a conscious choice that entails hard labour and extra resources, and it should be worth doing.

Main Body

Organic farming is a form of agriculture that employs crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control, but sometimes fertilizers and pesticides are also allowed, though only if they are considered natural (Fedigan 2015). There are some advantages related to organic farming, most of them pertaining to the ethical use of soil, seeds and labour to decrease the negative impact of human activities on the landscape, water, people and wildlife.

Ecological agriculture, being a part of organic farming, is relevant not only for developed countries but even more so for the developing world because it can contribute to the growth of local peoples income, employment and socio-economic stability (Tiraieyari, Hamzar & Samah 2017). However, this approach has some disadvantages too, as not all countries are suitable for traditional crop production systems due to problematic soil and rapid growth of population.

For example, to avoid food shortage and extra labour local farmers in Tanzania had to start using glyphosate after years of the traditional approach to growing maize (Lotter 2015). It was approved for small farm use and helped them fight weeds which otherwise would have needed ploughing, and, thus, protected the soil from deterioration and gave sufficient harvest.

Growing interest in fitness and quality of life, environmental preservation and safe products encourage US families to choose organic. In 2011 organic food sales reached $29.2 billion and had been rising an average of 9.4% for the next five years (Lee & Yun 2015, p. 259). A whole range of factors influences the choice of consumers in favour of organic products, even though the price for them is usually higher.

Rana and Paul (2017) overviewed several studies on the topic of the behaviour and intentions of buyers and summarised the results from the USA, Sweden, Malaysia and Italy. According to them, most people associate organic products with wellbeing and pleasure, and consumers choose certified organic food to adhere to a healthy diet and good nutrition to make their lives more wholesome. Another crucial reason for the widespread popularity of organic food is the idea of its safety due to the absence of chemicals in the process of its production. This feature is a considerable advantage over conventionally grown food because people tend to avoid possibly harmful substances.

It is important to notice that organic refers to the way the food is produced, but not to its inherent qualities. Contrary to general beliefs, organic products do not have extra nutritional value when compared to other products, when 51% of buyers confirm that they choose organic for its nutritional characteristics (Fung 2015). However, promoting organic products in this way would mean misleading people; thus, the emphasis should lie with the safe process of production.

Concerns towards the current ecological situation are also one of the driving forces in ethical consumerism. Those who want to participate in the protection of the environment and cut the negative impact of human activities on the environment buy organic products. It is also one of the popular trends in developed countries as a healthy lifestyle becomes more affordable, and people tend to invest in organic food.

Promoting organic food requires a special approach, oriented at the local people, and a steady supply as, according to Rana and Paul (2017), less availability of organic food at retail stores remains a key deterrent and barrier in generating sales and customer loyalty (p. 162). This data is also confirmed by research carried out by way of interviews of regular organic food buyers in retail and organic food stores in Germany.

This study showed that organic products make up less than half of their budget, and the main reason for that is insufficient availability (Buder, Feldmann & Hamm 2014). Thus, buyers need to be more confident about the reliability of the suppliers and vendors to purchase more organic products. This correlation is proved by the analysis of questionnaires collected at different food markets, and the findings showed that consumers tend to make decisions based on a trust in the organic label (Liang 2016).

It is a common case when farmers have doubts about engaging in organic farming because of the difficult and expensive certification process, a limited number of sales channels and restricted market. However, certification is seen by people as a guarantee of quality and safety, so it helps to promote organic products and make it worth the effort for farmers.

Finding original routes to potential consumers of organic products and raising awareness of its benefits are vital for successful promotion and further development of farmers. The study conducted by Kummer, Hirner and Milestad (2015) explores an example of growing clientele and establishing long-term cooperation with them with the help of subscription boxes. They were filled with different organic products, accompanied by leaflets with the information on the food and its producers, and eventually sent to the subscribers. This scheme satisfied both farmers and customers because it allowed flexibility, was easy to use and formed direct relations between producers and consumers.

Conclusion

Going organic for farmers means adopting certain social and political views because the idea is closely related to environmental politics and directly supports its causes. This is the reason for organic products to be viewed as a contribution to the ecology, and not as a way to a healthier diet, as there is no evidence for its nutritional superiority. An inventive approach to promotion and honesty in relationships with customers should help organic farmers to profit because this market still holds significant potential and interest for many people.

Reference List

Buder, F, Feldmann, C & Hamm, U 2014, Why regular buyers of organic food still buy many conventional products: product-specific purchase barriers for organic food consumers, British Food Journal, vol. 116, no. 3, pp. 390-404.

Fedigan, L 2015, 21st century homestead: organic farming, Lulu.com, Morisville, NC.

Fung, B 2015, Organic food is worth the extra cost, in A Francis (ed), Organic Food, Greenhaven Press, Farmington Hills, MI, pp. 10-14.

