The Advantages of GMO crops • Genetically modified crops have shorter maturation periods, meaning they can be harvested much faster and in shorter intervals. Therefore farmers can produce more crops in shorter time frames and increase their profitability • Genetically modified crops make agriculture more sustainable. • Due to the short maturation periods, soil salinity decreases as the crops don’t spend as long taking nutrients and minerals out of the soil. • Genetically modified crops are made to be better/improved and carry strong genes for certain favourable characteristics. This allows for higher quality crops to be produced. • They have resistance to diseases and viruses, herbicides and pesticides. • There is an increased yield in the …show more content…
(http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/doctors-confirm-first-human-death-officially-caused-by-gmos/) • Inserting new genes into crops can cause the existing genes to react in unknown ways changing the characteristics and quality of the product. (http://nwrage.org/content/10-reasons-oppose-genetic-engineering ) Why people are opposed to the genetic modification of organisms • People believe that by inserting genes of another species into crops the taste and physical characteristics will change/differ. • Genetically modified crops cost a lot more to produce; more than expected therefore some farmers are against it. • There is an increased use of pesticides and herbicides due to herbicide resistance in the genetically modified crops which is harmful to the environment therefore people do not support GM crops. • People believe that GM organisms are unnatural and for that reason are unsafe. • There has not been enough testing done on genetically modified products to deem them completely safe therefore they are avoided. • People believe that by producing GMO’s scientists are ‘playing God’ and that it is not morally
There is less of a chemical output on the crops since the year GMO’s have decreased pesticide use by 8.8%. They will also improve water quality. GMO crops allows a “no-till” which decreases soil erosion. Less soil erosion means there is less of runoff.
GMOs foods have lots of unknown factors coming into play. There are many questions to whether they are safe for us and the crops. GMOs foods have been connected to sterile and dead livestock, and damage to almost every organ studied in lab animals. Labeling might also be costing us more than necessary. Some say we should stop using GMOs altogether, but right now it’s difficult to see what choice has our best interests at heart.
Some benefits of genetically modified foods include the potential to create higher crop surpluses. This is significant because of the increasing population of our nation as well as worldwide. This opens doors for better trade and can provide farmers with more efficient structures and time management. GMOs also reduce the need for herbicides and pesticides. They reduce overall need for manual labor of farmers. GMOs are seen as more economical and beneficial to manufacturers. Besides technical assets, the quality of the food can be improved drastically as well. The foods can stay fresher longer and can also endure weather fluctuations along side with having the capability to grow and produce in originally unsuitable conditions. The most beneficial factor examined from genetically modified foods would be that they can specifically and personally be altered
Genetically modified crops are an incredibly important issue that everyone should be aware of since it is something we are exposed to at a daily basis. Genetically modified crops also known as GM crops or Biotech crops has been one of the most heated debates of issues within our society. The debate about the safety, concerns and disadvantages of GM crops have raged since the mid 1990 's but this is due to the lack of knowledge of the general public. Many people are unaware of what the GM crops actually are and what they offer. Genetically modified crops are plants that are used in the agriculture and have been modified to initiate a new trait to plants that does not happen naturally in the species. These plants are modified using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits. GM crops are made when genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another.() There are many methods used for the production of GM crops but the two primary used for plant insertion are gene guns and agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are also three types of modifications which are transgenic, cisgenic, and subgenic plants. However, there are a number of issues that surround this controversial topic such as environmental, health, and economic concerns. Even though there are some worrying facts about GM crops people don 't realize the advantages or the ways it has helped humans as well as animals. There are many reasons why GM crops are proven
One of the biggest advantages of agricultural biotechnology lies in its economic efficiency. GM crops are financially beneficial to both the farmer and the consumer. Due to their resistance to pests, viruses, and adverse climates, genetically altered crops produce much larger yields than organic or conventional crops. For example, studies show that if no insecticide is used, a GM crop known as Bt maize has a 48% higher yield than non-modified maize varieties
Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop useful products and is a technological application that uses living organisms or systems. There is much controversy in the use of these systems because of possible health and environmental effects. One of the most widely used products of biotechnology is genetically modified (GM) crops. These are crops that have a specific combination of genetic material that is acquired through certain biotechnological processes or genetic engineering. Many crops have been subject to these genetic modifications such as: alfalfa, cotton, flax, rice, tobacco, tomatoes, and wheat. Many people are on various sides of the spectrum of being for the alteration of these crops or strongly against it.
