As our world population has expanded, so has the need to provide a food source to the increasing populace. This cycle is a self-fulfilling prophecy, as “with more food come more people, who require even more food production.” (Friedland & Relyea, 2015, p. 363) The need for crop multiplication to produce food in larger quantities and at lower costs spurred the requirement for large scale farming practices. Multiple large-scale farming techniques have been developed including irrigation, fertilization, pesticides, monocropping, and genetic engineering. I find the large scale farming technique of genetically modified organisms (GMO) to be the most interesting.
Genetically modified crops were introduced in the mid 1990’s and have since been adopted by many large-scale farming facilities. The DNA of the crop is altered in a way that is not natural and could not occur naturally to change the traits of the plant. GM can change the DNA traits so the crop can be more adaptive to its environment, improve its yield, and reduce the overall cost of the crop. As environments change, the DNA of the plant can be altered to better the chance at a low cost productive yield. The ability to genetically modify the plant will allow food production to continue no matter how crop conditions and the environment change.
Genetically modified organisms are mainly found in crops. “Corn, cotton, and soy- which together occupy about 40 percent of U.S. cropland—are the three crops with the highest GMO fraction by area”. (Borel, 2014) Even though the three main crops above account for the majority of crop acreage, GMO is also used in other vegetable and fruit. The other crops include potatoes, alfalfa, canola, papaya, squash, apples, watermelon, and sugar beets. Although many GMO crops are utilized to feed livestock, the FDA has not approved GMO livestock for human consumption. However, late in 2015 the FDA approved the genetically modified salmon created by AquaBounty for commercial production and human consumption. (Our Salmon. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2017, from http://aquabounty.com/our-salmon) The approval of AquaBounty salmon was the first step in moving toward GMO in livestock as a food source. Only time will tell if the FDA will approve genetic modification for pigs, cattle, chickens, and other fish protein sources.
Genetically modified food sources come with many benefits. Traits are changed in food/crops to promote resistance to insects, tolerance to herbicides, adapt to climate or environment for extreme heat or cold. These changes can increase crop yield and food quality, which in turn can increase profits. The DNA can also be modified for “more intense colors, increase shelf life, or eliminate seeds.” (Colbert, 2016) The traits will allow for crops to be planted in barren areas or transport food to remote regions to help fight against hunger.
Even with all of these benefits, the genetically modifications do not come without concerns. As GMO’s are relatively new, the long-term affects are not fully known. With this in mind, there are concerns due to consumption of increased/new food allergies, antibiotic resistance, and cancer. Although to date studies have not proven the above. Additional fears revolve around the lack of regulations and mandating of identifying and labeling GMO foods, so it is clear to consumers. Another concern is the effects on biodiversity by reduction or altering of natural plant varieties, due to the spread of newly added genes. (Friedland & Relyea, 2015, p. 370-371) There are also concerns of a “super weed” due the DNA modifications to pesticides, which means these weeds are herbicide resistant.
Genetically modified large-scale farming practices also have environmental impacts. GMOs offer many major environmental benefits, that are crucial to farmers. They allow farmers to grow more acres with fewer resources. “In the 17 years of adoption, genetically modified crops delivered more environmentally friendly farming practices while providing clear improvements to farmer productivity,” says Graham Brookes, co-author of the PG Economics report. Using GM plants reduced pesticide spraying by 503 million kg from 1996 to 2012, which has decreased by almost 10%. The use of crop biotechnology allowed farmers to harvest an additional million(s) of most plants, including soybeans and corn without using extra land. Another supportive outcome is farmers receive more money from buying the seeds, which is desirable investment.
Negative effects being the toxicity that affects non-target organisms, such as birds, butterflies, and bees. This is due to the chemical pesticides and herbicides found in GMOs. The issue with this is bees are hugely important in the pollination of many food crops, but are unfortunately extremely endangered by modern agricultural techniques, such as GM crops (The Environmental Impact of GMOs, 2013). Bees would not be able to find as much of the required nectar to pollinate, since GMOs decrease the amount of weed flowers. Another environmental downfall to using GMOs would be pests are able to adapt to the pesticides as well as the DNA changes in GM plants, thus meaning they become ineffective, but the toxins will remain. It is also very possible for plants modified by humans to become invasive, especially in weak ecosystems. Toxins that are absorbed into the soil, lessen the amount of soil bacteria, which are critical for healthy plant growth without the use of chemical fertilizers. GMO are grown in monocrops and because of their DNA less weeds and flowers are grown, so it takes away from Biodiversity. Also, soil degradation due to the reduction of bacteria essential to soil from the GMO. This creates a cycle where only the same monocrop can be grown on the land as it destroys that area for other crops.
“In the US food system, to produce 1 kilocalorie of plant protein requires an input of about 2.2 kilocalories of fossil energy.” (http://earthopensource.org/gmomythsandtruths/sample-page/5-gm-crops-impacts-farm-environment/5-14-myth-gm-crops-reduce-energy-use/) One of the main support points for the use of GM crops is that the crop will use less fossil fuel in the growing of crops as the DNA has been changed to reduce herbicide or insecticide applications. The reduction of both herbicide and insect applications will reduce the need for fossil fuel used in farming machinery. In addition, as GM crops tend to be monocrops, there will not be a need to till in between crops as the soil is already prepared for the next crop due to the genetic superiority of the seeds. There is however competing data that suggests the over time the need to use additional pesticides and herbicide has increased as “superweeds” and insects that have been immune to the DNA changes in GM crops. Thus, “the saving is cancelled out by the fossil fuel used in herbicide and insecticide production and application.” (Myth: GM crops reduce energy use, n.d)
The efficiency of land use is very important in order to be able to sustain ourselves. Food production uses a significant quantity of arable land and natural resources, and GMOs hold promise to alleviate this burden on the Earth. (Mission 2014: Feeding the World, 2014) A significant problem we face today is studies show by 2050, the world population will inflate to an alarming 9 million, if not more. The arable land present today will decrease remarkably due to increases of global warming and urbanization. The solution to these issues is using GMO crops, as they guarantee more food with less land. Also, GM plants have been found to increase yields to around 1.7% more productivity.
As stated above, many of the same resources are used in GM crops as with traditional crops. The resources range from farming land, fossil fuel, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides and human intervention. The main perceived benefit is the need to use less of all the previously mentioned resources. Most studies for the use and expansion of GM crops cite that both reduced application and production of herbicides, insecticides and fertilizer will reduce the fossil fuel need. This will also reduce the time required of human labor to both produce and apply the chemicals. Similarly, an argument could made that less resources will be needed to maintain farming equipment as the overall use of the equipment will decline. Therefore, GM crops require less overall resources to provide food for consumption.
Organic farming is the production of crops without using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. The pros of using this technique would be the use of ecological principals that utilize natural systems instead of those that dominate systems. It also helps keep a lot of the original nutrients and organic matter in in the soil. Another positive effect organic farming has on the soil is it maintains the soil by increasing the soil mass, biological activity, and beneficial chemical properties. (Friedland & Relyea, 2015, p. 380) The equipment for this type of agriculture mainly relies on green manure, compost, biological pest control, and crop rotation to produce crops, livestock, & poultry; this helps increase soil fertility. Organic centered agricultural production system fosters the cycling of resources to conserve biodiversity and promote ecological balance. (Pros and Cons of Organic Agriculture, 2016) Also, organic food is portrayed as healthier since they do not have modified ingredients that most large scale crops have, along with being able to develop within the best natural conditions.