Biological Factors of Social Change

Organisms such as Plants, Animals and Bacteria are also capable of initiating change in our society. In this short article, I will focus on two (2), out of the many social problems, that involve Biological Organisms as the main culprit: the spread of diseases and food security. 

Spread of Diseases

In the Philippines, the spread of dengue virus has been an epidemic. Many lives have been lost and many have been impaired because of the viruses carried by a certain type of mosquito. The spread of this specific disease have, in one way or another changed the attitude of people towards their surroundings. It is common knowledge that the mosquito-carrying virus is thriving in stagnant waters found in homes and the neighborhood. Coupled with the laudable information drive of the Department of Health regarding the dengue mosquito, people are now aware and are well-equipped on how to eliminate or lessen the said vector.  

Food Security

Rice is the staple food of Filipinos. And so, news about rice field being infested by insects is quite disturbing. Uncontrolled infestation can be a threat to our country’s food security which can affect millions of Filipinos. One possible scenario is rice shortage, and as we all know, shortage of supply will move the prices up. And when prices are up, poor Filipinos will limit their food consumption. This, in effect, will lead to malnourishment and inefficiency of the populace.  Therefore, to avoid such scenario, scientific interventions to respond to this crisis is much welcome; and it was delighting to know that our Rice Research Institute is continuously developing rice varieties which are resistant from vectors. If our rice varieties are free from vectors, farmers can produce higher yields. If we have higher yields, it means we have more supply. If we have more supply, prices will go down. If prices will go down, poor people can avail of rice. In addition, rice surplus would allow us to export our rice product to other countries. And exporting is a healthy sign of a growing economy.