The Ethical Use Of Genetically Modified Organisms In Farming

Farming has evolved tremendously over the past couple hundred years. Through technology we have been able to develop the things that farming has today. With just less than two percent of the world’s population living on farms, technology plays a key part in enabling that small amount to feed the other 98 percent. By the year 2050, farmers will be responsible for feeding nine billion people, will they be able to accomplish this?

Genetically Modified Organisms

What are Genetically Modified Organisms? Typically referred to as “GMOs”, they are “plants or animals that have undergone a process wherein scientists alter their genes with DNA from different species of living organisms, bacteria, or viruses to get desired traits such as resistance

Drones can be used for multiple things in agriculture, taking pictures is the main use at this current time. They can also be used for target spraying (rare at the time because of technologically advanced it is), and hopefully planting in the near future. Drones are also a way for farmers to save a large amount of money. With the use of drones, the average return-on-investment for corn per acre was twelve dollars per acre and two dollars and thirty cents per acre for soybeans and wheat. Drones have a lot of potential in the farming society. They could eventually be used for targeted fertilization, this means less fertilizer will be used, which means less money will be spent. With targeted fertilization, the fertilizer will only be sprayed on the plants directly and not a general area. This means there will be less fertilizer being washed off in the waterways, which is better for the environment. Drones are suspected to grow majorly throughout the next 20 years and will better serve in the fight to feed the growing population. (Wihbey, J.

This totals up to around 465 million pounds of meat per year for the world. That number is what farmers around the world are responsible for producing. Feedlots are where most of the meat come froms. Feedlots are also called Animal Feeding Productions, or AFO. AFO’s are are defined by the number of animals they have. Animal Feeding Productions are divided into large and medium sizes. A large feedlot (most commonly found size) requires either 1,000 head of cattle, 2,500 hogs, or 125,000 chickens.

The most common beef breeds found in feedlots are angus and holstein beef. These two are also what is most commonly served in restaurants. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) monitors all beef that is sold as “Certified Angus Beef”. They clarify it is truly Angus