Introduction
Over the course of the last two decades, there has been an exponential increase in the advancements of science and technology. This advancement in science and technology has translated to improved standards of living for humans all around the world especially in the developed regions of the world.
These improved living standards have come in the form of improved healthcare, transportation, security as well as agriculture and food production.
One of the main areas of agriculture and food production that science and technology have impacted is the area of genetically modified crops or foods.
Genetically modified crops are crops in which the genetic material has been altered in such a way that they produce traits or characteristics that do not occur naturally.
These alterations are done in such a way that they boost the performance of the crops. Alterations in the genetic material of these crops can be done to achieve a wide range of results ranging from improved yield to more resistant crops.
However, this introduction has polarized opinions like no other agriculture advancement in recent times. You either are for them or you are against it with very few in between.
Genetically modified crops are modified and developed and marketed because they possess some apparent advantage over conventionally produced food. Supporters of GMOs cite the anticipated population explosion and the need to find crops that are capable of feeding the world population with fewer resources.
Benefits of Genetically Modified Crops
The benefits of genetically modified crops include but are not limited to the following
- Production of more nutritious food
- Production of crops that are tastier than their conventional counterparts
- Creation of cops that have improved disease and drought resistance
- The production of crops with inherent disease resistance leading to less reliance on pesticides.
- There is a reduced cost of production
- Production of crops that grow faster
- Production of crops with highly desirable traits
It is not uncommon to see fruits and crops in supermarkets labeled as organic or genetically modified. Despite the apparent benefits of genetically modified crops, the resistance to GMOs remains very strong as it is believed that consumption of these genetically modified crops pose a threat to the health of consumers, although this has not been confirmed.
Potential Risks of Genetically Modified Crops
The negative effects of genetically modified crops include the following:
- Creation of food that has the potential to cause allergic reactions among consumers.
- Creation of crops that are toxic to humans or possess anti-nutrients.
- Movement of unwanted genes moving from one plant to another.
- Creation of less nutritious crops.
The way that genetically modified crops are produced means that each crop must be assessed on its merits. This is because the genes for each crop are inserted in different ways using different methods, thus their safety must be assessed individually.
It is however unlikely that genetically modified crops that have passed safety assessment would pose a risk to human health. To find out if GMO is safe or not, click here
Written by Joseph Alahira