Genetically modified crops are plants that have had their DNA altered to give them specific traits such as disease or pest resistance. The debate surrounding GM crops is ongoing, with some arguing they will increase food production and others warning of unknown consequences. The use of GM seeds threatens agricultural biodiversity and gives companies control over a large portion of processed foods.
Genetically modified crops are agricultural products that have had their DNA manipulated to give them certain traits such as resistance to disease, pests or herbicides. Food crops could also be engineered to have other desirable traits, such as faster maturation or higher nutrient content. The genetic modification of foods is hotly debated. More than 40 countries, including the European Union, have strict restrictions on GM food and feed, while other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Algeria, have outright banned the import and cultivation of GM crops.
Traditional food crop breeding involves selecting plants with good characteristics such as improved flavor, yield, or disease resistance, and breeding them to create cultivars with these qualities. When crops are genetically modified, genes from one organism are inserted into another organism using biotechnological techniques. For example, corn can be made resistant to certain insects by inserting genes from soil-borne bacteria that are toxic to those insects. Genes can also be modified to cause them to be suppressed.
Biotech companies argue that genetically modified crops will increase food production and protect the world from a global food security crisis. They argue that these crops reduce pesticide use because they don’t need to be sprayed for insects, diseases, and weed pests. Not only can the yields of food crops be increased, but the nutritional qualities of foods, as well as flavor and quality, can be improved.
Environmentalists, scientists, doctors and farmers argue that there are as yet unknown consequences for people, agriculture and the global ecology. Opponents of GM crops point out that there is plenty of food in the world and that the famine is caused by political and economic forces. Some weeds and other pests are becoming resistant to pesticides, requiring increased use, and pollen from modified plants can contaminate natural food crops. The World Health Organization warns that genetically modified food could develop proteins that cause new food allergies and antibiotic resistance.
Agricultural biodiversity is threatened by the increased use of genetically modified seeds, which increases the likelihood of crops that cannot resist diseases and pests. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that in 2009, 88 percent of cotton, 91 percent of soybeans and 85 percent of corn grown in the United States are genetically modified. The companies that produce these seeds have patents on them, giving these industries control over as much as 75 percent of all processed foods sold in the U.S.
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