Many of us cannot imagine living in a world where we can’t drive down the street and get some

cheap, greasy food in under ten minutes. For many, however, this is where they live, and not only do they

not have a McDonald’s - they wouldn’t even have enough money to buy a cheeseburger if there were a

McDonald’s. Luckily, there are solutions. I present to you three: call it “Dani’s Plan to End World

Hunger.” It goes, basically, like this: 1. Stop having kids! 2. Bioengineer 3. Rebuild the soil.

Overpopulation presents huge, complex problems for both the planet and the human race. Not

only does it put a strain on our food supply, it also increases the amount of pollution produced by factories,

cars, and electricity, thus contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. The only way for

human civilizations to survive is by conserving our natural resources before they’re all tapped out. This

means introducing population control measures like limiting families to having only 2 children. By doing

this, we will ensure that there will be enough of Earth’s precious gifts to sustain our children, and our

children’s children. At the same time this would improve the quality of education, air, water, and life in

general for children worldwide. When it comes to our children, it seems only prudent that we should focus

on quality rather than quantity.

The second step involves something many Americans are fearful of: bioengineered crops.

Contrary to popular belief, these GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) do not pose a threat to your

health or the health of your unborn children. No, you won’t develop a cumbersome rash. Your children

will not come out with three eyes. A 2004 report from the U.S. National Academies of Sciences stated: "To

date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human

population."i In fact, GMO crops have already been developed that would help farmers grow food in areas

they normally couldn’t, areas with poor soil or draught conditions. AgBioWorld reports “There is even

evidence that biotech varieties have literally saved human lives. In less developed nations, pesticides are

typically sprayed on crops by hand, exposing farm workers to severe health risks. A study conducted by

researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Rutgers University in the U.S. found that adoption of

bioengineered cotton varieties in China has lowered the amount of pesticides used by more than 75 percent

and reduced the number of pesticide poisonings by an equivalent amount.”ii Unfortunately, due to a frenzy
of fear propagated by the media (and some uninformed GreenPeacers) in the early 90’s, many of these

projects to produce GMOs that would alleviate hunger in the third world were canceled, their funding

revoked. It is time, however, to revive this debate and clear the name of GMOs once and for all - maybe,

just maybe, we can feed some hungry people and do our part to make our world a better place.

The third step involves something a little radical. A brilliant idea by a brilliant mycologist named

Paul Stamets. For those of you not acquainted with mushrooms, the most basic function of fungi (its raison

d’être) is to decompose organic matter. As it does this, breaking down dead leaves, humus, wood, even

rock, it is effectively creating new, nutrient-rich soil. Mr. Stamets (along with a few funky home gardeners)

realized this most amazing potential in fungi and saw fit to put it to use. He developed the Life Box.

Basically, the idea is to plant seeds with mycorrhizal fungi (fungi that are associated with the roots of

plants and trees). The mycelium, which is the underground organism of the mushroom, fuses with the

plant’s roots in a symbiotic relationship. As the plant grows, it is helping the mushroom grow, and likewise

the mushroom is helping the plant get nutrients it normally wouldn’t be able to reach. Not only is this

beneficial for growing crops in itself, but the mycelium creating nutrient-rich soil is doubly encouraging to

farmers whose soil is tapped of nutrients. This can also be applied to areas suffering soil corrosion.

Through this process of mycoremediation, we can improve the soil quality and crop quality of areas

suffering from lack of arable land, and hopefully pave the way for successful agricultural economies.

In a world faced with devastating hunger and poverty, we as a society face some crucial decisions

as the need for basic staples increases steadily with the world’s population. Through public support and

government funding and programs, we can usher in a new age of environmental and social awareness,

focused on regaining an equilibrium with the planet that will prevent us from over-extending our resources

and possibly endangering our planet - and consequently our species.

iNRC. (2004). Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health
Effects. National Academies Press.

AgBioWorld. (2004). Can GM Crops Play a Role in Developing Countries? Gregory Conko and
ii
C.S. Prakash. PBI. Issue 2.