Advantage and Disadvantages of GM Crops

Question 1

What are the advantages of GM crops in terms of yield?

Answer 1

• increased yields which will help to solve the world’s hunger and malnutrition problems

Question 2

What are the advantages of GM crops in terms of the environment?

Answer 2

• help protect and preserve the environment by reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and herbicides

Question 3

What are the advantages of GM crops in terms of resistance?

Answer 3

• resistance to pests and herbicides
• e.g. introduction of Bt bacteria (which produce a protein that kills certain insects)
• resistance to weather extremes

Question 4

What are the advantages of GM crops in terms of nutrients?

Answer 4

• increased nutritional value

Question 5

What are the advantages of GM crops in terms of flavour?

Answer 5

• improved taste and quality

Question 6

What are the risks of GM crops in terms of the environment?

Answer 6

• potential danger to the environment
• possible health risks to humans
• economics

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of costs?

Answer 7

• they are costly to produce
• as they involve modern biotechnology which requires highly skilled people and sophisticated and expensive equipment

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of the environment?

Answer 8

• may include a pesticide-resistance gene that unintentionally harms wild life and disrupts food webs

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of biodiversity?

Answer 9

• are a threat to biodiversity of wild species
• as they could be grown on such a large scale that they destroy the habitats of wild species

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of vulnerability?

Answer 10

• could be more vulnerable to climate change, pests and diseases if grown as a monoculture

Question 11

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of interbreeding?

Answer 11

• can interbreed with wild plants and spread to future generations in an unpredictable uncontrollable way

Question 12

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of disease?

Answer 12

• if ingested by animals (especially humans) may disrupt normal gene function
• causing diseases such as cancer

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of GM crops in terms of allergies?

Answer 13

• may be harmful to some
• due to the introduction of new proteins causing allergies in humans