The Day When everything Went Wrong free essay sample

I fell out of bed to see that my alarm clock hadnt gone off. I was late for school! I rushed to the bathroom, grabbed what I thought was my toothpaste and brushed my teeth. To only find out it was actually my sisters colour hair mousse. I looked in the mirror to see my teeth were dark brown. No time to worry about it now, I needed to have breakfast I was late for school! I grabbed the milk and cereal and ate as quickly as I could. While eating I found the cereal to have an awful taste, I looked at the box and saw that I had eaten the dog food pellets. Oh I felt so sick! I rushed upstairs to get dressed. I didnt want to miss the bus! I grabbed my school bag and ran to the bus stop. I found it strange that I was the only one waiting for the bus. We will write a custom essay sample on The Day When everything Went Wrong or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 10 minutes later and there was still no bus in sight. Well, no time to waste, I had to get to school. I started running as fast as I could. I looked behind me and saw that a dog started chasing me. I dont need this now, and ran very fast. The dog grabbed my uniform, I looked down and saw I had put on the wrong shoes and was wearing my brothers niform. Oh! How could this day get any worse?! Along the way my bag became lighter and lighter. I stopped to see that my zip on my school bag was open and all my books had fallen out along the way Finally I got to school, the gates were closed and there was not a person around. Just ME!!! Confused, I looked around and found Mr Gold the school caretaker. I asked him where everyone was and why the school gates were locked. His answer was not a good one lts Saturday, he replied! I sat on the school steps and laughed out loud!!!!!

Recommendation Letters for Midlife Graduate Students

Recommendation Letters for Midlife Graduate Students Thinking about changing careers? Graduate school is the ticket to a career change; its not just for recent graduates. Many adults consider returning to school to earn a masters or doctoral degree and begin the career of their dreams. Think graduate school is only for the young? Think again. The average graduate student (collapsing over masters and doctoral programs in all fields) is well over 30 years of age. Midlife applicants to graduate school have special concerns. For example, what do you do about letters of recommendation when youve been out of college for a decade? Thats a tough one. Before you resign yourself to completing another bachelors degree or, worse yet, give up on applying to graduate school altogether, try the following: Contact your professors from college Professors keep records on students for years. Its a long shot, though, because professors are known to move on to other schools or retire, but try anyway. More importantly, professors probably wont recall enough about you to write a competent letter. While its helpful to obtain at least one letter from a professor, it might not be possible to contact your old professors. What then? Enroll in a class Before applying to graduate school, try taking a few classes, either at the undergraduate level if youre entering a new field or at the graduate level. Excel in those classes and let your professors get to know you. If theyre doing research in your area of interest, volunteer to help. Letters from faculty who know you now will help your application immensely. Ask a supervisor or employer to write on your behalf Given that most graduate applications require three letters of recommendation, you may need to look beyond faculty for your letters. A supervisor can write about your work ethic, enthusiasm, maturity, and life experience. The trick is ensuring that your referee understands what graduate admissions committees are looking for in applicants. Provide your referee with all the information he or she needs to write an excellent letter. Include a description of your work-related experiences, why you wish to attend graduate school, your skills, and abilities as well as examples of how your current work demonstrates those skills and abilities. In other words, consider exactly what youd like the letter to say, then provide your supervisor with everything he or she needs to write that letter. Provide phrases and paragraphs that contain important material and examples illustrating your capacities; this can help your supervisor frame the task and his or her evaluation. It can also subtly guide yo ur letter writer; however, do not expect your supervisor to simply copy your work. By helping - providing detailed information and guidance - you can influence your letter by making it easy for your supervisor. Most people like easy and your letter is likely to reflect that.

