Session 7

The focus for the week was on the agricultural side of BioBusiness. I found the presentations on GM food and vertical farming really interesting. 

One of the presentations was about Enviropigs, which are pigs that are genetically modified to digest phosphates so that the waste they produce will be a lot less toxic. People have been modifying organisms so that they will be beneficial to us, for example, making plants grow better in adverse conditions, improving the nutritious value of the food we consume, or making animals grow larger so that they provide more for human consumption. The ability to modify the genes of living organisms brings about endless possibilities, but there may be implications that are not yet known to us. These GM food may adversely affect our health, as mentioned in another presentation about the possible existence of a toxic gene 6. Also, if the GM organisms are released out of the labs into the outside environment, the combination of genes from the modified and non-modified organism may cause unexpected effects. Since GM food can bring about a lot of positive impacts on the world, there are also many dangers that we have yet to fully explore. Hence, I think that it is necessary that we conduct as much research as possible before releasing this kind of food into the market for human consumption (although there is already a lot of GM food in the market).

Another interesting presentation was about the possibility of vertical farming. Such a farming method is especially beneficial to countries such as Singapore, where land space is very limited. Such technology will allow Singapore to be partially sustainable in terms of food. Developing countries will find this useful as well, since vertical farming has the potential to grow the same amount of food in a lot less space. This will free up land for other uses, such as housing and transport. Plants grown in this manner would also be less susceptible to the weather conditions outside, since the farm would be designed to provide the best possible environment for the plants to grow in, regardless of what happens outside. The risk of losing precious crops to floods and droughts would be greatly reduced, and people can be assured of a constant and reliable source of food. 

In a time where the world is possibly facing a shortage of food, things like GM food and vertical farming might just be potential solutions.

Rating: 8.5/10

I learnt a lot about the application of technology in solving real problems, and also the problems that these technology might bring.