发贴：philipfang

Food can be produced much more cheaply today because of improved fereilisers and better machinery. However, some of the methods used to do this my be dangerous to human health and may have negative effects on local communities. To what extent do you agree or disagree？

In today's world, meals are no longer too expensive to prepare. With such modern technologies as chemical fertilizers and machinery we can enjoy delicious food at a much lower cost. Nevertheless, these inexpensive, mass-produced foods affect our health, to a greater or lesser degree. For one thing, they are less nutritious than those naturally cultivated. In my view, however, their advantages far outweigh this little disadvantage, in the following aspects:

Apart from being cheap and mass-produced, convenient food saves us both time and energy in preparing our everyday meals. In a world that idolizes efficiency, we can thus devote our valuable time and energy to other and more meaningful, undertakings.

By applying the latest agricultural technologies, we can also enjoy a much greater variety of foods at lower prices, which was impossible a century ago. For instance, even when they are not in season, water melons are now sold all the year round, and are enjoyed by young and old, rich and poor alike.

Finally, the demand for healthier foods with a greater variety and at lower prices enables modern technologies to develop by leaps and bounds. For example, GM (genetically-modified) plant technology is being promoted by the demand for the ever-increasing number of healthy recipes it can Provide, including disease­-resistant rice, meat-flavoured apples and various green foods. In this way, nutrition and modern technologies go hand in hand, much to the benefit of us all .

In conclusion, our food culture is greatly enriched by the application of modern agricultural technologies. Possible negative effects are, so far, a mere technical problem, and I believe that in a matter of only a few years this will be properly tackled.