IELTS Writing Task 2 – It is known to all that the technological and scientific advances
It is known to all that the technological and scientific advances have made great
changes to the range and quality of our food. Some people regard it as an
improvement while others believe that the change is harmful.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
You should write at least 250 words.
Idea for the topic Essay
Positives of advances in food technology:
- Farmers can produce crops that grow bigger and faster.
- Genetically modified crops may be more resistant to disease or insects.
- This could be important for food production in developing countries.
- Faster growing cereals, fruit and vegetables will mean more profit.
- Foods can be modified to look perfect and last longer.
- They may be more attractive to customers.
Negatives of advances in food technology:
- Many people distrust foods that have been modified or processed.
- They prefer organic foods which are produced without chemicals.
- Farming without fertilisers or pesticides is more environmentally friendly.
- There may be risks involved in the genetic engineering of foods.
- Genetically modified crops might change whole ecosystems.
- Food chains could be broken if crops are resistant to predators.
IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay Sample
Sample Answer 1:
Yesterday’s fiction is today’s reality. Such colossal developments have taken place in range
and quality of food which we could not even think of earlier. It is a highly debated issue as to
whether these advances are a blessing or a curse. This essay shall delve into the merits and
demerits of these developments.
The proponents claim that genetic modification of foods has given us such species which
need little or no insecticides and no fertilizers. GM crops do not require spraying with toxic
insecticides and as a consequence environmental damage such as the indiscriminate killing
of insects and the contamination of soils and rivers is avoided. Moreover, since age old
times, farming methods have always involved selective breeding and methods of cross-
pollination. In that sense genetic modification is nothing new.
What is more, the quality of food has also improved. For example, fish gene has been added
to tomato to make it frost resistant. A nut protein has been added to soya bean to increase
the protein content. Finally, technology has saved people from tedious work and in the
mean time increased the production markedly. All this is needed to meet the demands of
the burgeoning population.
The opponents say that GM crops are unnatural and that by creating them we are altering
the natural world. A more worrying argument raised by objectors to GM foods is that they
could constitute a health risk, for example by causing allergies or even by being toxic. The
final objection is strictly environmental. It is argued that crops which are genetically
modified to kill the pests which attack them may also kill harmless insects. This, it is claimed
will have a disastrous effect on the wider environment beyond the crop themselves.
To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that GM crops offer increased agricultural
productivity and foods of higher nutritional value, both of which are essential if the growing
world population of the twenty-first century is to be fed. Indeed, these crops have the
potential to improve the health of millions throughout the world while causing less
environmental damage than standard farming methods used today. I think it essential that
GM foods should be encouraged.
Model Answer 2:
It is true that we are buying food products which have changed both in quality and variety,with the aid of latest scientific and technological breakthroughs.Many people consider this as a negative development, but i think it is a real breakthrough to fulfill the growing demands for food.
Many people think that using the technological methods for increasing food output is a bad practice.It is harmful to human beings and animals in a number of ways.For example,use of pesticides and fertilizers although help to control insects and produce more amount of crops,those chemicals get absorbed by crops.When such food,containing harmful chemicals,is consumed by human beings,it affects their health in a bad way.Furthermore,in order to get more amount of milk and meat from animals,certain drugs are used. they are harmful not only to animals but also to humans. For example, scientists have found significant levels of a harmful drug,used for producing more milk, in animal milk which we consume on daily basis.
Many people advocates the role of scientific research and development programmes in achieving greater output of food and variety of crops.I totally agree with this school of thought.To meet with the growing demands of food,more food production is required.It can only be achieved by using scientific techniques like genetic modification and genetic engineering.Genetically modified crops can result in high output of food,which can feed hungry people around the world.Otherwise people will die out of hunger due to shortage of food.For example, many children are dying in Africa because of shortage of food.By producing more and more food using modern methods, we can save thier life.
In conclusion,technology development in the field of food production can play a very important role in order to avoid disasterous impacts of hunger on people living in impoverished regions.
Model Answer 3:
In today modern world, the revolutions of technology and science have an impact on many aspects of life including the standard and different kinds of food we consume. However, there is some controversy about the effect of those changes. While it is possible to claim that these effects are improvement, my view is that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
There are several reasons why these innovations in food production can be considered as positive. One is that farmers can produce crops that grow bigger and faster so it leads to the reduction of food shortage in many developing countries. It also should not be forgotten that genetically modified crops are more resistant to diseases or pests so the costs of production can be reduced and limit the danger of agricultural wastes.
Those who argue for the drawbacks of technology and science’s development in agriculture base their argument on the impact of those changes on environment and human health. Firstly, there might be risk involved in the genetically modified crops because the effect of these crops to the ecosystem is unknown. In addition to this, there are concerns about man-made chemicals used in modern methods of food production could be harmful to human health. An example illustrates this is that fertilized foods are assumed to causes cancer or long-terms consequences to human kind health.
While there are strong arguments on both sides of the problem, I think that the long-term dangers of these developments should be cautious. Although technology and science used in agriculture has improved the variety and quality of foods, some measures should be regulated to ensure that these developments would be used in a safe way for both environment and humans.
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