Farmers can help protect GM crops from weeds by using Monsanto products which are applied once to GM crops and will completely protect them from weeds. This changes conventional ways of farming by not using common herbicides to protect the crops from weeds and potentially reduces the costs and the hassle of growing the crops. This also helps the environment because herbicides have an agricultural waste run-off. For example an anti-freeze has been created from cold water fish that can also be used in tobacco and potatoes to stop them from freezing up in the winter which allows all year farming.
A further advantage put forward by the pro GM lobby is that many people do not like to think that they are given food that has had pesticides applied to their foods. Pest resistant foods such as GM corn do not allow pests to get to them and also removes the appliance of pesticides to crops. This in turn reduces the cost of farming the crop which benefits the end user the customer because they get the product cheaper.
Consumers all over the world are skeptical of GM products because millions of people all over the world are allergic to foods such as nuts, fish, and milk. GM products which add different proteins that is essential for growth and repair of the body which could lead to unknown side effects. Another argument against GM crops is the creation of “super bugs”. Scientists worry that plant-eating insects and weeds could develop resistance to GM crops, this could create “super-bugs” which are resistant to GM crops which would lead to stronger herbicides and pesticides being made. This could potentially be more hazardous to the environment and create more problems than it solves.
A major argument put forward by many leading scientist is that windblown gene-flow or animal carried pollen can lead to cross contamination with plants nearby and local wild life. This could have a profound effect upon the environment as cross contamination is not reversible. Cross contamination of GM crops with free Range could put free range farmers out of business as their product will no longer be 100% natural. If consumers buy GM foods this is likely to trigger more investment in bio technology companies therefore boosting the economy by creating more jobs within the bio technology companies.
The majority of the public would prefer non GM foods in comparisons to contemporary foods due to the negative publicity of GM crops and the increased publicity in health and healthier eating (free range). There are many strong arguments put forward by both the pro GM lobby and the opposers to the introduction of GM crops. Such as healthier foods because GM foods can incorporate vaccines within them also crops are produced more efficiently due to the non use of herbicides and pesticides, which in turn will be more environmentally friendly.
In conclusion I believe that although GM crops could potentially make farming easier and the crops healthier the arguments against GM crops outweigh the arguments for GM crops because there have not been enough sufficient test over a extended period of time to prove whether or not GM crops do not pose a potential risk to human health and pose a threat to the environment. Another major argument against GM crops is the potential risk of cross contamination which could have a massive impact on the environment and the wildlife within it.
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