over the past 20 years, scientists have been using technology on nature to improve food They are producing genetically modified (GM) foods by modifying, or changing, the genes of plants and animals, Genes are the codes in the cells of every living thing that determine the way they look and grow. In humans, genes determine characteristics such as the color of our eyes and how tall we are. changing the genes of plants, scientists can cause crops to produce more, become resistant to pests and disease, and have more benefits nutritional value. Genetically modified plants can have great by increasing food supplies, protecting the environment, and even improving nutrition How will we feed a growing population? The world's population is expected to exceed 8 billion by 2025. Much of this increase will occur in the cities of developing countries. Unfortunately, food production, instead of increasing, has decreased over the last ten years. As it is some 40,000 people die from hunger-related causes every day. The only way to increase food production seems to be through technology, since land and water are getting scarce. In Africa, millions of people don't have enough food to eat and are dying because drought has destroyed their food supply. If GM food crops could be developed that could resist droughts or grow in poor, dry, or salty soils, this would help poorer countries GM crops can protect the environment because they are kinder to nature. Many farmers today depend on chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers to make their crops grow. Through gene biology, the genes of plants can be modified so that they will be disease-resistant and and still produce the same amount. most common GM crops grown at the moment are those that resist herbicides. The second most common are those crops that kill pests. Some crops have been grown with both these genes. If a crop can resist herbicides, the farmer can spray field with herbicides without harming the crop. All the weeds and other plants die, but the crop does not. By decreasing the number of weeds, the farmer increases the amount of crop grown. A good example of such a crop is GM cotton, which is often grown in the United States for cottonseed oil. If a crop can kill pests, the farmer does not have to spray so often to kill pests, An example of a pest-resistant crop is maize, which is similar to corn. There is a bacterium in the soil which produces a poison that kills insects, but it is harmless to people. Putting this bacterium gene into maize plants makes them produce their own poison, which kills the pests that eat them. This is better for the environment because it reduces the need to spray fields with pesticides and fertilizers. Genetically modified crops may make food more nutritious by adding genes to produce more vitamins that the body needs for health and growth. For example, a kind of rice called golden rice has been genetically modified to contain vitamin A. Regular rice does not have vitamin A, and some people who live mostly on rice are missing this important vitamin. This new rice can make a big difference to those people. Modifying potatoes to contain less starch would make French fries healthier because they would not absorb so much fat in the cooking. GM vegetables of the future may be produced with added nutrients to help fight heart disease and cancer. The United States grows 75 percent of the world's GM crops. More than 40 percent of the corn, 50 percent of the cotton, and 45 percent of the soybeans grown in the United States in 1999 were genetically modified. The ingredients from these crops-especially soy, which used in many products-show up in a lot of the food we eat, from pizza, cookies, pasta, ice cream, and potato chips to soup. Are GM foods safe for our health and the environment? So far, there is no evidence that GM foods have any risks, but only time and more research will tell.