Genetically Modifying Crops Essay

SummaryWhat be the values and disadvantages of genetically turning forage crops? evoke developing countries or countries struggling with famine profit from these techniques?Does it affect the ring environment? These be all questions that pass on kept scientist biologist and ethicists busy. ghostly groups would likewise like to have there say in it. crapper genetic engineering help society, or testament it be a burden for our coming(prenominal) generations, because it has bootleg effects on our environment.Approximately 10,000 historic period ago the first crops were consciously planted. In the Middle East, wheat and barleyedible corn were planted, the early farmers in Peru cultivated potatoes and beans and in the Indus valley the ancient subtlety there started sowing their fields with rice. How they figured this out we fatiguet have sex it was probably a long process of trial and error and a fair bit of luck. This early agriculture consisted out of four stages sowi ng the seeds, feel for for the plants, harvesting, selecting and elapseing back some of the seeds for the next generation. Although these pack that had settled refine to farm had improved their life styles considerably, they still wanted a high crop yield and a bigger variety of crops. This hold up to trus 2rthy techniques. some(prenominal) that they understood like crop rotation, yet opposites that have all been recently been explained by modern deoxyribonucleic acid research. These early farmers unconsciously traverse for example authoritative types of walnuts to motorher, so that they were not poisonous either more than.Wild walnuts command cyanide and the concentration in wild walnuts is enough to exhaust a human. These early farmers overly tried to get bigger seeds and fruits of their crops and make them more resistant to diseases. Of product line they booked some progress, but not a lot. Nowadays scientists be still trying to genetically deepen crops util ize new techniques which involves cutting and pasting the DNA with enzymes. So is it only good that, because of the construct of these scientists we will have stronger and healthier crops or are there also disadvantages to genetically modifying crops?One of the obvious arguments against genetically modifying crops comes from religious groups. They conceptualize that experimenting with DNA and genes is messing with the natural order. They swear that God created everything and meant it to be created thatway.These religious groups shag not prove that God meant it to be like this, so it is not valid evidence. Never the less they still make a point. If you genetically modify a crop in orbital cavity A these crops will of course also pollinate. When they pollinate there seeds will be carried by animals and the clue to the areas lying around them, Areas B, C, D and E. So if the roll of tobacco in Area A was genetically circumscribed than the seeds may carry and affect the grass in Areas B, C, and D and E which have normal natural bounteous grass. This of course could affect the ecological system that was in place in Areas B, C and D and E. thither are certain genetically modified crops that yield infertile seeds, but these have not yet been okay and been given free.An advantage of genetically modifying crops is obviously that farmers, who are in or so countries struggling financially, brush aside get a higher crop yield. non only by making crops resistant for certain diseases or pests, but also by making them resistant to the weed killers which are used to kill the weeds. The first reason stated has already been used. The European corn borer used to destroy about 7% of the annual yield of corn on the world. Since they added the gene that produces the Bt protein, which causes the corn borers to die of hunger, the annual yield in the USA has risen 5-10% in all areas. More interesting though is if scientists could make the crops resistant to herbicides. Thi s would especially be financially attractive for farmers, since they take upt have to hire in people to do the weeding and they dont have to pay all kinds of environmental taxes. The farmers sometimes have to pay these taxes, especially in Western countries, because of the biodegradability of these herbicides.Biodegradability, which I mentioned in the at long last paragraph, is one of the most important arguments of the group for using the special herbicides and modifying crops. They regard that the herbicides that are used now affect the ecosystem in a disastrous way. The term biodegradability means how good the environment is able to digest the herbicides. Some herbicides that are used now also affect the animals in the area. This is inquisitive for the ecosystem, because the natural balance will be affected.So if through genetic engineering they can modify the crops so that they are resistant to these herbicides this readiness contribute to raising the biodegradability in th eecosystem. This is because the products they use to make these specific herbicides are general better for the environment. Also farmers can use less herbicide if the crops are resistant to them. They can spray a rough come out of their fields without having to worry that it will also hit their crops. For the consumers it would also be a good move, because of the higher crop yield the food prices would go down. The water supplies would also benefit, because there would be less toxic groundwater, which is caused by the herbicides seeping into the soil, pumped into them.Biologists are very worried about the wrong of bio variety show, because of the genetic engineering of foods. Also medicine developers are worried that certain types of crops will be lost, because scientists are changing the genes of these crops. Medicine developers would like to keep and preserve as many another(prenominal) different types of crops, because in the future they powerfulness be able to make medicine out of them. They would like to do this through using the genes of plants that are resistant to a disease and move it in a human virus cell. By injecting these cells into manhood these humans would become immune to it. So in principle the medicine developers are not against genetically modifying products but they would not like to lose any plants that might be of value for them in the future.Biologists are less evoke in the healing qualities of these plants, but purely in the bio diversity. They would like to cover as much different species and types of plants to keep the natural order in balance. What, however, is more important is that if crops are genetically modified the original crops can not cross pollinate with other species of the same plant. This might lead to just one type of from example corn crop. This in the future could become a big problem, because if the climate tilts the crop will not be able to cross pollinate with another crop and frankincense not adapt to t he changing climate. This is a big issue, because with the global melting getting worse each year a climate change in the future could be disastrous. Biologist and ecologists have though started creating vaults in which all different types of plants are being preserved to maintain the bio diversity.An advantage of genetically modifying crops is that people in developing countries can get a higher crop yield and maybe even have two harvests peryear. With this advantage though comes a big advantage. The companies that develop the techniques and sell them are all Western companies and there are only a few. So if African countries want to get these genetically crops they have to pay these companies. This will give these companies indirect access to the food supplies of Africa and other developing countries. If the companies also consider the poor companies in the way they handle genetically modifying these crops and exchange them would contribute to making the world a better place. It is, however, more apt(predicate) that they might unconsciously handle in favour of their own companies and profit. other important issue is if crops that have been genetically modified should be tagged or not. Most people prefer to jazz what has been done to the food theyre eating. It is the same with organic eggs. People would like to know if the chickens that placed the eggs are having or had a good life. Most people are not against the fact that the crop is modified, they would just like to know it.thither are many advantages, but also many disadvantages with genetically modified crops. There are ethical ones which come from religious groups. They believe you should not mess with Gods creations. A disadvantage is that genetically modified crops can cross pollinate with other normal crops in the areas around them. An advantage is that farmers and especially farmers in poor countries can get a higher crop yield and maybe have more than one harvest a year.A disadvantage though i s that the companies that modify the crops could handle unfairly and would have control over their food supply. There might also be a loss of bio diversity. I think that genetically modifying crops is a good idea. It does have to be controlled properly though. There should only be certain areas where it should be allowed and foods that are made with it should be labelled. I also believe that the companies that produce these modifications should share the technology with other less rich companies to prevent a monopoly. Plants could also hold many products that could produce medicines in the future. So overall I think that crops should and can be genetically modified, but there should be strict regulations and the bio diversity should be preserved.SourcesDepartment of Agriculture, South AfricaISAAAhttp//www.geocities.com/gm_crops/http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_cropsGenetic_modification_of_plantshttp//www.newscientist.com/channel/life/gm-foodGuns, Germs and Steel by J ared DiamondANW course bookhttp//www.fao.org/ag/magazine/0111sp.htmhttp//www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml