For many people, the term Genetically Modified Organism, or GMO, conjures up images of alien plants taking over entire cities. That, however, is not the case. GMOs are already integrated into our lives and provide significant benefits to farmers and their crops, the environment, and even medicine.
Crops
Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, increase farming efficiency. They decrease maturation time, allowing their crops to come to market sooner. They increase total yield and stress tolerance, including the ability to survive better in severe weather conditions, allowing farmers to grow crops in previously inhospitable places. This has become essential as less and less farm land is available for increasing population needs. GMOs also increase resistance to crop diseases. Creating plants with genetically-engineered resistance to diseases, pests and/or herbicides, ultimately reduces the danger of crop failures. Crop losses from insect pests are not only financially devastating to farmers, but in developing countries, crop failures lead to starvation. In addition, the reduction or elimination of pesticide use reduces the overall cost of bringing crops to market, benefiting both the farmer and the consumer. Crops also benefit from GMO technology in that new products can be created to enhance taste and quality.
Animals
GMOs can improve animal health by increasing their hardiness, their resistance to disease, and their feed efficiency. While this may sound like science fiction, GMO technology is essentially a more efficient method of breeding. GMO techniques more quickly create organisms that yield higher quality meats, eggs and milk, by inserting genes into cattle to raise their milk production levels, for example. At the same time, GMO techniques can improve the health of the animals, as well. Also important for animals is the use of GMOs in "fingerprinting" of animal and plant diseases. Using this technique, veterinarians can determine if an animal is carrying a specific disease or has simply been vaccinated, preventing the need to kill or quarantine healthy animals.
Environment
GMOs reduce the chemicals needed for crop protection. Farmers growing crops genetically engineered to resist pests can use fewer pesticides. This has already occurred for GMO maize, cotton and potato plants. Trees genetically modified to produce a lower content of lignin, a structural constituent of woody plant cells, reduce the need for poisonous chemicals in pulp and paper production. The benefits include both the reduction of environmental impact and improved health to farm and industrial workers. One exciting development in GMO is phytoremediation; plants that are genetically engineered to clean up heavy metal pollution from contaminated soil. While not yet a reality, bioremediation, or the rehabilitation of damaged land through GMO plants could lead to organisms designed to restore nutrients and soil structure to depleted lands.
Human Health
GMOs have already led to more nutritious staple foods. Genes responsible for manufacturing Vitamin A have already been inserted into rice and wheat crops to increase their nutritional value. Called Golden Rice, it is helping reduce the serious vitamin A deficiency problem experienced in the developing world. A GMO technique nicknamed "pharming" creates plants engineered to produce vaccines, proteins and other pharmaceutical products.
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