Subject-Verb Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement Subject-Verb Agreement Subject-Verb Agreement By Guest Author This is a guest post by Jacquelyn Landis. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. My copyediting students occasionally stumble when they see a sentence like this one: All the shirt needs is/are buttons. Which is it? The singular is or the plural are? Most of us know instinctively that the verb form must match the subject form in number. This is called subject-verb agreement. But sentences such as this one seem ambiguous since all can be either singular or plural when it’s used as an indefinite pronoun. It would be an easy choice if all were followed by a prepositional phrase to help us determine whether it’s singular or plural: All of the water is draining. (singular) All of us are tired. (plural) So, what many writers would do with the problematic sentence is turn to buttons to help them make the decision. And since buttons is plural, then the verb should be plural, too. Right? Well, not quite. Buttons in this sentence is whats called a predicate nominative. Now, I know grammar terms like this are enough to send most people screaming into the night, but stick with me. A predicate nominative is simply a noun that is the same as the subject. It describes it further, just as buttons describes all. Predicate nominatives do not determine the verb form; only the subject can do that. And the subject of our puzzling sentence, all, is a singular pronoun even though what it substitutes for (buttons) is plural. It stands on its own with no help from a prepositional phrase. When this is the case, it’s singular. Thus, the correct verb form is also singular, so this is how our sentence should read: All the shirt needs is buttons. Follow the same logic when the subject is what: What he ordered was steamed clams. Whenever Im tempted to use a plural verb in sentences such as this, I remind myself of a song: All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth. The songs authors were teachers, and they got it right. Jacquelyn teaches an online copyediting course to students from around the world Education to Go. Check it out. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Inquire vs EnquireList of Greek Words in the English LanguageUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

Discussion 9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 9 - Assignment Example I absolutely agree with the facts and the study of this article because small and medium enterprises need to breakthrough to the bigger circle of business so that they can compete at a bigger level. Competition at a global level is going to benefit the customer. It keeps the companies on edge to deliver the best quality at the ideal price. If small and medium enterprises also adhere to the same principles where only 3.4 defects in every million possible defects shows the capability of six Sigma processes (Raghunath & Jayathirta 1), then it is only going to serve the society at a larger scale. It is not only going to help improve the quality of products in small and medium industries but it will also help modify the culture (Raghunath & Jayathirta 2). It is not about statistics, the process is based on scientific methodology that utilizes statistical thinking. By improving the quality through six Sigma methodologies that customers will benefit from the delivery of products and service s. Increasing competition decreases profit margins and that helps promote the SMEs. But they will need competent leadership management to effectively implement Six Sigma methodologies (Raghunath & Jayathirta 6). As a customer I want to see Six Sigma strategy implemented in SMEs. Ragunath, A. & Jayathirta, R. V. Barriers for implementation of Six Sigma by Small and Medium Enterprises. International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology. Vol. 2(2).

Piracy Off the Horn of Africa Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Piracy Off the Horn of Africa - Essay Example d adventurous quest for so many young men, making prospective legal intricacies for provincial and international governments searching to try pirate group’s doubts for supposed crimes. The absence of stable functioning government is an existing challenge and it offers freedom of action for those people participated in piracy along the African region Lauren Ploch et al remark; â€Å"The apparent motive of many active Somali pirate groups is profit; and piracy has proven to be a lucrative activity for many thus far† (Ploch, et al, 2009). Studies prove that Somalis give political and economic motivation to some one occupied in piracy. Today most of the pirates groups in Somalia region have emerged complicated operational facilities and they have eared advanced weaponry, transporting, financial stability that make them more efficient than local forces. Paradoxically, if only a group of pirates in Somalia region have followed piracy attacking as their means of income, the re gional fishing industry in Somalia cost has been deteriorated gradually by the hazard of piracy attacking. Economical distractions and sufferings are the major reasons for piracy in Somalia region. Environmental hardships, poverty lack of employment, low income, diminishing of regional food production, and poor maritime resources contribute piracy in Somalia region. Non functioning government promotes insecurity and financial inequality among the people who live in Somalia. International support networks and their financial helps are another important reason behind piracy. Financial profitability and defective judiciary system are the encouraging factors for many young men in Somalia. Illegal shipping is the primary stage of all kinds of illegal activities and piracy. Piracy tightened its hold on Africa especially Somalia in 1990s when Siad Barre, who tried his best to unite and better the people of Somalia, ruled the nation. As part of his mission Barre tried to bring the people of Somalia under