Genetically Modified Organisms are used to help farmers crops produce quicker, but mainly to give a certain crop the traits it needs to grow in particular areas. Also, there are
People opposed to genetically engineered crops believe genetically engineering a crop to have a higher nutritional value will cause problems with a person’s diet. They believe people will then disregard other foods besides the new genetically engineered food, and this will cause other health issues. This does not seem likely because genetically engineered crops with enhanced nutritional value are aimed to help people reach a certain daily value of a vitamin or mineral, not to replace a person’s whole diet. A person will still have to eat other foods with the new genetically engineered food, however, he or she will not have to eat as much to obtain the correct daily values of their vitamins and minerals. Countries such as Africa, who have a problem with people dying of starvation each year, could really use these kinds of crops. Crops that are genetically engineered to withstand drastic weather conditions and are higher in nutritional value could help Africa have a higher yield of crops to feed the starving children with. The increased nutritional value in these crops would also help the starving children get more of the vitamins and minerals they need to survive.
GMO are allowing farmers to grow more crops without having to use (or buy) any additional land. Farmers are able to produce a higher yield of crops, food, plants, etc, which can be distrusted to stores at a faster rate.
One benefit of GMOs is that scientists can alter the DNA of seeds to make crops grow much larger in size. Bigger crops would mean less food needed to feed families. Each day there are more advanced plants and seeds coming about through these modifications. Along with growing larger in size, these GMOs can also consist of crops that have natural pesticides. As a result, producers will save a great amount of time and money with getting the food to consumers. Also, chemicals will not be spread on food that consumers may have issues with. Now researchers have also modified crops to become drought resistant, which again will be beneficial to the more southern states that struggle with drought, extreme heat, and minimal rainfall. Drought resistant
GMOs are very new to our world. There have been many protests against them lately as they continue to expand and feed our growing population. European environmental organizations and public groups have been against it for months. The U.S Food and Drug Administration also began worrying about GMOs after recent effects on monarch butterfly caterpillars were
Genetically modified crops can be used in a variety of ways to make the everyday lives of everyone easier and better. There are a number of ways that crops could be genetically modified to become more resilient to a number of things and generally improve their health. One of these ways is making them more resilient to drought and flooding, making them able to hold and store more water as well as make them more prone to not absorbing too much water is their is an abundance in the area. A second way would be making them more resistant to pesticides and the pests themselves. This would mean making the crops secrete something that would repel insects, and for the insects that can't be repealed it would mean making the crops more immune to pesticides so they could be used to keep the insects out while not poisoning the plant at the same time. Of course, with all that genetic modification there are many things that could go wrong with the process making the crops unsuitable or even poisonous to humans. One of these things is possible cross contamination, which means that there is a possibility that the crops could breed with each other and produce crops that have genetic instability or traits that weaken the crop itself. Some crops may even cross breed with weeds
GMO foods are not the most healthy or honest foods, but they are the most helpful. Many fruits and vegetables are engineered to be resistant to bugs and diseases that could cause famine. This helps farmers all over the country by giving them a better harvest. Also, non-sanitary soil has become a large problem in some places around the world. The soil made it harder for crops to grow in certain environments. To solve this problem, scientists could take a gene from a plant that can live in these conditions, and plant it into another crop’s genome. This would make the crop that
Those who denounce genetic engineering often say that GM crops are untested, and the negative effects they spur just haven’t been discovered yet. An article from Livestrong.com says, “There’s a danger that modified genes can turn out to be harmful for human health and that the body could develop antibiotic-resistant genes in response to transferred genes” (Agadoni). Agadoni brings up a fair point: genetic engineering is still a relatively new science,
Currently, geneticists are able to genetically engineer certain types of food to help farmers, and they believe that what they can accomplish will greatly affect agriculture. These statements cannot be proved at the moment, however, due to lack of knowledge in their studies. It has helped farmers to keep pests from their crops but the price of having these GE Crops is at a very high level. The herbicide problem allows the crops to be introduced to toxins that can be a great safety risk for the farmers and the people who consume