Kummer, S, Hirner, P & Milestad, R 2015, How growth of a local organic box scheme influences supplying farmers, Scientific Journal for Phytotechnics and Zootechnics, vol. 18, pp. 83-85.

Lee, H & Yun, Z 2015, Consumers perceptions of organic food attributes and cognitive and affective attitudes as determinants of their purchase intentions toward organic food, Food Quality and Preference, vol. 39, pp. 259-267.

Liang, RD 2016, Predicting intentions to purchase organic food: the moderating effects of organic food prices, British Food Journal, vol. 118, no. 1, pp.183-199.

Lotter, D 2015, Facing food insecurity in Africa: why, after 30 years of work in organic agriculture, I am promoting the use of synthetic fertilizers and herbicides in small-scale staple crop production, Agriculture and Human Values, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 111-118.

New York Post 2015, Eating organic food isnt that much healthier, study finds, in A Francis (ed), Organic Food, Greenhaven Press, Farmington Hills, MI, pp. 14-18.

Rana, J & Paul J 2017, Consumer behavior and purchase intention for organic food: a review and research agenda, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 38 pp. 157-165.

Tiraieyari, N, Hamzar, A & Samah, BA 2014, Organic farming and sustainable agriculture in Malaysia: organic farmers challenges towards adoption, Asian Social Science, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 1-7.

Introduction

In the contemporary world, with its continuously growing birth rates and developing international industries, the problem of overconsumption is presented evidently. It is possible to observe that this issue has an immense impact on the majority of aspects of modern life. Overpopulation demands more goods and services for a greater number of individuals, and the companies, trying to meet the demand, tend to overproduce, which leads to the exhaustion of the natural resources and the pollution of the environment. It is evident that the overconsumption of food products (and, accordingly, the growing amount of food waste) is one of the most important aspects of the issue under consideration. Therefore, the goals of this paper are: (1) to identify the problem of food overconsumption, (2) to discuss the critical factors which influence the development of the given issue, (3) to propose a solution, and (4) to observe possible challenges and limitations, related to the implementation of the solution.

Identification of the Problem

Historical Changes in the Food Industry

First of all, it essential to identify the problem under consideration and to elaborate on its principal aspects. One of the most important causes which led to the current situation was the changes in agricultural practice that took place in the second half of the 20th century (Kearney 2010). Developed countries became more capable of providing greater amounts of food with less seasonal dependence. Since the average income level increased and the food prices were reduced, more significant diversity of nutrition products became available for a wider amount of people from different classes. The combination of the mentioned factors is the causal aspect of the contemporary growing level of overconsumption.

Statistics and Trends

Further, the most common trends in the given issue are to be discussed. In his profound research of the subject matter, Kearney (2010) employs two primary sources of information about food consumption: food balance sheets and individual dietary surveys. Based on this data, he implemented large-scale research, which covers the nutrition patterns on global, regional, and inter-country levels. In general, Kearney (2010, p. 2794) notices that the worldwide amount of food consumption per person has been improved, rising from 2411 to 2789 kcal per person per day between 1969/1971 and 1999/2001 respectively. However, the author observes that several developing countries are still experiencing the problem of under-nutrition. Further, he focuses on the topic of overconsumption. He distinguishes the following categories of food products: (1) cereals, (2) meat, (3) dairy products (eggs, milk, etc.), (4) fish, (5) vegetables, roots, tubers, fruits, and (6) energy providers (vegetable oils, animal fats, and sugar) (Kearney 2010).

Observations and Projections

Assessing the results of his research, Kearney makes some notable observations. He notices that there was a threefold increase (62%) in the consumption of meat products on a worldwide scale since 1963 (Kearney 2010, p. 2796). Another trend which he mentions is the growing overconsumption of wheat, compared to other cereals. On the contrary, the intake of dairy products (most notably, milk) has shown a significant decrease, compared to the consumption of carbonated beverages and juices (Kearney 2010). Concerning the category of vegetables and fruits, it is possible to notice that, compared to the levels of production, the intake of this type remains to be significantly declining on a worldwide scale. Summarising the facts mentioned above, one could argue that the global trends of consuming food products are particularly worrying. The following sections will discuss the factors which have a direct impact on the growing overconsumption rates.

Discussion of the Principal Factors

Since the common trends in consuming the food products were discussed, it is possible to identify the factors which have a significant impact on the development of the given issue. Firstly, the results of the research by Kearney will be employed to describe the external factors because they primarily drive the rate of overconsumption. The researcher argues that the following causes are influencing the given issue: income, urbanization, the impact of transnational food corporations, food industry marketing, consumer attitudes, and behavior (Kearney 2010). Secondly, the role of self-control in food intake will be observed since it is the internal factor that also contributes to the problem under consideration.