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay

Management Of Financial Resource And Performance Commerce Essay Management of financial resources is crucial in any business. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), If financial resources are misused, they will not result in better human resources or superior physical assets and processes. Furthermore, strong financial resources are an even greater importance in the hospitality industry where it is a highly competitive environment and innovations are quickly imitated. If the financial resources are secured, the organization is able to invest in unique, valuable and difficult to imitate capabilities. Consequently, it can gain the competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotels Group PLC (IHG) is the worlds largest hotel operator in respect of the number of rooms totaling 585,094 in a 2008 report. IHG mainly operates in the UK, the US, Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, this large hotel operator consists of seven hotel brands including InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Stayb ridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Intercontinental Hotels Group operates its hotels in three different ways- as a franchisor, an owner, and an operator. Since the biggest part of the business is franchising, IHGs focus lies on driving demands for its brands. On a global scale, the hotel operators distribution system includes global advertising, marketing campaigns, call centers, and local language websites (Jones, 2009). Despite having a competitive advantage with its strong brand awareness and diversified properties worldwide, IHG needs to constantly monitor its environment and identify both internal and external factors. In this manner, its national and international strategies can remain well suited to the developing environment and capabilities. While an audit of the business is necessary to analyze Intercontinental Hotels Groups current position, assessing the financial resources and performance carry a greater weight for decision making. 1. EXTERNAL AUDIT Macro (PESTLE) Analysis: Awareness of a changing environment is of central importance in developing and implementing a robust strategy. PESTLE analysis is a framework used for environmental scanning in strategic management and is comprised of political, economical, social, technological, legal, and environmental components. Political and legal factors can affect aspects of the UK hospitality industry. Tax regulations and employment laws can be altered due to the UK elections that recently took place. Hayman describes how the British Hospitality Association has asked the new coalition government to support the UK tourism industry by providing increased investment and reduced regulation (Anon., 2010). Another essential component in the external environment is the economical factor. The effects of recession have severely impacted the overall performance such as hotels occupancy rates and revenues of the UK hotel market. Amongst these effects is the drop in international and national corporate market segment. A third component in the PESTLE analysis is the social factor. UK consumers have decreased their number of trips, number of nights spent in accommodation, and their overall expenditure. Another element in the macro-scanning is the technological factor. The rise of the internet has allowed major hotel chains to invest in websites and direct booking systems allowing consumers to book, view, and review hotels. Finally, the environmental factor is also of importance when analyzing the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility has slowly become integrated in many organizations business objectives. For a hotel to be socially responsible, it must follow through many policies such as abiding by the Energy Consumption laws and engaging with the local community. Micro (Porters 5 Forces) Analysis The factors in the macro-environment analysis can be used to determine how the firms industry environment (micro audit) is affected. Porters five forces of competition framework can be used to analyze the intensity of competition and the level of profitability (Grant, 2005). These five forces include competition from substitutes, entrants, power of suppliers, power of buyers, and established rivals. The threat of substitutes for Intercontinental Hotels Group is high risk. During the recession, many customers were staying at budget hotels, which became increasingly popular amongst the leisure and corporate markets. Since the barriers to entry into the hotel industry are high, the threat of entry involved is low. The barriers included are high capital requirements or entry costs, high fixed costs, no economies of scale, and resistance from the existing market. The power of suppliers is considered medium-risk for IHG. Since furniture and fittings must be of a certain standard relevant t o a hotel, they are purchased in bulk from specialist contract suppliers. On the other hand, there are no switching costs for food manufacturers and processors. Another element of the five forces is the power of buyer, which is high in the case of Intercontinental Hotels Group. The buyers are sensitive to the prices charged by the hotels in the industry. Moreover, they can easily compare not only prices but also quality and ratings via Internet using various websites. Finally, the rivalry amongst established competitors is of high risk. The major competitors of IHG are Hilton Hotels Corporation, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Hyatt Corporation, and Accor. These large hotel chains offer similar products and services, which means customers are willing to substitute. 