Genetically Modified Crop

Good or Bad?

The world population is constantly growing and there is no sign of stopping. This is a pressing phenomenon as more land is required for housing, countries are shifting out of agriculture for manufacturing and diseases and pests are a constant threat to crops production. These factors were leading to a possible food shortage, which led to the development and interest in genetically modified food. Yet, there are ethical and safety concerns on the production of genetically modified food. In addition, people seem to fear the unexpected consequences from the manipulation of genes.

The Good

Before genetically modified crop was invented, there was an extensive use of pesticides to counter pest and diseases. However, there was a growing concern amongst consumers over the health hazards of using pesticides. The development of genetically modified crops help address these concerns as with the modification of genes in crops, resistance against pest attacks and diseases within the crops can be created and therefore eliminate the use of pesticides.

To remove weeds that compete with crops for nutrients, farmers tend to use physical means or a variety of herbicides to remove weeds. However, the use of herbicides is expensive and destroys the crops too. With genetic modification to provide herbicide resistance within crops, this will reduce the amount of herbicides used and undesired crop damage.  

Crops can be genetically engineered to grow on a wider range of soil type and climate conditions, which may be deemed unsuitable for farming. Genetically modified food has played extremely important role in developing countries as they tend to rely on single crop for their daily dietary which tends to lack many nutrients. Developing countries face nutrient deficiencies like blindness due to deficiency of vitamin A. However, with genetic modified food, we could inject the specific nutrient into the plant allowing it to possess that nutrient.

Genetically modified food allows increase in productivity and quality for both livestock and crops. With the improved resistance for crops and livestock towards diseases and pest attack, it ensures a constant high harvest rate and better quality food. Genetic modified food like livestock could be altered to grow at a faster speed or an example on the production for dairy products, we could genetically modify the cow to increase the production of milk.

The Bad

Many have raised concerns over the possible side effects from consuming genetically modified food since the birth of it. Inserting pesticides property genes has killed the ‘main pest’ of the crops, but led to an unbalanced nature where a shifted from previous ‘secondary pests’ to ‘main pest’ and improve immunity towards the pesticides used by farmers.^[a] Animals or insects that feeds on pests, that consume genetically modified crops, or plants, that are genetically modified, has shown increase in the death rate.