BioBusiness!

It is finally the end of week 7! I am sure everyone must be pretty tired from all the mid-term tests and presentations. Do remember to reward yourselves during the recess week before coming back for the remaining 7 weeks of the semester! J

Just to give a brief overview of lesson 7, the main topic was more about the Bio business revolution and biotechnology. Most of the presenters discussed on the issue of Genetically Modified Food and how it has changed and improved our lifestyles. The case study on people having to grow their own meat by laboratory means was brought up during one of the presentations as well. With regards to whether we should continue our ‘artificial’ ways of producing the food we need, I personally feel that it is perfectly fine to continue as long as we do not harm the environment and nature, or even if we do impact them in some way, the harm should be minimized. This aligns with what Professor Shahi has said, “when we are able to grow the resources we need, we will finally be on the road to sustainability.” I certainly agree with Professor Shahi because we should grow what we need, and subsequently find ways to regrow them. We can create all kinds of viable solutions to meet our own needs and that includes growing crops to make them into biofuels. We have the responsibility to ensure resources are allocated for our next generation.

Moreover, I feel that the research, inventions, innovations in the biobusiness field has indeed become a true phenomenon. We have come a long way- from creating solutions to curb widespread famine, to creating all kinds of food to meet the increasing demands of the first world countries. We have shifted our focus from increasing quantity of food to quality of food. From the 1970s when India encountered a wide spread famine, technologies such as high-yield varieties and improved irrigation techniques have managed to increase about 70 percent of the output for crops. Since then, cereal production have more than doubled in Asia and calorie availability per person has also increased by nearly 30 percent. Now, we look into enhancing nutritional value in the many different kinds of food we consume everyday. As such, GM food (Golden Rice) was invented to improve everyone’s quality of health. Not to forget, we have many kinds of foods that are artificially flavoured to allow consumers (especially in the first world countries) to enjoy more flavour in their foods as well.

Lastly, I would like to give my opinions on reading 4 for this lesson. The author stated that both conventional technology and biotechnology is required to curb our current world hunger problem. He emphasized on the importance of the development of biotechnology and that anti science extremists (mainly the environmentalists) should see that technology is the only way world famine problem can be solved in the future. I certainly agree with him because without technology, we may not have such easy access to food today. Our general health conditions have improved. However, it is pertinent to note that the poorer nations should be given the same access as well. We need the private sectors to allow the poorer farmers to adopt the high technology methods, and thus give them a chance not to only improve their standard of living and quality of life, but the citizens in the country. Only then, world hunger can be alleviated.

I would rate this lesson 7/10. I felt that the lesson would have been more interesting if there was a wider range of issues discussed as most of the presentations were on GM food. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the presentations J