The Pros And Cons Of Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically modified organisms (commonly referred to as GMOs) are any organisms that have had their genome artificially altered by humans in an attempt to produce that same organism with a new desired phenotype. This is a relatively new science that has been applied primarily to crop plants, but its implications still reach far and wide. The capability of slightly altering the DNA of an organism carries with it the ability to introduce a desired trait into a species. In regards to agriculture this has the potential to revolutionize the entire industry worldwide by producing crops that require less maintenance while increasing yield. However, like most groundbreaking technologies, it has become the focus point of a polarizing debate between

This is often the result of underlying factors caused by these nation’s geographic locations in the tropics and subtropics, and include “pests, disease, and poor soils [that] are made worse by climatic conditions that favor insect pests and disease vectors, and by the lack of economic resources to purchase high quality seeds, insecticides, and fertilizers” (Herrera-Estrella, 2000). This problem is exacerbated by the fact that by 2050 the Earth is predicted to see a population increase of up to “6 billion people, 90% of whom will reside in the developing world” (Herrera-Estrella, 2000). Recent studies suggest that the planet “will need 70 to 100% more food” (Godfray et al., 2010) production in order to feed this new population. As if this situation was not dire enough for the developing world, the fact that this “additional food will have to be produced on existing agricultural land or marginal soils if forested regions and the environment as a whole are to be preserved” (Herrera-Estrella, 2000) means that a solution is badly in need. Fortunately, genetically modified organisms might be the answer by providing crops that may be able to meet the needs of these

The science behind their production leaves almost infinite possibilities for imagining how these plants could be specifically tailored to the conditions they will be grown in. Hypothetically, traits resulting in less demand for water and nutrients would cope for poor soil quality, traits resulting in insect and pest resistance would replace the need for expensive fertilizers, and traits resulting in increased crop yield and nutritional value would cope for limited land space and a rapidly growing population. Another advantage that GMOs could provide is that their strategies for crop improvement can be applied to a variety of different crops instead of just a few individuals. “Genetically engineered virus resistance, insect resistance, and delayed ripening are good examples of strategies that could potentially benefit a diversity of crops” (Herrera-Estrella, 2000). Delayed ripening in particular “has an enormous potential application for tropical fruit crops, which suffer severe losses in developing countries because they ripen rapidly and because there is a lack of appropriate storage conditions and efficient transport systems for them to reach the final consumer” (Herrera-Estrella, 2000). Furthermore, GMOs have the advantage of being a relatively easily implemented solution when it comes to feeding the developing world as “in principle it does not require major