...Not Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, or Paleo.

There is arguably no topic more popular today in the developed regions of the world than that of food. In fact, we've become so obsessed with the topic of food that several movements have emerged in the last couple of decades in the pursuit of what they deem to be "healthier alternatives" to our modernized food culture. These movements vary between non-GMO, gluten-free, and paleo.

The problem, however, is the fact that these movements are largely predicated on either pseudo-science, paranoia, or an ahistorical narrative.

What makes these movements all the more asinine is the fact that, despite their own qualms that modernized agriculture has supposedly become toxic to the global population, world hunger has been steadily decreasing and our overall health has increased. Which then raises the question: if the future of food isn't going to be non-GMO, gluten-free, or paleo, what will it be?

Transgenic

When it comes to meeting food demands in a world flooded with natural disasters, contamination, etc., you wouldn't be wrong in feeling like you're in a fight you can't win. The rules are rigged against us and if we continue playing by those rules, we'll eventually perish. Which is why, over the course of 30+ years, researchers have been pushing forward a food movement that is both intelligent and safe for both human consumption and the environment.

This is known as transgenic crop production or genetically modified organisms (GMO). The fact of the matter is that, when it comes to Earth, there are a lot of hurdles that we find ourselves up against on a daily basis. Whether we're talking about floods and droughts or Vitamin A deficiencies, we humans seem to be in a constant struggle in maintaining a healthy balance between food production and consumption.

Sometimes the environmental conditions aren't friendly enough to meet the general region's food demands. As a result, this could bring about an increasing emergence of malnutrition. From there, starvation. Other times, the food that is being produced in a general region aren't meeting the nutritional demands. In consequence, nutritional deficiencies begin cascading throughout said region like wildfire.

Which is why, when it comes to the future of food, transgenic crop production is probably one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal to help us combat against these struggles. Despite what the pseudo-scientific anti-GMO movement claims, transgenic crops are the future.

"For the first time in the history of plant breeding, the tools of genetic engineering allow us to understand what it is that we’re doing. That’s the real difference. That’s what all this fuss has been about: a radical change in the quality and quantity of information available to us, a move from evolution by natural selection to evolution by intelligent direction."

- Peter H. Diamandis

Today, farmers are able to combat against floods and droughts by using crops that've been genetically modified to be resistant to such extreme environmental conditions. And in regions known for their nutritional deficiencies, such as Vitamin A, crops like golden rice are already starting to combat this problem and the researchers who helped develop it are giving it away for free.

In the future, in-home transgenic crop production could be common practice. A little low on certain nutritional needs? Simple: genetically modify your next meal to address this issue. Is the region you're in going through a temporary drought? Not a problem: genetically modify your seeds to be resistant against drought conditions. In the future, you're in control of your own food.