Genetically modified crops have been widely adopted since 1996, with 10% of world cropland planted with GM crops in 2010. GM crops are engineered to have new traits like pest or herbicide resistance. While GM crops may increase yields and reduce pesticide use, there are also concerns about potential health effects of GMOs including allergens, toxicity, antibiotic resistance in bacteria, and impacts on non-target organisms. The long-term environmental and health impacts of GMOs remain unclear and are an ongoing source of debate.

1. TOPIC:-

2. Introduction of GMO
Genetically modified crops (GMCs, GM crops, or
biotech crops) are plants used in agriculture, the
DNA of which has been modified using genetic
engineering techniques
In most cases the aim is to introduce a new trait to the
plant which does not occur naturally in the species.
Examples in food crops include resistance to certain
pests, diseases, or environmental conditions,

3. HISTORY
 Farmers have widely adopted GM
technology. Between 1996 and 2013, the total
surface area of land cultivated with GM
crops increased by a factor of 100, from
17,000 square kilometers (4,200,000 acres)
to 1,750,000 km2 (432 million acres).
 10% of the world's croplands were planted
with GM crops in 2010.
 .

4.  In the US, by 2014, 94% of the planted area
of soybeans, 96% of cotton and 93% of corn
were genetically modified varieties

5. environmental situation
 By year 2050, there will be 9.3 billion people
living on this planet
 . This means that in less than 50 years,
world population is expected to increase by
3 billion.
 Feeding these people will mean massive
changes in the production, distribution, and
stability of food products.

6. environmental benefits of GM
crops
 In the USA, adoption of GM crops resulted
in pesticide use reduction of 46.4 million
pounds in 2003.
 The use of Bt cotton in China resulted in
pesticide use reduction of 78,000 tons of
formulated pesticides in 2001

7.  The quantity of insecticides used to control bollworm
reduced by 96% from 5748 metric tons of active
ingredients in 2001 to as low as 222 metric tons of
active ingredients in 2011.
 Herbicide tolerant crops have facilitated the continued
expansion of conservation tillage, especially no-till
cultivation system, in the USA. The adoption of
conservation and no-till cultivation practices saved
nearly 1 billion tons of soil per year.6

8.  Biotech cotton has been documented to have a positive
effect on the number and diversity of beneficial insects
in the US and Australian cotton fields.7
 Adoption of Bt corn in the Philippines did not show an
indication that Bt corn had negative effect on insect
abundance and diversity

9. we want to make transgenic crops
 The goal is to allow plant breeders to produce more
useful and productive crop varieties by exploiting
genes from a wide range of living sources
 Disease free plant
 Virues free plants
 Increase productivity
 variety

10. Genetically Engineered Biologically
Active Substances
The science of developing transgenic animals is just
beginning. Critics contend that it raises both animal
physiological (possible loss of function or generation
of deformities) or psychological problems
(unacceptable levels of stress or loss of function) and
associated ethical issues. A 1989 statement,
"Consultation on Respect for Life and the
Environment,"

11. GM Products: Benefits and Controversies
Benefits Controversies
Crops
Enhanced taste and quality
Reduced maturation time
Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance
Improved resistance to disease, pests, and
herbicides
New products and growing techniques
Safety
Potential human health impact: allergens, transfer of
antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects.
Potential environmental impact: unintended transfer
of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown
effects on other organisms (e.g., soil microbes),
and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity
Animals
Increased resistance, productivity, hardiness, and
feed efficiency
Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk
Access and Intellectual Property
Domination of world food production by a few
companies
Biopiracy—foreign exploitation of natural resources
Environment
"Friendly" bioherbicides and bioinsecticides
Conservation of soil, water, and energy
Better natural waste management
Ethics
Violation of natural organisms' intrinsic values
Tampering with nature by mixing genes among
species
Labeling
Not mandatory in some countries
Society
Increased food security for growing populations
Society
New advances may be skewed to interests of rich
countries

12.  All genetically modified foods that have
been approved are considered by the
government to be as safe as their traditional
counterparts and are generally unregulated
(FDA website).

13.  However, there are several types of potential
health effects that could result from the
insertion of a novel gene into an organism.
Health effects of primary concern to safety
assessors are production of new allergens,
increased toxicity, decreased nutrition, and
antibiotic resistance (Bernstein et al., 2003

14. Food Allergy
 Food Allergy affects approximately 5% of
children and 2% of adults in the U.S. and is a
significant public health threat (Bakshi,
2003). Allergic reactions in humans occur
when a normally harmless protein enters
the body and stimulates an immune
response (Bernstein et al., 2003).

15. Increased Toxicity
 Most plants produce substances that are
toxic to humans. Most of the plants that
humans consume produce toxins at levels
low enough that they do not produce any
adverse health effects. There is concern that
inserting an exotic gene into a plant could
cause it to produce toxins at higher levels
that could be dangerous to humans

16. Decreased Nutritional Value
 A genetically modified plant could
theoretically have lower nutritional quality
than its traditional counterpart by making
nutrients unavailable or indigestible to
humans

17. Antibiotic resistance
 No one has ever observed bacteria
incorporating new DNA from the digestive
system under controlled laboratory
conditions. The two types of antibiotic
resistance genes used by biotechnologists
are ones that already exist in bacteria in
nature so the process would not introduce
new antibiotic resistance to bacteria.

18. Direct effects on non-target
organisms
 In May 1999, it was reported that pollen from Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt)-insect resistant corn had a negative
impact on Monarch butterfly larvae. This report raised
concerns and questions about potential risks to
Monarchs and perhaps other non-target organisms

19. A threat to soil ecosystems
 Many Bt crops secrete their toxin from their
roots into the soil. Residues left in the field
contain the active Bt toxin .The long-term,
cumulative effects of growing Bt maize are
of concern

20. Risk for aquatic life.
 Leaves or grain from Bt maize can enter
water courses where the toxin can
accumulate in organisms and possibly exert
a toxic effect. This demonstrates the
complexity of interactions in the natural
environment

22. Animal to Human Organ
Transplants
 The FDA has also expressed concerns about
animal-to-human transplants.
 Transplants might allow dangerous
pathogens in animals to enter humans.
 The FDA wants stricter safeguards that
could include improved tests for pathogens,
protocols to quarantine patients, and the
creation of colonies of "clean" animals

24. GMO EFFECT ON HEALTH
 GM crops do have the potential to cause
allergenic reactions, more so than
conventional crops50, 51. In Australia, for
example, GM peas were found to cause
allergenic reactions in mice52. GM peas also
made the mice more sensitive to other food
allergies

25. Creation of New Genomes
 The statement asserted that such technology
"portends fundamental changes in the public's
perception of, and attitude towards animals,
which would be regarded as human creations,
inventions, and commodities, rather than
God's creation and subjects of nature .For
example, during their development transgenic
swine had many serious problems:
 . 201

26.  Those animals developed abnormally and
exhibited deformed bodies and skulls. Some
had swollen legs; others had ulcers, crossed
eyes, renal disease, or arthritis. Many
seemed to suffer from decreased immune
function and were susceptible to
pneumonia. All were sterile

27. Ethical Debate On Patenting Life
 No individual, institution, or corporation
should be able to claim ownership over
species or varieties of living organisms. Nor
should they be able to hold patents on
organs, cells, genes or proteins, whether
naturally occurring, genetically altered or
otherwise modified