The trouble with scientists - Essay Example

Although malnutrition and hunger remain grave problems globally, the issue of world food supplies continues to reemerge constantly. There could be numerous reasons for this. For example, it could be a result of a decrease in yields of key staple cereals, environmental damage, and pesticide resistance among many more. These are all courses for concern. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to bring to light the issue of global food crisis by analyzing it and demonstrating the responsibility of scientists in solving this problem especially through participating in science journalism.

It is no doubt that agriculture and food are at the heart of the civilization of mankind. Many cultures celebrate the variety of aspects of agriculture and food since they are essential for the continuity of human beings. The serious food crisis that the world is facing is life threatening and perilous to millions of people. A great number of countries continue to experience crop failures and an increase in fertilizer prices. An increase in population further worsens the problems as it means there are increasing mouths to feed.

Moreover, people continue to make developments in the form of buildings which destroy the natural environment and habitat. Millions of people remain underfed due to inequality in the distribution of food among dissimilar socioeconomic groups. It is the goals of food distribution systems to connect producers such as fishermen and farmers to consumers. It is also the goal of the system to allocate this food accordingly. Establishment of markets has made distribution procedures easy. However, these markets are located in central locations where the food is distributed to outer regions.

It is tough for consumers to purchase the food due to inability to access markets and their lack of ability to afford the costs. In developing nations, there is limited transportation; few roads with poor maintenance, which make the areas inaccessible and delays movement of goods. According to past research, the chief cause of food shortages, which leads to hunger and starvation, is not scarcity of land for agriculture. The world has adequate arable land for food production and cultivation. Nations like Sudan, Bangladesh, Somalia, Mozambique and Ethiopia are some of the nations that are hardest hit by starvation and hunger, yet they have adequate arable land.

The causes of deficient food levels and supplies are manifold, and this calls for numerous and diverse, appropriate strategies to overcome the problems. An awareness of the causes of hunger and malnutrition is imperative in poor countries. It will challenge and enable policy makers and scientists to lay the ground work for programs and measures that alleviate poverty and ensure food security. As experts, scientists have an obligation to participate in the alleviation of the worldwide food crisis.

One of the principal strategies that scientists have established in alleviating the crisis is the creation of genetically modified crops. Genetically modified crops neither grow more intensely nor do are they bigger than common crops. Their main advantage is that they have a high resistance from pests and need minimum or no use of pesticides. Research into these crops has become a pillar into several nations’ agricultural reform strategy. With funding from the governments, scientists can continue to use research facilities to come up with more