2. BUSINESS STRATEGY In order for an organization to compete within a particular industry, it must gain a competitive advantage over its competitors by establishing a business strategy (Grant, 2005). The main objective of a business strategy is to link an organizations internal capabilities and the external environment. IHG not only continuously monitors the environment, but also ensures that the strategy remains aligned with external factors. The core focus of Intercontinental Hotels Group is to create Great Hotels Guests Love. In 2009, despite economic hardships, IHG analyzed its operations and capabilities to focus on how to deliver Great Hotels Guests Love. This major hotel chains strategy concentrates on two key aspects: where it chooses to compete and how it will win in the competing market. There are five key priorities in support of IHGs overall strategy. Some of these priorities include financial returns, its people, responsible business, and guest experience. The progress of these priorities is measured to ensure the achievement of Great Hotels Guests Love. Intercontinental Hotels Groups strategy is also pertinent to regional objectives and priorities. 3. INTERNAL AUDIT 3.1 Human Resources: In order for a strategy to be carried out, human resource is required. According to Kaplan and Norton, human capital is the availability of skills, talent, and know-how required to support the organizations strategy (2004). Employees are not only critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, but also integral in an organizations business plans. One of IHGs key strategic priorities is to use its people to create a more efficient organization with strong core capabilities. Intercontinental Hotel Groups focus lies in developing skills to support its key goals for responsible business, guest experience and financial returns by managing employee engagement. Approximately 335,000 people are employed globally across IHGs brands including franchised and managed hotels. The business has been balancing cost reduction and restructuring programs while managing engagement for the people and guests during 2009. To achieve Great Hotels Guests Love this organization has developed a clear articulation of its values and the behaviors expected from all employees, as well as creating the right environment for employees so that they can deliver the core purpose 3.2 Mechanical Resources: Another type of organizational resource is non-human assets such as technology and reputation. IHGs central reservation system technology includes the operations of the HolidexPlus reservation system. This system electronically receives reservation requests entered on terminals located at most of its reservation centers, as well as from global distribution systems operated by a number of major corporations and travel agents. There are currently ten global reservation offices available to take hotel bookings from guests 24 hours a day in 26 different languages. IHG generates room sales globally through their branded websites. Kaplan and Norton state that an excellent reputation for performance along social dimensions not only attracts high quality employees, but also enhances the image with customers and socially conscious investors (2004). IHG believes that corporate responsibility (CR) is integral to the way it conducts business and also at the core of its strategy. Moreover, it ass ists in building competitive advantage. Intercontinental Hotel Groups CR strategy is focused in the environment and its communities in order to drive increased value for IHG, owners, employees, and guests. 3.3 Financial Resources: While human and mechanical resources are equally important, the financial component of the strategy is just as crucial in a highly competitive industry such as the hospitality one. The balancing act of both growth and productivity dimensions is the organizing framework for an organizations strategy map. According to Harrison and Enz, strong cash flow, low levels of debt, a strong credit rating, access to low-interest capital, and a reputation for creditworthiness are powerful strengths that can serve as a source of strategic flexibility, which means that firms can be more responsive to new opportunities and new threats (2005). 3.3.1 Analysis of Key Ratios Companies will often track trends of key ratios over several years to compare their numbers against industry averages from a major competitor to assess comparative financial strength (Harrison and Enz, 2005). The following are some key ratios using IHG financial information from its annual report: a. Liquidity ratios help an organization determine its ability to pay short-term obligations such as debts and payables (Bertoneeche and Knight, 2001). i) An example of this is Current Ratio, which can be formulated as follows: Current Ratio= Current Assets/ Current Liabilities 2008: Current Assets= $544m Current Liabilities= $1141m Current Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Current Liabilities= $1053m Current Ratio= 0.40 Because the Current Ratio is below 1 for both years, it suggests that IHG is unable to pay