Level of Income

As it was already mentioned, the global level of income has grown significantly over in recent decades. Kearney (2010, p. 2802) suggests that this level is projected to grow at a rate of 2% annually. He also mentions that the developing countries are expected to grow even faster since their economies are expanding twice as fast as in industrial countries (Kearney 2010). Even though it is evident that higher income increases the availability of diverse and healthy nutrition, there are additional factors that influence an individuals dietary patterns. For example, well-educated people are capable of developing a healthy diet, while people from lower classes tend to make adverse food choices since they have limited access to nutritional education (Kearney 2010).

Urbanization

The amount of people residing in urban areas has grown immensely from the beginning of the 20th century, with the increase from 10 to 50 percent of the global population (Kearney 2010, p. 2802). This factor appears to be one of the most influencing among others since urban habitation conditions have a vastly negative impact on dietary patterns. The process of urbanization has numerous consequences for the consumption of food products. First of all, the developed infrastructure makes the distribution of the supplies more efficient. Secondly, the greater impact of mass media in urban areas leads to improved and more influencing marketing. Thirdly, it is important to mention that urban workplaces require significantly lower amounts of energy than the jobs in rural areas, and, therefore, the higher risk of obesity and diabetes is developed (Kearney 2010).

Transnational food corporations

Another important factor that should be mentioned is the influence of transnational food corporations (TFCs), including franchises and manufacturers such as McDonalds, KFC, Kraft, and others (Kearney 2010). Their products and services immensely shape the modern lifestyle, and, in particular, they have a significant impact on the dietary patterns. This process directly correlates with the globalization of the food industry. Fast-food meals, rich in calories and easy in processing and manufacturing, replaced the traditional nutrition patterns.

Food industry marketing

Further, it is essential to mention another driving factor of the overconsumption problem, which is food industry marketing. It is possible to state that, recently, very profound changes took place in the marketing and distribution of nutrition products. The aggressive marketing and promotion by the growing supermarket networks along with TFCs vastly contributed to the changing of dietary and consuming patterns (Vartanian, Kernan & Wansink 2017). For example, beverage consumption in the United States has changed dramatically over the last 50 years due to massive advertising and additional subsidies from the producers of corn syrup (Kearney 2010). This example shows that the food industry marketing is capable of changing an individuals nutrition patterns.

Behavioral patterns of the consumers

Finally, it is important to mention the internal factor, influencing the rates of overconsumption, which is consumer attitudes and behavior. It is evident that the decisions of an average consumer are vastly impacted by external factors, such as level of income, availability of different nutrition options, and aggressive marketing. However, personal-psychological, and behavioral patterns along with self-control are also important elements, contributing to overconsumption. For example, stressful and chaotic nutrition environments can have a significant adverse impact on personal dietary patterns, which leads to overconsuming food products (Vartanian, Kernan & Wansink 2017).

Proposing the Solution

Since the problem of food, overconsumption was identified, and the current trends and driving factors were analyzed, it is possible to propose a solution for the given issue. One could argue that inadequate consumption of the nutrition products results not only in the exhaustion of natural resources and development of health issues but also in the immense amounts of food waste, which results in pollution of the environment (Alexander & Moran 2017). Therefore, it is proposed that the first stage of fighting with overconsumption is the reduction of individual impact on the environment by organizing the disposal of food waste efficiently. It is evident that large amounts of food are wasted due to the inability of an individual to consume everything that he or she buys. Thus, it is possible to contribute to the surpluses of food to organizations such as public shelters. Another policy that could be implemented is the promotion of nutrition education since many people are not aware of healthy dietary patterns.

Possible Challenges and Limitations

In the previous section, two possible solutions for the problem of overconsumption were proposed. Nevertheless, it is essential to discuss limitations and challenges, which can emerge in the process of implementing. First of all, the positive outcomes of reducing the food disposal are limited because this policy primarily works on the individual and local scale, but it does not contribute much to the decreasing of global pollution (Alexander & Moran 2017). Secondly, it is possible to observe that the promotion of nutrition education is significantly challenging since it vastly depends on the current educational level of an individual. It means that it would be more complicated for people from lower classes to develop healthy dietary patterns.

Conclusion

Finally, it is essential to come to several conclusions. First of all, the current trends in the consumption of food products were discussed and analyzed. Secondly, it is evident from this assessment that there are numerous factors which influence the overconsumption in the contemporary world. Thirdly, there were proposed two solutions, which aim to reduce the levels of over-consuming, and their limitations and challenges were discussed. In general, it is possible to conclude that the issue of overconsumption appears to be one of the contemporary global problems which demand the solution.

Reference List

Alexander, P & Moran, D 2017, Rethinking food waste for a healthier planet, The Lancet Planetary Health, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 170-171.

