The safety issues of genetically modified crops have started to ring alarm bells. Greenpeace reports on it and campaigning seriously to knock the doors of
The report says that genetically modified foods can develop resistance in our bodies against certain types of antibiotics which are used to treat diseases. Another unknown fact is the impact of such crops on the environment as the crops can produce their own pesticides. Pesticides are mixtures of chemicals used to prevent crops damage from insects, birds, weeds and other harmful species for plants growth. So when GM crops produce their own pesticides we don’t know its consequences to the surrounding ecosystem. Certainly this is a big concern.
It is of no doubt that the search for higher technology to develop crops that can survive hostile environment or climate is something great. Other issue is to fight against hunger. Number of people is increasing but not the land. Earth has not much agricultural land remaining untouched. So one drive is to produce more crops in the same land – higher productivity. But the after effects of such artificial modifications need to be controlled for long periods before it is released for the mass people. Always it is important for the biotech companies to talk openly about the positive and negative sides of such developments. It’s better to be open. It will have good output in the long run.