GMO Game Final paper (DRAFT)
It is important to realize that the population of the world is increasing and the world’s resources are depleting, this puts us in a dire need of new ways to feed the growing population. The potential solution to this problem is--Genetically Modified food. Genetically modified(GM) crops are a breakthrough technology, as they accelerate the breeding of crops and make crop production more efficient. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified organisms(GMO) as those organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally(WHO,2002). The issue of safety of the GM crops and the “uncertainty” about GM crops have been hurdles to the wide scale adoption of GM …show more content…
Roundup Ready corn is modified to be tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. he herbicide tolerance is achieved by engineering the corn to produce CP4 EPSPS enzymes(an enzyme which results in tolerance to glyphosate). Roundup Ready corn is determined to be safe for human consumption in various studies, as there is no toxicity, unwanted allergic reaction or loss of nutrition associated with Roundup Ready corn(José L. Domingo, 2007). Consequently, Roundup Ready corn is as safe and nutritious as the existing commercial corn hybrids (Hmannond et al, 2004). Bt corn, a commonly grown GM crop in the US, is an example of a new agricultural technology that increases supply, driving the cost of corn down and benefiting both the consumer and the producer(Wu, 2004), as it significantly decreases the reliance on commercial insecticides and reduces crop failure. Bt corn is engineered to produce an insecticide, as it contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This gene enables the corn to express Cry proteins that kill lepidoptera larvae(invasive insects that eat crops). The Cry proteins are ingested and converted to toxins inside the insect. The toxins bind to receptors present in the gut of susceptible insects, this leads to gut-membrane pore formation, and subsequent death (Baktavachalam, 2015). Bt is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that has proven to be a rich source of …show more content…
Both herbicide tolerant(HT) and insect resistant(IR) GM crops have shown to reduce the cost and use of pesticides(Klumpe et al, 2014 and Brookes et al, 2016). Insect resistant GM crops reduce the use of pesticide by producing their own insecticide, this results in reduced fuel consumption by the pesticide industry(Brookes et al, 2016). The cumulative permanent reduction in fuel usage due to the use of IR and HT GM crops has resulted in the reduction of about 21,688 million kg of carbon dioxide emissions(Brookes et al, 2016). The reduced use of pesticides is better for environment especially in places where there is a large-scale over-spraying of pesticides. As herbicide tolerant plants have resulted in better weed control techniques, the farmers have adopted reduced or no tilling techniques(Brookes et al, 2016). The reduction in tilling has lead to reduced fuel use by tractors and ploughs. The reduction in tilling has also prevented the release of carbon dioxide trapped in the soil, this reduces the overall CO2 emission(Brookes et al, 2016). Use of GM crops also has benefits for the producers in developing countries, for
It is important to realize that the population of the world is increasing and the world’s resources are depleting, this puts us in a dire need of new ways to feed the growing population. The potential solution to this problem is--Genetically Modified food. Genetically modified(GM) crops are a breakthrough technology, as they accelerate the breeding of crops and make crop production more efficient. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified organisms(GMO) as those organisms in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally(WHO,2002). The issue of safety of the GM crops and the “uncertainty” about GM crops have been hurdles to the wide scale adoption of GM …show more content…
Roundup Ready corn is modified to be tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. he herbicide tolerance is achieved by engineering the corn to produce CP4 EPSPS enzymes(an enzyme which results in tolerance to glyphosate). Roundup Ready corn is determined to be safe for human consumption in various studies, as there is no toxicity, unwanted allergic reaction or loss of nutrition associated with Roundup Ready corn(José L. Domingo, 2007). Consequently, Roundup Ready corn is as safe and nutritious as the existing commercial corn hybrids (Hmannond et al, 2004). Bt corn, a commonly grown GM crop in the US, is an example of a new agricultural technology that increases supply, driving the cost of corn down and benefiting both the consumer and the producer(Wu, 2004), as it significantly decreases the reliance on commercial insecticides and reduces crop failure. Bt corn is engineered to produce an insecticide, as it contains genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This gene enables the corn to express Cry proteins that kill lepidoptera larvae(invasive insects that eat crops). The Cry proteins are ingested and converted to toxins inside the insect. The toxins bind to receptors present in the gut of susceptible insects, this leads to gut-membrane pore formation, and subsequent death (Baktavachalam, 2015). Bt is a ubiquitous soil bacterium that has proven to be a rich source of …show more content…
Both herbicide tolerant(HT) and insect resistant(IR) GM crops have shown to reduce the cost and use of pesticides(Klumpe et al, 2014 and Brookes et al, 2016). Insect resistant GM crops reduce the use of pesticide by producing their own insecticide, this results in reduced fuel consumption by the pesticide industry(Brookes et al, 2016). The cumulative permanent reduction in fuel usage due to the use of IR and HT GM crops has resulted in the reduction of about 21,688 million kg of carbon dioxide emissions(Brookes et al, 2016). The reduced use of pesticides is better for environment especially in places where there is a large-scale over-spraying of pesticides. As herbicide tolerant plants have resulted in better weed control techniques, the farmers have adopted reduced or no tilling techniques(Brookes et al, 2016). The reduction in tilling has lead to reduced fuel use by tractors and ploughs. The reduction in tilling has also prevented the release of carbon dioxide trapped in the soil, this reduces the overall CO2 emission(Brookes et al, 2016). Use of GM crops also has benefits for the producers in developing countries, for