Kearney, J 2010, Food consumption trends and drivers, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, vol. 365, pp. 2793-2807.

Vartanian, LR, Kernan, KM & Wansink, B 2017, Clutter, chaos, and overconsumption: The role of mind-set in stressful and chaotic food environments, Environment and Behavior, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 215-223.

Funding Body

For this project, the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) organization will be selected as a funding body due to its goals and relevance. In particular, US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme will be targeted as a project that integrates United States of America (USA), Northern Ireland (NI), and Republic of Ireland (RoI) (US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme n.d.). It is required by the programme that researchers should be involved in the study of their subjects in all three mentioned jurisdictions.

Such tri-partite research seems to be an excellent opportunity to conduct a comprehensive study and examine the topic area in a detailed manner. The chosen funding body goals are consistent with those of the proposed project: to promote creative innovations and improve health of populations (Mission and goals 2017). Indeed, the issue of nutrition becomes one of the most critical concerns of todays healthcare theory and practice.

Among other fields of research, SFI supports health studies in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), which makes the identified programme appropriate for the proposed project (SFIs vision, mission & core values n.d). Since the associations between food texture and health outcomes are important for understanding how to enhance current health practices, it is expected that these organizations will be interested in the project. In addition, the scale of the project also fits the timeframe and budget set by SFI. The support provided by NIH and NSF is necessary for collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and disseminating valuable data, thus expanding knowledge regarding the impact of food textures on health changes.

Peer Review Journal

The selection of a peer-reviewed journal for publication of study findings is not an easy task. Nowadays, there is a global burden of various studies in medicine and clinical research (Kovanis, Porcher, Ravaud, & Trinquart, 2016). The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (EJCN), a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on human nutrition, is selected as the source for the publication of the project results. The fact that this journal welcomes various international studies on clinical, epidemiological, and metabolic areas makes it pertinent to the proposed project. EJCN ranks 37 out of 81 journals in the field of nutrition and dietetics, and its 5-year Impact factor is 3.293 (About the journal n.d.).

Compared to other journals such as the Journal of Food Science, The European Journal of Food Research and Review, or Food Research International, the chosen article is more characteristic of nutrition research and its impacts on health issues. More to the point, it seems important to publish the results of the study in the international journal since the research will integrate data from three jurisdictions. The scope of EJCN is more appropriate to the projects aim and potential contribution.

The target audience of this journal is composed of scholars, practitioners, and patients who want to be aware of the latest discoveries in nutrition. It is expected that the study will also be of interest for conducting further research in this area (About the journal n.d.). It should also be pointed out that based on implications and limitations of the proposed project, it will be possible to elaborate on the given topic and share obtained knowledge. Thus, the paramount idea of EJCN is to create a platform where authors may cooperate with each other and conduct vital research, which is appropriate for the projects scope.

References

About the journal n.d. Web.

Kovanis, M., Porcher, R., Ravaud, P., & Trinquart, L. (2016). The global burden of journal peer review in the biomedical literature: strong imbalance in the collective enterprise. PLoS One, 11(11), 1-14.

Mission and goals. 2017. Web.

SFIs vision, mission & core values. n.d. Web.

US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme. n.d. Web.

Introduction

Organic farming is a controversial topic since the opinions on this issue are split. Organic food is grown and produced using natural methods, and it is believed that such products are safer and more nutritious than conventionally processed ones due to the rejection of the use of any artificial additives or chemicals. The purpose of this discussion is to provide arguments to prove that organic food should not be promoted.

Arguments

There is limited evidence proving that organic foods are healthier and have a greater nutritional value than conventionally produced products (Smith-Spangler et al. 2012). In addition, conventional farming makes effective use of land to grow crops enough for feeding the nation. Meanwhile, organic farming requires a greater amount of land to produce a similar amount of food. It is quite likely that organic farming may become the cause of further environmental degradation (Clark & Tilman 2017).

Moreover, organic fruit and vegetables should be grown without the use of pesticides and dangerous chemicals, which means that farmers should resort to fertilisers that are often synthetic. Out-of-season crops are another issue since they are actively consumed by the population. Their availability in the market requires the use of energy-intensive methods, which is inappropriate for organic farming.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that organic food should not be promoted from the farmers point of view. One of the main disadvantages of organic farming is a pronounced yield gap, which can be minimised through greater land use that causes environmental degradation as a consequence. In addition, lower energy consumption does not imply that this strategy will lead to reduced emissions. Moreover, organic food production is closely tied to seasonality and location, which means that it will be difficult to provide the nation with the necessary amount of food.

Reference List

Clark, M & Tilman, D 2017, Comparative analysis of environmental impacts of agricultural production systems, agricultural input efficiency, and food choice, Environmental Research Letters, vol. 12, no. 6, pp. 1-11.

