IELTS & TOEFL English

In fact, the push to switch to alternative fuels has so far been largely a disaster that is causing immense environmental damage and driving up hunger and poverty while failing to reduce emissions.

The growing use of biofuels 

is one of the factors driving

 food inflation – which means more people struggling to afford food.

Opposition to GM food on philosophical grounds remains strong. Much recent concern has focused on the patenting practices of companies that develop genetically modified plants and on the power these patents confer. Having invested significantly in research on and cultivation of novel GM foods, agricultural‑product companies hope to market them without competition from rival firms that have not made such an investment. However, this raises the question of whether it is proper to patent a living thing. The law has so far said that it is. To enforce their monopoly on novel species, some companies have even coded a security switch into the genetics of their products. One highly successful type of GM potato, for instance, contains genetic material that prevents it from reproducing. Unlike an un‑engineered potato, it cannot sprout and generate next year’s crop. If a farmer chooses to grow a second year’s crop, he or she has to purchase new seed stock from the company that holds the patent. The company, in this instance, is the creator and the source of life.