Environmental Benefits
Genetic engineering in the agricultural field provides many benefits, both to the crops that are being genetically engineered, and the environment. Genetically modified crops provide resistance to pests, weeds, and disease, as well as benefiting the environment and increasing food production.
In 2009, the United States was the largest grower of genetically modified crops. 64 million hectares were grown, with Brazil and Argentina following closely behind. Genetically modified crops are grown all over the world. Genetically modified cotton is grown in India, roses in Japan, canola in Canada, and maize in Spain.
The use of genetically modified crops is an extremely important breakthrough in the scientific and agricultural community, because it provides so many advantages and benefits to the way we grow our crops.
In 2009, the United States was the largest grower of genetically modified crops. 64 million hectares were grown, with Brazil and Argentina following closely behind. Genetically modified crops are grown all over the world. Genetically modified cotton is grown in India, roses in Japan, canola in Canada, and maize in Spain.
The use of genetically modified crops is an extremely important breakthrough in the scientific and agricultural community, because it provides so many advantages and benefits to the way we grow our crops.
The use of genetically modified crops has many advantages over conventional farming methods. The human population is rapidly growing. By 2050, the population is expected to have grown to 9.2 billion people, and as the population increases there is a need for safer, more effective and efficient farming methods. Current farming methods can lead to the loss of vast amounts of wilderness, the death of millions of birds and insects, and environmental degradation. Crops can be modified to have a higher crop yield. This means that farmers will be able to use less space to grow more crops. GM crops can be engineered to be drought and salt resistant, which makes them easier to grow in developing countries.
Controversy
As with in the medical field, there is much controversy surrounding agricultural genetic engineering, and there are many people that are skeptical about GMOs. Some argue that the use of GM crops reduces biodiversity, but field tests have come back with mixed results. GM crops might actually boost biodiversity, instead of reducing it. Critics also worry about unforeseen and longer-term effects such as the transfer of anti-biotic resistance, but there has been no evidence of that so far. Millions of people have been eating genetically modified food for over a decade, and it's likely that every meal a person eats has at least one GMO in it.
To insure that the GMOs that are consumed pose no threats, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S Food and Drug Administration regulate GM crops for commercial introduction and sale. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plays an important part in field-testing GM products. GM crops are considered 'regulated articles,' meaning that the APHIS has to test them to see if their release will cause harm to the environment and those who consume them.
To insure that the GMOs that are consumed pose no threats, The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S Food and Drug Administration regulate GM crops for commercial introduction and sale. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plays an important part in field-testing GM products. GM crops are considered 'regulated articles,' meaning that the APHIS has to test them to see if their release will cause harm to the environment and those who consume them.