Soybeans: Biotechnology And Environmental Analysis

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Soybeans are one of the most widely cultivated and consumed crops in the world. Native to East Asia, soybeans have been cultivated for over 5000 years (Wang et al., 2012) and are presently found in every continent except Antarctica. This versatile bean is rich in nutrients and is a suitable soil fertiliser, perfect for human consumption, animal feed and non-food items.
Eventually, the emergence of modern biotechnology led to the creation of the first genetically-modified (GM) soybeans in 1996 by inserting a foreign gene into cells to improve quantity and quality (Skogstad, 2011). While proponents hailed GM soybeans as a paradigm-shifting discovery that can combat malnutrition, world hunger and boost farmers’ incomes, critics warned about potential …show more content…

Presently, one in nine people on Earth are undernourished, five million children die from hunger each year, and food production must increase by 60% to feed the growing world population that is expected to hit 9.6 billion by 2050 (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2014). Yet, global agricultural systems face added pressure to expand crop production using less land, water and fertiliser. This is arguably impossible to achieve unless agricultural biotechnology is permitted to genetically-improve crops, ensuring an abundant supply of food to meet the 2050 targets without increasing deforestation or soil erosion. Hence, EU countries like Austria and Germany will have to review their precautionary bans on GM soybeans or risk facing more serious environmental and social consequences in the future from continued cultivation of conventional …show more content…

Such a promising technology that reaps quantifiable health, environmental and social benefits should not be hindered by short-sighted speculations on side-effects that are unlikely to happen. Moreover, solely relying on conventional soybeans will be unsustainable in the long run due to food scarcity and agricultural pollution, potentially causing far more damaging environmental and societal consequences than if GM soybeans were cultivated. Hence, EU’s overly-cautious precautionary approach for GM soybeans should be

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