Scientist - Are genetically engineered foods the cure for world food issue?

1)Benefits of genetic engineering are:

• Reducing use of pesticides.
• Reducing use of herbicides.
• Reducing use of fertilizers.
• Enhancing nutrition.
• Drought resistance.
• Better appearance.
• Longer shelf-life.
• Better flavor.
• Temperature resistance.
• Disease resistance.
• Increase in food supply.
• Decrease in world hunger.

2)Risks of genetically engineered food are:

• Lack of long term studies on food safety.
• Lack of long term studies on environmental impact.
• Diminished opportunity for organic/sustainable agriculture.
• Rendering Bacillius thuringiensis (Bt) , a natural biological pesticide, useless due to widespread engineered crops.
• Life threatening danger for individuals with food allergies or sensitivities who might unknowingly ingest altered foods to which they are allergic, sensitive, or intolerant.
• New genetic structure of foods might result in new allergens.
• Toxicity levels of naturally occurring food toxins might result in new allergens.
• Toxicity levels of naturallt occurring food toxins might inadvertently be altered.
• Cruelty to animals.
• Environmental damage due to cross pollination and disturbed ecosystems.
• Pesticide tolerance.
• Herbicide tolerance.
• Ethical and spiritual.

3)

Examples of the potential ecological benefits and risks of selected GM crops. GM modification Benefits Risks Herbicide resistance in maize, cotton, other crops. Reduce herbicide use.Increase opportunities for reduced tillage systems. Increase herbicide use.Reduce in-field biodiversity that may reduce the ecological services provided by agricultural ecosystems. Maize with Bt toxin. Reduce pesticide use.Kill fewer nontarget organisms than alternatives such as broad-spectrum pesticides. Promote development of Bt resistance, which will eliminate Bt as a relatively safe pesticide.Kill nontarget caterpillars and butterflies, such as monarchs (Pimentel 2000). Virus resistance in small grains due to coat proteins. Reduce insecticide use to control insect dispersers of pathogens (Hails 2000). Facilitate the creation of new viruses (Hails 2000).Move genes into nonagricultural ecosystems where the subsequent increase in fitness of weedy species could eliminate endangered species. Terminator or other sterilizing traits in crops and ornamentals. Prevent the movement of traits to nontarget species.Prevent the movement of introduced species to other ecosystems (Walker and Lonsdale 2000). Prevent farmers from developing their own seed supplies adapted to local conditions (Conway 2000). Synthesis of vitamin A or other nutrients. Improve nutrition of people who depend heavily on rice (Conway 2000). Disrupt local ecosystems if an ecologically limiting nutrient or protein is produced. Nitrogen fixation by nonlegumes. Reduce energy used in fertilizer production and application (Pimentel 2000). Add to excess N leaching from agriculture, degrading human health and reducing biodiversity.