Smith-Spangler, C, Brandeau, ML, Hunter, GE, Bavinger, JC, Pearson, M, Eschbach, PJ, Sundaram, V, Liu, H, Schirmer, P, Stave, C, Olkin, I & Bravata, DM 2012, Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review, Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 157, no. 5, pp. 348-366.

Genetically engineering/modified food (GMFs)

Scientific and technological innovations have been used to solve major disasters facing the world; hunger is one of the oldest social disasters facing the human and animal race. Different countries have varying views on whether genetically manufactured foods (GMFs) are a lasting solution to the world food of problem or they are a solution that creates another problem. Supported GMFs perceive innovation in technology and science as the healer of world economic, social, and political problems.

GMFs results from plants or animals whose growth and development has been facilitated by insertion or deletion of some natural genes; the main aim is to have animal and plants maturing fast for consumption. GMFs were first introduced in the market in early 1990 however, different viewpoints on whether they should be fully adopted or not have limited their adoption. Some of the early-modified foods include potatoes, tomatoes, nuts, peas, and pigs. This paper, in the form of a dialogue between Nathalie, a protagonist of GMFs, and Ricky, an antagonist of GMFs, discusses the opposing sides of GMFs.

Writers position

I support the production of GMFs in large quality; I hold the opinion that they can offer a lasting solution to food problems facing the world. I take this opinion after analyzing the potential of the world in producing food naturally and the population growth rate. As much as there are environmental and health implications, GMFs can offer the world a food breakthrough.

Dialogue

(Both parties sitting down and taking a deep breath)

Nathalie: (clearing his throat) with the current world population growth rate, natural resources have been strained, and expecting that they will support the worlds food needs without taking on measures to facilitate and fasten production is not being realistic. I agree that there have been measures to restore, conserve, and manage the environment; however, the success of set problems is wanting. Take an example of South Africa and the United States of America that have accepted the production, they have been able to feed their population better than countries like Kenya, which debates whether to accept them or not are ongoing.

Ricky: (rubbing his hands together) Nathalie, I understand your concerns, however, GMFs are short-term solutions that will cause more danger than good in the end. Decisions made by countries like Austria, France, Germany, Greece, and Luxembourg to ban the production of GMFs was reached after close analysis of dangers that they can cause to both human and animals.

Nathalie: Ricky, let me give you some of the advantages that GMFs have over none-genetically modified foods (NGMFs), GMFs are more resistant to pest and diseases. In their modification, scientists consider the location that seed will be planted, thus will make brands that can resistance diseases prone in an area. They also consider the climate of an area to ensure that the model produced will be effective. Secondly, GMFs grow faster than NGMFs, these food take a short period to mature and thus are an effective way to cure hunger in the world. They also have high protein content than NGMFs.

Ricky: (scratching his head) other than having food on the table, the quality and health implications of food taken by animals and human beings should be of great concern. The greatest asset that the world can have is a healthy population. Chemicals used to modify and enhance production have negative implications for users of the foods; the dangers include diseases like cancer, liver damage, and kidney failure when used by human beings. Alternatively, there have been campaigns to conserve, preserve, and manage the environment however, GMFs are a threat to the environment as the chemicals used limit the productivity of the land.

Nathalie: (smiling and shaking his head as a sign of understanding), Ricky, you ague well and I like you stand, however, it is important to be a realist; the most burning problem facing the world today is not diseases, its not environmental damage, but it needs to feed the increasing population. As much as your concerns hold, if the world can handle the problem at hand then the solution to arising problems can be devised.

Ricky: (clearing his throat), what is the need of creating a problem; Nathalie, you seem to forget on how hard it is to solve a solution, some diseases that can arise as a result of chemical use have proved to be un-treatable; chemicals used threaten the natural way of producing. When these chemicals are used, they violate the principle of sustainable development where the current generation should utilize available resources in a way that does not limit the enjoyment that future generation will have, thus GMFs will offer a short-term solution for example, and soils cannot support the production for a long period like the case of NGMFs.

Nathalie: as much as there is a need to protect the environment and ensure that the world is healthy, the effects that drought has, is more devastating than what diseases and environmental damage can have. People in the different worlds are dying of hunger especially in developing countries, these people need to be fed first so as they can have the energy and will to look for a solution for their problems.

I think the debate is interesting and is continuous in different parts of the world; as much as there is a need to feed the world population, I have noted with concerns your arguments, but I still plead with you to understand and see the situation from my point of view (Engdahl, 360).

Ricky: (smiling as a sign of relief) I see, you point Nathalie, and I support your side of the story, however, I think the move to GMFs should be taken but some modifications need to be done in the system. The same technology that developed the foods should innovate methods of preventing dangers that the foods are likely to bring to human and animal lives (Engdahl, 361).

Nathalie: Oh yes, I agree some modifications need to be made. (Standing), thank you and have a good day.

