Hi. Can you please provide feedback on the essay below? Thanks!
-Umer
An international development organization, in response to a vitamin A deficiency among people in the impoverished nation of Tagus, has engineered a new breed of millet high in vitamin A. While seeds for this new type of millet cost more, farmers will be paid subsidies for farming the new variety of millet. Since millet is already a staple food in Tagus, people will readily adopt the new variety. To combat vitamin A deficiency, the government of Tagus should do everything it can to promote this new type of millet.
Write a response in which you discuss what questions would need to be answered to decide whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result. Be sure to explain how the answers to these questions would help to evaluate the recommendation.
--------------------------------------------
One tried-and-true method for combating vitamin and mineral deficiencies amongst impoverished populations is to fortify the food products of these peoples with the required nutrients and then ensure that these new fortified foods are consumed in the appropriate quantities. Aid organizations such as UNICEF regularly use this method--with fortified flour, for example--to combat vitamin and mineral deficiencies in children in third world nations. The new millet seed that has been developed with high vitamin A content could be a way to implement this method for the vitamin A deficient population of Tagus, but several questions need to be answered first to determine whether the program would be successful.
First of all, studies need to be done to compare the agricultural needs of the newly developed variety of millet in comparison to the one currently farmed by the people of Tagus. Does the new variety grow as quickly as the previous one? If not, it may not fit into Tagus' growing season and the people of Tagus would not be able to use it. Also, what amount of agricultural inputs such as water, fertilizer, and sunlight are needed for this new variety in comparison to the old one? If more water is needed for this variety, the people of Tagus will need help to expand their irrigation systems to accomodate the new seed. Similarly, if more fertilizer is needed, the new variety would not be successful in Tagus without providing its people with additional subsidies to cover the added cost.
Secondly, it must be determined how well the new variety of millet would work in Tagus' ecosystem. Will the new variety be able to withstand the pests and plant diseases that exist in Tagus? If the engineering of the new seed resulted in a less-hardy seed, the crop would not survive and the people of Tagus would not be able to benefit from its added vitamin content. Ideally, the new variety needs to be even more resistent to pests and disease so that yields of millet can be increased and the vitamin deficiency can be combated as effectively as possible. However, at a minimum, the new variety must be as hardy as the previous one.
Lastly, trials must be done to test the new millet crop for acceptance by Tagus' people. If the new seed produces a crop that is significantly different in taste, smell, or appearance, it may not be accepted by the people of Tagus despite it nutritional benefits. Tagus' population is impoverished and many are illiterate rural people. Hence, it might be difficult to convince them of the importance of adopting a new crop if it doesn't match the flavor profile of what they're used to. They may not understand such an abstract concept as nutritional content, and therefore it needs to seen whether the new seed will produce a crop that is accepted into Tagus' culture.
In conclusion, this new millet seed could provide hope for the malnourished population of Tagus. However, before vast amounts of money and time are spent to implement this new seed into the agricultural practice of Tagus, the government should carefully study the agricultural needs of this new variety, its suitability for Tagus' ecosystem, and its cultural acceptance by Tagus' people.