Currently there is a global and political controversy concerning the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods especially in India whereas the developed countries like United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Spain and Germany are in favor of GM food producing Corn, Oilseed Rape, Tomato, Potato, Soybean, Sugar Beet, Squash, Rice, Papaya, Wheat etc. GM crops allow farmers to grow more food on less land with lower environmental impacts which has been proved by numerous scientific studies. The main cause of controversy with GM foods is long term effect on human health. Any GM food is allowed to farm only after a series of serious scientific research on the specific crop, the evaluation of all human health concern and it needs permission from scientific regulatory organization. The GM crops are beneficial of economic and health aspects for a country as it produce quality and quantity food. One important feature of GM crop is the chance of production of essential secondary metabolites which are mainly used as drugs for treatment of various diseases by incorporating specific gene which can produce desirable secondary metabolites. So, with the scientific community common people should also encourage GMO foods and more researches for the overall benefit of mankind as it is safe, green and especially important for small farmers.
Manabendra Kalita JRF, Institutional Biotech Hub, D K College, Mirza-781125 & PhD scholar, Dept of Biotechnology, Gauhati University
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Yes.
In this 21st century, researchers should be focused on Genetically Modified food crops. In a developing country like India, there is a huge demand for eco-friendly technique in agriculture that might be able to provide enough supply of nutrients for the increasing human populations through the improvement of the quality and quantity of agricultural crops. Especially for small-scale agriculture, the main advantage of GM food crops is their potential promise of future food security. By using different strategy of genetic engineering, researchers can produce GM food crops with higher yields in a shorter growing duration by providing very less chemical fertilizers. Genetic engineering can potentially help developing countries to go for such advances as advanced pest management, higher drought resistance, and increased nutrients quality. GM crops can decrease the water requirement of the staple cereal crops by selection for traits that increase the rate of photosynthesis and depth of root structure, as well as decrease the rate at which water is lost through transpiration. This has the potential to reduce the amount of global water resources required in food production. Due to the promising possibilities of genetic engineering, GMO foods and researchers should be entertained and encouraged.
Manash Pratim Goswami M.Sc (Biotechnology) 3rd semester St. Anthony’s College, Shillong.
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