Ricky: (standing and stretching his hand for a handshake) welcome and have a good day.

My opinion

Despite environmental and health dangers brought about by GMFs, the world is in urgent need of a constant supply of food to feed its growing population. Depending on NGMFs will worsen the drought situation facing some parts of the world especially developing countries. Food is a human basic need, economists, sociologists, and politicians should aim at having food security before embarking on other developmental matters.

I support the European Commission of 1^st December 2004, which called for support from national and international bodies to support the production of GMFs; however, it is important to put on measures to reduce the negative effects of GMFs.

Works Cited

Engdahl, Williams. Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation. Montreal: Global Research, 2007.

There has been an overwhelming global food crisis over the past 18 months, over the period, prices of basic commodities such as cereals, milk and cooking fat have risen sharply and its effects has been felt around the world with worse hit countries being in the third world. Apart from high inflation rates, there has been some shortage of some basic commodities. You could even think that the era of cheap foods is over for now, as food prices are increasing alarmingly. The crisis has caused economic instabilities and social unrests in both developed and developing countries. There is fear that, before the crisis ends it will have plunged the worlds poorest countries into more and more poverty as a smaller clique of rich countries become even richer. Uganda has not been spared the catastrophe and is bearing the brunt of the worlds recession.

Uganda is a landlocked country located in East Africa, with an economy that relies heavily on agriculture; this sector alone employs more than 80 per cent of the countrys total labor force. Coffee production accounts for a large percentage of the countrys revenue from exports. Uganda has been engulfed with a series of civil war since independence which threatened her economic stability and growth. Currently Uganda is still coping with a 20-year old civil war between the government and a rebel group known as Lords Resistance Army (LRA) (Will).

Uganda is facing a food crisis as a result of several factors which include; natural calamities and civil war together with increasing food prices and an ever rising population. Today Uganda has a population of more than 30 million people with a 4 per cent annual population growth rate. The population has increased pressure on the few available lands for agriculture. As result of pressure on farm land civil war has been experienced. The food crisis in Uganda cannot be blamed on nature alone, but also from the governments actions coupled with some international influence. The 20- year old war in Northern Uganda has caused displacement of people from their farms into protected camps. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the camps only rely on relief food from the World Food Program (WFP). These people cannot access their lands for cultivation resulting to shortage of food in Northern Uganda. As more and more people move to camps the demand for relief food is increasing requiring the World Food Program to dig deeper for more finances to feed the hungry people.

Despite the fact that the government military is claiming to have won the battle, the signs of people returning to their homes is minimal leading to more and more food shortages in future. Many people in the camps can only afford one meal per day leading to malnutrition among the young children and the elderly. Peace is an ingredient for a sustainable development while civil war destabilizes agriculture and economic activities. The persisting Uganda civil war has adversely reduced agricultural production in Uganda, resulting to the current food shortages in the country.

Fighting has ceased in some regions and farmers have found their way back into their farms to try to re-establish some farming activities. But their miseries have been increased by the increasing food prices affecting the country and the rest of the world at large: the rising foods prices are putting people at risk of more hunger and despair as people can only afford one meal a day. Prices of beans have more than doubled; corn; peas and millet have increased by more than two thirds of the original prices (Bill). Increased food prices in restaurants are driving customers away. As result of increased prices of grains in the international markets, the World Food Program is finding it difficult to continue providing aid to the displaced. Increasing world prices mean that the World Food Program will need extra billions of dollars to continue feeding the displaced persons in Uganda. Recently the WFP announced that it had a shortfall of finances to continue feeding the people in camps resulting to more food crisis.

Food prices have been increasing since 2004 when the Sudan government and the Sudans Peoples Liberation Army signed a peace agreement, promoting trade across Sudan. Since then Ugandan businessmen have been exporting food to Sudan since it is a desert country: demand has surpassed supply of food commodity in Uganda.

Much food to Northern Uganda is purchased from other regions such as Mbale and the increased cost of transport as result of escalating world oil prices have been credited for the food prices. Petrol costs 15 times more than it was some years ago (Bill). Uganda blames her neighbor Kenya for the increased oil prices because it takes a long time for the petrol tankers to be cleared and make it to the Kenyan/Ugandan border. As a result people smuggle oil from Kenya into Ugandan markets where it is sold at exaggerated prices. Farmers use machines that are driven using petroleum products and the high petroleum prices have increased the cost of production resulting into high food prices.

Trade liberalization has also contributed to the food crisis in Uganda this is because of the actions of some unscrupulous private business people who have played a role in the increasing domestic food prices and shortage; They are said to take advantage of the raising prices in the neighboring markets such as Dafur, Zambia and Rwanda to export grains at the expense of the Ugandans (Godfrey). Trade is liberalized hence the government can not intervene because the forces of demand and supply are left to take cause.

