GM crop - Most promising scientific opportunity for the future of food

GM crop - Most promising scientific opportunity for the future of food

Genetically Modified Crops (Abbreviated as GM Crops) are that who’s DNA has been modified using various genetic engineering technologies to introduce a new characteristic artificially, which the original plant does not comprises of naturally.

For:

- GM crops improve the shelf life of a crop and hence ensuing a higher yield of crops
- They are beneficial for the farmers as they provide disease resistance and pest resistance
- Also, these crops are stress resistant, i.e., they can survive natural calamities like draught, floods, frost and soil salinity
- Herbicide Resistant – with this quality, the crops are resistant to multiple chemicals applied together
- The GM Crops have a better nutritional value as compared to the normally grown crops, especially in Oil seeds, which helps us in giving healthier edible oils
- Because of the increased nutritional value, the crops stay fresh for a longer time and they also have a prolonged lifespan
- GM Crops would be beneficial for countries where there is shortage of food as well as help in coming out of undernourishment problems as well
- GM crops also help in producing biofuels
- Improves the socio – economic background of the farmers

Against:

- Anything which is done artificially and while going against the nature, it will have its harmful effect, and so will the GM Crop has certain health risks attached to it, like certain allergies may erupt by combining 2 or more genes
- As we discussed in the positive points, the GM Crops are pest resistant, this feature could harm the animals who feed on crops
- By growing, GM crops near to the other crops, it could lead to gene transfer as well and destroy the other plants
- An expensive affair – Genetically modified crops would be expensive and could not be afforded by each and every farmer

Conclusion:

- As it is said, that everything has a good and bad aspect attached to it. On one hand where GM Crops are advantageous in a number of ways to the farmers, are they really proving to be advantageous to the general public who are going to eat these crops?
- However, if things done very carefully keeping all areas in mind, it could be a success and help in a lot of ways without causing any harmful effects on the health and destroying the nature.