IELTS Task 2 Sample Answer 1 - With a growing population, many people believe that we should focus on producing more GM foods. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?

The technique employed in farming is continuously undergoing a change. The growing population in the world has initiated an opinion that more focus should be directed towards the production of genetically modified food. Even though this method of food production serves a lot of benefits, it is not free from drawbacks.

The most significant advantage of producing food by genetic engineering is that it aids in larger production. Through genetic modification the plants become more resilient to pests,weeds and adverse climatic conditions which successively lead to better yields. Large scale production of crops also helps to reduce the price of the products making them more affordable for the consumers. Furthermore, it plays a crucial role in fighting malnutrition in the world. These types of crops are infused with essential nutrients and its consumption can effectively help to fight malnutrition or deficiencies especially in the poor nations.

Nevertheless, the consumption of genetically modified food reduces antibiotic efficacy in people. Antibiotic-resistant genes are inserted into such crops for altering their basic characteristic and regular ingestion of such food can make a person resistant to medications like antibiotics which can be detrimental for a person’s health. Another drawback of genetically modified crops is that it damages the environment. The crops engineered to resists pests and weeds could give rise to the evolution of super-weeds and super-pests which may require the use of stronger chemicals to destroy them.In addition, cross pollination of genetically modified crops with non-genetically modified crops could create ecological problems which in turn can affect the biodiversity.

To conclude,  scientific advancement in agriculture has changed the way people view food.Though genetically modified crops prove beneficial to some extent, the potential risks associated with it cannot be ignored.