GENETIC ENGINEERING

Genetic engineering (GE) is the modification of an organism’s genetic composition by artificial means, often involving the transfer of specific traits, or genes, from one organism into a plant or animal of an entirely different species. When gene transfer occurs, the resulting organism is called GMO (genetically modified organism).

Genetic engineering is different from traditional cross breeding, where genes can only be exchanged between closely related species. With genetic engineering, genes from completely different species can be inserted into one another.

Example of tomatoes in genetic engineering process.

Genetic engineering has lot of benefit.For example, the use of herbicide-resistant GE crops has saved farmers time formerly devoted to mechanical cultivation and spot spraying, but has also driven the consolidation of monoculture farming at larger scale. Monoculture by definition reduces biodiversity, making farmers dependent on chemical inputs rather than natural processes to manage pests and the soil nutrient cycle.

Although there are many benefits of genetically engineered crops, there are also some major issues and concerns associated with these types of crops. One major concern is that as pests experience constant exposure to the pesticide or herbicide that is genetically inserted into the crops, they will develop genetic resistance to the chemical. If the pests develop genetic resistance, eventually the genetically modified crops would no longer be successful at preventing harm and would become obsolete.

Another major concern about genetic engineering is the long-term effects on human health and the environment. There is little known about the long-term effects of genetically engineered crops, and this makes many people cautious about their use.