Insects and pest*s* are a big problem in farming. They reduce the world crop production by over 13% every year. Hence the insecticide resistant plants were produced in aid to stop the decline in production. $4 billion are spent world wide every year on chemicals to protect the world’s 3 major crops cotton, rice and maize. [1]
The vast majority of the population rely on these crops as a source of daily food, many are grown in developing countries and do not have the money to constantly prevent the insects damaging the crops. Large sections of crops get destroyed by insects and leads to poverty within the country. [3]
Countries prone to flooding contain soil with a high content of salt. This makes growing crops difficult as the salt ions are toxic to the plant and interferes with their metabolism, therefore a variety of salt – tolerant crops were produced for countries such as India. [4][6]
[6]
How are they beneficial?
GM products were designed to improve food and medicine and because of these products it has benefited many areas. Such examples are crops, GM is a way that crops can easily be altered and characterised quickly to suit their growing situations with out the need of the traditional farming method like selective breeding which is slower also if the crops were not herbicide resistant then weed killers would affect the crops as well as the weed, producing less yield. [5]
The benefits of GM on crops are that they are able to enhance the quality and the taste of the crop, making them more flavoursome than the products which are naturally grown. [2]
They help increase the nutrients within the plant as well as the yield, as fewer chemicals are being used to help it grow. There is also an increase in its stress tolerance against saline soils. [1]
GM has helped improve resistance against diseases and viruses, as well as pests and herbicides. They have modified them so that they are resistant to extreme changes in the weather, this means when the climate may become warmer or colder outside the accustomed temperature range of the crop.
Crops are not only improved in its growing technique, they have also improved on the products themselves. Fresh fruit and vegetables have been grown so that they can be stored longer on the selves of supermarkets, e.g. tomatoes are normally picked when they are still green so that when they reach the shops they are ripe and ready to sell, but this normally means that they have not received the full nutrients as they have been picked before they have been ripped in there natural environment. If the tomatoes are genetically modified so that the maturation time is reduced then they could be picked when they are red so when they are put on the shelves to sell they would still be fresh. [2][4][6]
They have also manipulated plants to produce pharmaceutical substances such as vaccines which are consumable. [5]
Furthermore, soil erosion is reduced by 90% because the soil does not need frequent ploughing. Less water and energy is needed to be put in to the soil, making this a more efficient process. [1]
With the population on the increase, maximising productivity secures the world from higher starvation numbers as GM aims to increase the proportion of crops consumed by each person. [2]
Controversies
Although there may be many positive issues towards GM they also contain risks.
The risks of GM is unpredictable, because of the crossing of organisms genes, new proteins are being made and people who consume these may have an allergic reaction towards them.[1]
Although the pest resistant crops are helpful to kill weeds, these may harm others which consume the plant, beneficial predators e.g. ladybirds could be harmed if they eat an insect which has consumed the plant. [2][5]
Herbicides reduces variation, therefore if a bacteria or virus mutates and infects a plant, there will be a large loss of crops. [4] Many crops can interbreed with other plants that are related to them, if they are passed to wild plants they will create a new type of ‘superweed’ as these will be resistant to herbicides, which will cause ecological damage as they will be competing with other plants.
New herbicides will have to be produced soon, as plants could develop a resistant against the herbicide, therefore they will be competing for the nutrients again and more money would have to be put into the project to manipulate more genes. [3]
Ethical issues have been raised because of GM, it is said to be wrong to be interfering with the way nature works. GM has affected animals who now find it hard to consume food.
It is unethical to mix genes from different organisms, this is said to be tampering with nature, or playing God. [2]
GM crops were mainly aimed to help feed the worlds growing population but arguments have expressed the point that the world is suffering from malnutrition, not because of the shortage to buy, but because they are unable to afford it. Many of the GM plants are being grown in developing countries but these crops are effectively grown for the markets of rich countries. [3]
Conclusion
Genetic engineering of food is increasing and is under the control of only a few major companies e.g. Monsanto. They provide an alternative to traditional farming methods. The product will look appealing but within that manipulated product it may or will contain risks.
I personally do not find altering genes to crops appealing and would rather stick to products that have been grown naturally as this is much safer.
References
- Caroline Bowsher/Genetic manipulation of plant/Biological science review/Vol 15 Number 1 September 2002/pg 10,11,12,13
- AS Biology/ B. Indge, M. Rowland, M. Baker/ 2000/ pg165,166