off its short-term obligations if they were due at that point. The decrease of current assets is probably due to the recession period. Although this implies that the organization is not in good financial health, it does not necessarily mean that it will go bankrupt. ii) Another example of a liquidity ratio is the quick ratio also known as the acid test and can be figured as shown below: Quick Ratio= (Current Assets- Inventories) / (Current Liabilities) 2008: Current Assets= $544m Inventories= $4m Current Liabilities= $1141m Quick Ratio= 0.47 2009: Current Assets= $419m Inventories-$4m Current Liabilities= $1053m Quick Ratio= 0.39 The difference between current ratio and quick ratio is inventories. Inventory is excluded in quick ratio since some companies have difficulty turning their inventory into cash. In the case of IHG, the quick ratios for both 2008 and 2009 are similar to the current ratios. Since the hotel industry is mostly service oriented, there are not much inventories to turn into cash. b. Profitability ratios are another key dimension to an organizations firm health. According to Harrison and Enz (2005, p.72), They are a common measure of overall financial success. i) One type of profitability ratios is net profit margin ratio can be calculated as follows: Net Profit Margin= (Net Profit/ Revenues)* 100 2008: Net Profit= $262m Revenues= $ 1897m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.81% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Revenues=$1538m Net Profit Margin= 0.14 or 13.91% For every $1 generated in revenue, IHG made a profit of 13.81% in 2008 and 13.91% in 2009. Even though the net profit and revenues for 2008 are higher than that of 2009, there was a slight increase in the net profit margin. ii) Another profitability ratio is gross profit margin which can be determined as follows: Gross Profit Margin= (Gross Profit/Revenues)* 100% 2008: Gross Profit= $1045m Revenues= $1897m Gross Profit Margin= 0.55 or 55.08% 2009: Gross Profit= $678m Revenues= $1538m Gross Profit Margin= 0.44 or 44.08% Gross profit margin discloses the profit an organization makes on its cost of sales. IHGs gross profit margin decreased in 2009 due to lower revenues and higher cost of sales compared to 2008. This simply shows that the efficiency of operations and product pricing subsided. iii) Return on capital employed ratio compares the profit made by an organization with the amount of money invested. The formula is as follows: ROCE= Net Profit/ Capital Employed Capital Employed= Shareholders Funds + Long Term Liabilities 2008: Net Profit= $262m Capital Employed= $1972m+$1= $1973m ROCE= 0.13 or 13.28% 2009: Net Profit= $214m Capital Employed= $1684m+$156m= $1840m ROCE= 0.11 or 11.63% According to the authors in Business Studies, the higher the ratio, the better indication of performance it is in terms of profit returned for the capital invested (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). Over the past two years, the ROCE has decreased from 13.28 per cent to 11.63 per cent. This means that less profit was made to cover the capital employed. c. A third key dimension to assessing an organizations financial standing is efficiency ratio, which evaluates how effectively capital is employed within the firm (Bertoneche Knight, 2001). i) Asset turnover ratio reflects how assets are being effectively used to generate revenues. The formula is the following: Asset Turnover Ratio= Revenues/ Total Assets 2008: Revenues= $1897m Total Assets= $3118m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.61 2009: Revenues= $1538m Total Assets= $2893m Asset Turnover Ratio= 0.54 From this ratio analysis, IHG had a decrease in its asset turnover from 2008 to 2009. For every $1 of assets it owned, IHG generated $0.61 of sales in 2008 and $0.54 in 2009. Since the ratios for both years are relatively low compared to other industries, the organization might not be utilizing its assets to a full potential. However, the profit margin ratio is higher compared to another sector of the hotel industry such as budget hotels. d. Gearing ratios illustrate the long term financial position of an organization. They can assess whether or not a business is burdened by its loans (Hall, Jones, and Raffo, 2004). The formula for gearing is as follows: Gearing= Fixed Cost Capital/ Long Term Capital Long Term Capital= Shareholders Funds + Long Term loans 2008: Fixed Cost Capital= $1972m Long Term Capital= $1m + $1972m= $1973m Gearing= 0.99 or 99.95% 2009: Fixed Cost Capital= $1684m Long Term Capital= $156m + $1684m= $1840m Gearing= 0.92 or 91.52% Since the ratios for both years are higher than 50 per cent, IHG is considered a high geared company. This simply signifies that a much higher proportion of total capital is borrowed. Even though the gearing ratio decreased from 2008 to 2009, IHG is still considered as risky by creditors. After analyzing the key ratios previously formulated and comparing between 2008 and 2009, one can conclude that Intercontinental Hotel Group is not financially fit. Both liquidity ratios, current and quick, decreased from 2008 and 2009 signifying that assets cannot easily be turned into cash. Moreover, the decrease of profitability ratios including gross profit margin and ROCE indicate weakness of the business. The net profit margin, however, did slightly increase from 2008 to 2009. Furthermore, IHGS poor asset turnover ratio shows that the company is not using its assets effectively. Lastly, the organizations high gearing nature also contributes to the fact that IHG is reliant on borrowed business. Overall, it needs to make changes to improve its financial health. 