GM Crops

Question 1

How can new crop varieties be created by genetic modification?

Answer 1

1. Adding genes if herbicide resistant weed to wheat to prevent it being damaged by herbicide enabling fields to be sprayed and weeds to be killed
2. Adding genes of a species of soya bean That’s resistant to pests
3. Adding a gene from a plant that grows well in an arid environment to the DNA if a rice plant, producing a rice plant that grows better in dry areas

Question 2

What’re the arguments in favour of GM crops?

Answer 2

1. They could solve food shortages
2. Reduce inputs of chemicals into farming
3. Trials of GM soya and maize have done well in the USA and some has been imported to the U.K. For animal feed
4. China has done a lot of research. Rice is a staple part of the diet of its people and cotton is used in clothing. No opposition to GM crops in china

Question 3

What’re the arguments against gm crops?

Answer 3

1. Cross pollination, spreading modifications in an uncontrolled way
2. Crops on organic farms may be contaminated causing them to lost their organic status
3. Long term effect on human health are unknown

Question 4

What’s the uk government encouraging?

Answer 4

Further laboratory tests and carefully controlled field trials

Question 5

Does GM produce have to be marked in the uk?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

Describe the future of gm crops

Answer 6

GM production is continuing on a global scale- companies unlikely to be put off by protests in one country.

With free trade in the EU it’ll be difficult to regulate trade of GM products

LEDC farmers will face similar problems to that in the green revolution

Seeds will have to be bought from TNCs

Poor farmers won’t be able to compete