Question

List and discuss the two strongest reasons that Saletan has in favor of GM crops

Answer 1

First argument is GM crops can help cut down the use of harmful organics in our agriculture

Saletan argues that the use of organics in our agriculture in the form of herbicides, pesticides or insecticides has been prevalent for decades. Through genetic engineering we are now capable of producing the same active ingredients in the crop itself (by inserting the relevant gene in the crop), which would protect the crop against the pests or insects the same way as the chemical pesticides or insecticides would. This use of genetic engineering in making pest or insect resistant crops will cut down the use of harmful chemicals in our agriculture. He also quotes several examples where this technology is already been used. According to him “ three-quarters of the corn and cotton grown in this country is engineered to resist insects. These crops have the bacterial Bt gene, which makes them lethal to bugs that eat them. Slightly more than that, about 80 percent to 85 percent of corn and cotton is engineered to withstand weed-killing chemicals, especially glyphosate, which is sold as Roundup”. Therefore, it makes no sense in not trying genetic engineering on other crops to make them resistant of common pests, insects etc without the use of harmful and costly chemicals.

Second argument is that use of GM crops to increase nutrients in diet of people of developing countries is a humanitarian need

Saletan argues with the example of how billions of children are suffering from vitamin A deficiency and how the use of genetic engineering can increase the vitamin A content in their everyday meal. He quotes the example of how Golden rice- a genetically engineered strain of rice could produce 20-times more beta-carotene than its earlier variants, and can be grown without many changes in the agricultural practices. His arguments make a very valid case for GM crops which go in daily diet of people of poor countries. Its seem a more plausible option for people of these countries to keep growing the crops on their land with similar agricultural practices albeit with modified strain than find more land and other resources to grow nutritious crop in addition to their regular crop.

Thanks!