gmosandecologicalsustainabilitydoesthegeneticmodifi.docVIP

GMOs and Ecological Sustainability: Does the genetic modification of crops help benefit the environment as much as it proposes to? The United Nations estimates that the human population will increase by more than 40% in the next 50 years; from 6.2 billion to 9.0 billion people (Rauch, 2003). These population increases will double the demand for food production by farmers. Chemicals, plowing, and the exploitation of land from conventional agriculture are already harming many of our natural resources. Currently, there is less than 12% of arable, unforested land left in the world (Thompson, 2003). As a result, farmers have to face the challenge of determining how they will feed this growing population without further damaging the environment (Rauch, 2003). Biotechnology companies claim that genetically modified (GM) crops are the solution to developing sustainable agriculture (Monsanto, 2000). The reduced use of herbicides and pesticides through GM farming will improve soil, air, and water quality. Furthermore, GM crops have indirect benefits such as increasing biodiversity and reducing the use of natural resources (CTIC, 2002, Vincent, 2003). Critics of GM crops, on the other hand, fear that the introduction of these varieties into the environment will do more harm than good for the ecosystem. Some concerns are the development of pest resistance to insect resistant crops, loss of biodiversity, the hybridization of conventional crops with wild relatives, and the harming of non-target organisms (Panos Briefing, 1999). Concerns about agriculture negatively affecting the environment are not specific to GM farming. Since the advent of agriculture, farming has put stress on the natural environment. The introduction of agriculture into the world has led to the tearing down of forests and the plowing of land. The Green Revolution brought innovations in agriculture that increased crop yield and quality along as well as increased pollution. GM farming is just