Most Ugandans are subsistence farmers and are currently suffering from the raising cost of fuels and inputs. The farmers also lack ideas on how to add value to their output. The subsistence farmers produce just for consumption without reserving anything for the future; there are no enough stores to keep surplus in time of good harvests, the lack of stores has reduced the food reserves causing food shortages especially when there is a poor harvest.

At the same time the farming practices are poor because no much effort is given to crop production. Farmers just put seeds in the soil and wait until the rains come because the farming activities are weather driven. No fertilizer or even pesticides are used in the production of crops and other farmers never even weed. Farmers have for a long time over relied on traditional methods of farming and the end result is the poor harvests.

Poor infrastructure in Uganda also has had a significant effect for the food crisis, this is because much food produced in the rural areas does not reach the market at all or when it does it is already spoilt. Uganda has enough to feed the world only that more innovation is required to add value to her produce.

Some parts of Uganda have been hit by heavy floods while others have had consistence severe droughts in the recent past. Floods that happened in 2007 displaced many people from their lands and some up to now still are in dire need of resettlement kits, shelters, clothing and food (Bill). The floods washed away crops in the farms; roads, bridges and railway lines were not spared either, leaving some communities completely isolated. The floods have caused soil erosion reducing soil fertility. As result the soils cannot produce enough grains to feed millions of Ugandans who rely on grains.

The world is experiencing global warming as result of human activities, which has reduced the amount of rainfall received in many places and Uganda has not been spared. Some parts of Uganda have in the recent past been faced with consistent draught, reducing food production. Reduced rainfall has resulted to crop failure mainly cereals which most Ugandans rely on as their staple foods.

Conflicting international policies are also credited to the food crisis in Africa and especially Uganda (Asap). In the developed worlds farmers have their farming activities greatly subsidized by the respective governments. Thus the farmers are in a better position to produce and sell to the world at very low prices which creates unfair competition in the third and the developing countries. The farmers in the later areas face stiff competition from the produce of the first world. This combined with poor leadership and lack of innovation has continued to affect the farmers. Leaders have failed to encourage innovation to increase the quality of the produce because they are dictated to by the super powers (Asap). As a result the World Food Program has to import food from America to feed the starving people in Northern Uganda. There is enough food in Southern Uganda but the United Nations can not buy food there to feed the north.

If the UN could buy food from southern Uganda, then the farmers would be encouraged to produce more because they are assured of a ready market. As result there could be no food crisis in Uganda and Africa could produce more in general. Northern Uganda has not been producing food for a long time because of the civil war. Now the war has ceased and the World Food Program can no longer provide more aid to the internally displaced people, increasing the demand for food produced in south resulting to high food prices. Also the Ugandan population has outpaced food production resulting to the food crisis as demand outweighs supply.

Fish has been the staple food for long time in Uganda but now has become a luxury (Kisule). Declining fish population in the Lake Victoria waters and increased demand has resulted to high fish prices in the domestic market. The number of fish caught per day is reducing while demand is rising at an alarming rate, with the few that are caught being sold to fish processing industries at high costs. Now it is difficult to get fish in the local market as more is exported to feed the rising demand in China and India.

The current responses to the food crisis problem in Uganda

In an effort to respond to the current food crisis, the government of Uganda has initiated some measures aimed at increasing food security in the country. The Uganda government is encouraging the United Nations and World Food Program to increase food aid to the internally displaced people in the north. Food aid from the USA under the intervention of the UN has been streaming into the country since the beginning of the civil, war 20 years ago. Again the Ugandan government has embarked on importation of millions of bags of grains to increase food supply. The government has also banned exportation of maize from the country to the neighboring countries.

Deficiency of peace in north Uganda has hurt the region for many years, which has reduced agriculture and other economic activities. The government of Uganda has finally realized the need to bring peace back by signing some peace agreement with the Lords Resistance Army. As result people have moved back to their ancestral homes and started farming again.

In a plan to modernize agriculture; the Ugandan government has supplied an improved banana variety to farmers through the Non-sectorial conditional grants (Kisule). The banana variety produces large bunches of banana fruits and fetches high market prices. Again the Government Agricultural Advisory Service (GAAS) (Kisule) is training farmers on ways of increasing production of chicken using modern technologies. Ugandan statistics show that crop production has increased since the introduction of the plan to modernize agriculture; although the Uganda supply can not meet the current demand despite the growth. In the past Uganda has had no grain and food reserve. The government has also encouraged farmers to grow staple foods that take much shorter time to mature for example bananas and also encouraged the maintenance of individualized household storages.

