Pros:
Natural extension of cross bleeding
Allows wider combination of genes of relatively similar species, producing more valuable crops and livestock.
Cons:
Synthetic laboratory techniques used, which prevent the genetically modified food (GMF) to reproduce naturally.
It also allows the combination of gene between organisms of non-related species, for example gene from bacteria that are resistant to weed killer is being inserted to soybean crops.
Leading to a great change in the genetic patterns of organism and increases the risk of side effects that are still unknown.
Environment impact:
Pros:
Increase productivity, thus, reducing the need for agricultural land.
The development of crops that are resistant to weed and pest decrease the need for chemical agent, like pesticides and herbicides that seeps into the ground, contaminating the drinking water.
Cons:
Pest and weed may become resistant to the pesticide and herbicide due to the outcross of pest and herbicides into the environment
Gene from genetically modified crops may contaminate other crops through soil and cross-pollination which result in the alteration of the gene patterns of other crops unknowingly.
Economic impact:
Pros:
Increase productivity which in turn increases the farmer income.
The development of crops that are resistant to weed and pest decrease the need for expensive chemical agent, like pesticides and herbicides.
Cons:
Widen income gap between the poor and the rich as only farmer that are rich can afford the new technologies of genetic engineering to increase their productivity.
Increase dependence on agricultural regions by developing countries.
Health impacts:
Pros:
Food that has a higher nutrition value is being developed. For example, rice with added iron and vitamins.
Food that carries vaccines that due with particular disease is developed. For example, bananas with hepatitis B vaccine.
Cons:
Test to identify the safety of GM foods is only carried up in animals, like rats.
Side effect of genetically modified food is still unknown.
Allergens.
References:
- http://ww.genetic-id.com/prosncons/index.htm
- http://www.geneticsandhealth.com/2005/07/26/genetically-modified-food-pros-and-cons/
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