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Passage 7
Read the following passage and answer the questions 31–35.
Modern biotechnology, especially, the creation of genetically modified (GM) crops is often presented as a magical solution or universal panacea for the problems of poverty, inadequate nutrition and even environmental degradation across the world. Conversely, there are people who present the picture of tech-generated monsters and major human health hazards being created by science. Many of the technological changes currently being utilized in agriculture can have unforeseen consequences, and their safety and future viability are far from secure.
The reality, as always, is far more complex than either of these two extremes. Even today, the total food production in the world is adequate to feed the hungry of the world. The problem is rather one of unequal distribution, a large part of the population of developing countries engaged in agriculture, face many problems, such as lack of infrastructure, poor or unstable market access, volatile input and output prices, etc. These issues cannot be addressed by biotechnology as their solution is a far cry.
It is true that transgenic plants can offer a range of benefits (more effective pest resistance of seeds and crops through genetically controlled methods and leads to improved yield), which are above and beyond those that emerged from more traditional innovations. A basic question, of course, is whether the new GM technology is safe, and whether this is absolutely crucial since the effects may only be known much later. The jury is still very much out on this matter and the controversy does not appear to resolve quickly.
The trouble is that most governments in developing countries have relatively low food and beverage regulatory standards and public systems for monitoring and surveillance of such standards are either poor or non-existent. This leaves them open for entry and even dumping of a range of agricultural products of new technology, which may not pass the regulatory standards in more developed countries.