Citizens on their side have improvised ways to deal with the food crisis problem. With the increasing prices of basic commodities parents have found it cheaper to send their children to boarding schools to cut cost of feeding them daily (Kisule). During schools holidays urban dwellers sent their children to the villages where life is little bit cheaper as compared to cities. Mothers find it easier when left at home alone because they can survive on a cup of tea for lunch and prepare sustainable dinner for the family. Many city dwellers have done away with the help of house helps to reduce the amount of mouths to feed as a short- term measure.

Some possible appropriate responses to the food crisis

Food crisis in developing world results from inability to develop farming techniques (Godfrey). Currently the farming techniques practiced by the majority in the third world countries have been in use for ages and are archaic. They are inefficient methods hence cannot produce enough to keep up with an increasing countrys population. There is need to change from these inefficient techniques to modern ones to increase food production.

In the present food crisis, there is dire need to hold down the consumer prices. The government should balance between what consumers are paying for commodities and the price received by the sellers. This is done in the short term because; in the long run food production may decline as government continues to harmonize prices. Long run policies should increase incentives to producers to increase output which will also increase the income the poor receive.

Addressing inequalities, and the rights of marginalized groups is essential an approach in dealing with the current global food crisis (UN human rights chief). This approach will help in analyzing the extent of the effect of the crisis in the society hence identifying the imbalances prevailing in the country, which causes the food crisis. Understanding the rights of the marginalized people will help in alleviating tension and deter civil unrests in times of food crisis. Food crisis being experienced today is as result of several factors ranging from the disequilibrium in the markets and discriminatory trade policies and biased incentives. The end result of such unfair policies is shortage of adequate food for the general populace. If the rights of the marginalized people are studied it will be possible to eliminate any discrimination against them such as exclusion from land, resources and decent jobs. As result every body in the society will be in a position to mitigate in a small way the food crisis experienced.

The state has a big role to play in implementing strategic policies that will ensure food security for all in the society. The current crisis in Uganda is affecting the whole of the country together with its neighbors hence; nations should cooperate with one another in addressing the food crisis. As the country puts in place plans to address the right to food, the international community on the other hand should create a favorable climate that will enable such national plans to exist, as well as providing financial and technical help where is needed (UN human rights chief).

Works cited

1. Asaph Ntanda, 2008. Bad policies are the cause of food crisis.
2. Bill Oketch, Uganda: Food crisis hits war victims in Northern Uganda.
3. Godfrey Ssali, 2008. Africas Food Crisis: A Letter from Uganda.
4. Kisule, Halimah Abdallah, 2008. Ugandan Parents Send Their Children to Boarding Schools to Cope with the Food Crisis.
5. UN human rights chief, Solution to food crisis must address inequalities.
6. Will Ross, 2002. UN warns of food crisis in Uganda. Web.

Ethical issues of genetically modified foods

Genetically modified foods (GMOs) have come with the advancement in biotechnology. Pro and cons have been put forward regarding the use of GMOs. Ethical issues have been raised concerning GMOs due to their potentially harmful effects on humans and the environment as well as animals.

Genetic modification could harm organisms and cause things like mutations. There is no guarantee that the future organisms will remain stable in the modified form or changes will occur that might be unpleasant. It would therefore be unethical to take such a chance on organisms. Moreover, tampering with the genetic composition of plants could lead to the cross-breeding that would cause more harm than good.

For instance, what would happen if weeds got herbicides resistant components? How would the farmers control the weeds? Would they end up harvesting low yields due to uncontrollable weeds? Moreover, genetically modified plants could harm organisms that are not directly linked with genetic modification such as insect pollinators. There is fear that insects such as bees could bring about the emergence of insects that are resistant to insecticides due to coming in contact with the genetically modified pollen. The new breed of insects would spread the disease to humans and animals (Weighing the GMO Arguments, 2003).

Apart from the mix-up of genes and mutations of resistant organisms, GMOs could threaten the survival of local farmers. The private sector that dominates the biotechnology field can come up with genetically modified seeds that farmers cannot afford due to high prices. Also, some of the plants that the local farmers grow are very important in conserving and balancing the environment and there is fear that with genetic modification indigenous plants may be lost and become extinct to the detriment of the environment (Weighing the GMO Arguments, 2003).

Pesticides and health problems

Pesticides can bring about health problems as laboratory studies show. For instance cancer, nerve damage, and risk to children such effects are chronic toxicity because they take a while to manifest. Acute toxicity occurs when people react immediately to the pesticides such as developing an allergy, irritation, skin problems, and so on. Children are more prone to health issues related to pesticides because their internal organs are immature and are more likely to play in areas where they may be exposed to pesticides (Pesticides and Food, 2011).

Pesticides act as endocrine disruptors because they contain chemicals that interfere with the working of the endocrine system causing negative effects on organisms such as DDT while Carbaryl a pesticide for fleas causes many health problems.

Reference List

Pesticides and Food. (2011). Web.

Weighing the GMO Arguments. (2003). Web.