{"id":882,"date":"2018-04-05T23:02:40","date_gmt":"2018-04-05T23:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.besthealthsciencedegree.com\/?page_id=882"},"modified":"2018-04-02T23:07:10","modified_gmt":"2018-04-02T23:07:10","slug":"5-advantages-of-genetically-engineered-crops","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.besthealthsciencedegree.com\/lists\/5-advantages-of-genetically-engineered-crops\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Advantages of Genetically Engineered Crops"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u2022 Reduced Cost of Production<\/p>\n
\u2022 Decreased Need for Pesticide Spray<\/p>\n
\u2022 Increased Shelf-Life<\/p>\n
\u2022 Higher Nutritional Value<\/p>\n
\u2022 Medical Benefits<\/p>\n
While genetically engineered crops have been promoted as a scientific breakthrough in the past few decades, farmers have actually been utilizing a less advanced form of selective farming for thousands of years. Genetic engineering became possible with scientific breakthroughs in genetics and gene-splicing, and these advancements were used to implement selective farming methods at the genetic level.<\/p>\n
Resources For the Future<\/a> explains GMO crops are cheaper to produce because they drastically reduce the need for fuel, machinery and chemical insecticides. Genetically modified crops are plants that have had desirable traits inserted into their DNA. The direct transfer of genes from the same plant, another plant species or even a completely unrelated species causes the crops to have desirable traits. For instance, corn can be genetically altered to produce a type of protein that is toxic to larval pests but safe for human consumption. This reduced cost of production translates to a lower price for foods at the consumer level.<\/p>\n Certain genes are inserted into crops to protect them from pests, fungi and viruses which drastically reduces the need to spray crops with chemical-laced pesticides. The reduction in pesticide use results in lower costs of production, fewer crops lost to disease and pests, environmental benefits and less toxic foods. Losing fewer crops to pests and viruses means a more predictable and reliable food supply. Genetically modified crops result in less soil erosion and less overall pollution. Farm runoff littered with pesticides and herbicides is a major concern for environmentalists because it often pollutes water sources nearby. Consumers of traditional farming crops frequently get exposed to pesticide residues, but GM crops do not carry this risk.<\/p>\n2. Decreased Need for Pesticide Spray<\/h3>\n
3. Increased Shelf-Life<\/h3>\n