4. RECOMMENDATIONS/ CONCLUSION The utilization of an organizations resources must not only be effective, but also efficient (Pettinger, 1997). While the strengths of IHG management for both financial and non-financial resources can be enhanced, the weaknesses must not be overlooked. In order for IHG to carry out their strategic objective of creating an efficient organization, its human resource management must be committed to several practices such as selective hiring, focus on training and development, communication and information sharing, good level of compensation, and team working (Porter, Smith, Fagg, 2006). In this manner, IHG will be able to achieve positive human resource outcomes, which can lead to quality and productivity. This in turn can heighten the organizational performance in terms of financial outcomes. Furthermore, IHG management can take general action to increase the stream of cash flows and drive value. Increasing business with current customers, expanding global presence, reducing expenses and pursuing complementary alliances can all promote growth. According to DeFranco and Lattin(2007, p.119), Rather than focus on expansion in a single city, some companies elect to expand to new markets. The benefit of this type of growth is that it spreads the risk of expansion over several markets. For example, concierge services can incorporate the usage of iPad to visually assist the guests common questions such as directions. Another example is diversifying related products such as vacation ownership and corporate housing. By doing this, Intercontinental Hotel Group will be able to enhance its product image. Margins can be improved if IHG focuses on restructuring, efficiency, productivity, and cost control. Moreover, increasing inventory turns and getting best conditions from suppliers can aid in lowering the companys working capital. The organization can also optimize asset utilization by either lowering capital expenditures or improving turnover ratios (Bertoneche Knight, 20 01). An example of a capital expenditure is restoring a property or adapting it to a new or different use. In the case of IHG, this can involve renovating or refurbishing one of its hotels. By lowering capital expenditures, the balance sheet can be affected positively. In conclusion, IHG has managed to successfully remain as one of the top hotel chains worldwide, it still needs to constantly be monitoring the external and internal environment to be able to compete in the hospitality industry. As more and more competitors are arising, IHG need to continuously revise and review its strategic objectives, which include human resources, mechanical resources, and financial resources. By evaluating financial ratios, IHG can monitor the performance of its operations and evaluate its efforts to meet a variety of goals. By tracking a selected set of ratios on a regular basis, the organization is able to maintain a fairly accurate perception of the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations (Andrew, Damitio Schmidgallm 2007). Even though the hospitality industry is dynamic and exciting, it poses many challenges such as low profitability, reliance on discretionary income, capital intensive, fluctuating sales volume and labor intensive. IHG has to ensure t hat it is able to overcome these challenges so that it can grow and increase its value. .

Positive and Negative Impact of Genetically Modified Food Essay

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism. Currently available GM foods stem mostly from plants, but in the future foods derived from GM microorganisms or GM animals are likely to be introduced on the market. Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides. In the future, genetic modification could be aimed at altering the nutrient content of food, reducing its allergenic potential, or improving the efficiency of food production systems. All GM foods should be assessed before being allowed on the market. FAO/WHO Codex guidelines exist for risk analysis of GM food. Positive and Negative Impacts Genetically Modified Food Has on the World The term ‘genetically modified food’, also known as ‘genetically modified organisms’, is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. The reason these plants are being modified today is to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides (pesticides used to kill unwanted plants) or improved nutritional content. In order to create these genetically modified foods, scientists must introduce specific changes to their DNA by using extremely precise genetic engineering techniques. While there are some benefits that genetically modified foods may offer, there are also some risks and negative affects that these foods can cause as well. Genetically modified foods have been helpful in many aspects of the world. Firstly, they have the ability to help meet the growing demands for food supply as the world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years or so. Ensuring enough food supply for this booming population is going to be a major struggle in years to come, and genetically modified foods will help do this in a number of ways. For example, crop losses from insect pests can be shocking, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. By growing genetically modified foods such as B.T. corn, farmers can help eliminate the production of chemical pesticides that cause potential health hazards, and there will be higher crop yields that many experts argue can help to feed people in these countries. In addition to this, plants can be genetically modified to be resistant to bacterial, fungal or viral infestation. For example, sweet potatoes have been modified to improve viral resistance, and bananas have been modified to resist the Black Sigatoka fungus. Growing genetically modified foods will therefore lead to less†¦ [continues] Harmful Effects of the Agent Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are a broad group of plants, animals, and bacteria that are engineered for a wide variety of applications ranging from agricultural production to scientific research. The types of potential hazards posed by GMO’s vary according to the type of organism being modified and its intended application. Most of the concern surrounding GMO’s relates to their potential for negative effects on the environment and human health. Because GMO’s that could directly effect human health are primarily products that can enter the human food supply, this website focuses on genetically modified food. To date, the only types of products that have been approved for human consumption in the U.S. are genetically modified plants (FDA website). All genetically modified foods that have been approved are considered by the government to be as safe as their traditional counterparts and are generally unregulated (FDA website). However, there are seve ral types of potential health effects that could result from the insertion of a novel gene into an organism. Health effects of primary concern to safety assessors are production of new allergens, increased toxicity, decreased nutrition, and antibiotic resistance (Bernstein et al., 2003). Food Allergy Food Allergy affects approximately 5% of children and 2% of adults in the U.S. and is a significant public health threat (Bakshi, 2003). Allergic reactions in humans occur when a normally harmless protein enters the body and stimulates an immune response (Bernstein et al., 2003). If the novel protein in a GM food comes from a source that is know to cause allergies in humans or a source that has never been consumed as human food, the concern that the protein could elicit an immune response in humans increases. Although no allergic reactions to GM food by consumers have been confirmed, in vitro evidence suggesting that some GM products could cause an allergic reaction has motivated biotechnology companies to discontinue their development (Bakshi, 2003). Increased Toxicity Most plants produce substances that are toxic to humans. Most of the plants that humans consume produce toxins at levels low enough that they do not produce any adverse health effects. There is concern that inserting an exotic gene into a plant could cause it to produce toxins at higher levels that could be dangerous to humans. This could happen through the process of inserting the gene into the plant. If other genes in the plant become damaged during the insertion process it could cause the plant to alter its production of toxins. Alternatively, the new gene could interfere with a metabolic pathway causing a stressed plant to produce more toxins in response. Although these effects have not been observed in GM plants, they have been observed through conventional breeding methods creating a safety concern for GM plants. For example, potatoes conventionally bred for increased diseased resistance have produced higher levels of glycoalkaloids (GEO-PIE website). Decreased Nutritional Value A genetically modified plant could theoretically have lower nutritional quality than its traditional counterpart by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans. For example, phytate is a compound common in seeds and grains that binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to humans. An inserted gene could cause a plant to produce higher levels of phytate decreasing the mineral nutritional value of the plant (GEO-PIE). Another example comes from a study showing that a strain of genetically modified soybean produced lower levels of phytoestrogen compounds, believed to protect against heart disease and cancer, than traditional soybeans (Bakshi, 2003). Antibiotic resistance In recent years health professionals have become alarmed by the increasing number of bacterial strains that are showing resistance to antibiotics. Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics by creating antibiotic resistance genes through natural mutation. Biotechnologists use antibiotic resistance genes as selectable markers when inserting new genes into plants. In the early stages of the process scientists do not know if the target plant will incorporate the new gene into its genome. By attaching the desired gene to an antibiotic resistance gene the new GM plant can be tested by growing it in a solution containing the corresponding antibiotic. If the plant survives scientists know that it has taken up the antibiotic resistance gene along with the desired gene. There is concern that bacteria living in the guts of humans and animals could pick up an antibiotic resistance gene from a GM plant before the DNA becomes completely digested (GEO-PIE website). It is not clear what sort of ris k the possibility of conferring antibiotic resistance to bacteria presents. No one has ever observed bacteria incorporating new DNA from the digestive system under controlled laboratory conditions. The two types of antibiotic resistance genes used by biotechnologists are ones that already exist in bacteria in nature so the process would not introduce new antibiotic resistance to bacteria. Never the less it is a concern and the FDA is encouraging biotechnologists to phase out the practice of using antibiotic resistance genes (GEO-PIE website).