Organic farming and genetically modified organisms and their effects on the environment
The Agriculture industry
The agricultural industry dates back 7000 to 10000 year's in cultivation of food crops and preparation of soil for sowing seeds. Whereas farming deals with rearing animals and livestock for meat and milk .
Animals were used as beasts of burden and also to till the ground and make it fallow for sowing seeds.
Organic farming
Modern times has given rise to organic farming from the existing traditional ways of cultivation. More people are giving up lucrative jobs for organic farming. People are aware of the harmful health hazards of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and families earning two incomes
will go to any length and pay heavily for organically grown vegetables and fruits they are safer and are packed with nutrients, and are also free from growth enhancing steroids. some of the fruits and vegetables are unfit for human consumption since they are ripened with Calcium Carbide.
Animal feed is made from fodder, hay ,grass and legumes, and caution has been taken that they are traditionally grown and are free from any chemical residue.
Genetically modified plants:
Cultivation of food has further led to genetically modified and engineered foods.
These plants have their genetic material (DNA) altered, this is not natural and is artificially done by modern biotechnology
Advantages of GM foods
The WHO states that GM foods are developed and marketed because :
. It gives excellent growth and thus can be sold at competitive prices.
They claim that there is better nutritional value in GM foods.
This contains a Bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) this is a conventional insecticide making the plant less susceptible to disease.
GM food products are portrayed in the market in such a way that consumers think are safe and nutritious.
Disadvantages of GM foods
They release toxins in soil over a period of time
.They disrupt bio diversity
The transgene crops endanger the farmers, trade and the environment
The excessive production of GMO will be rendered ineffective over time because pests will develop resistance towards them.
Safety Assessment of GM foods
The WHO and FAO of the United Nations have evaluated GM foods and have found no allergic reactions on humans.
GM foods currently available in the international market have passed safety tests and are not likely to present any risk to consumer health.
GM foods are not regulated in some countries because they primarily focus on their citizen's health.
Some cultures across the Globe react with a different attitude. In some religion Technological modification of food and it's production has been banned.
USA is the largest producer of GM foods corn, potatoes, soybeans , cotton, they are nutrient dense foods and are recommended for the consumers of third world countries, as they are high in nutrients.
Some countries have stated that they use GM foods as animal feed, it was found that it did not pose any health risks for humans.
Vandana Shiva
She is an Indian scholar, an environmental activist. She was raised in the foothills of Dehradun, her father was a forest officer, she grew up amidst nature and pledged to put up a fight against the" Green Revolution". She said it damaged the fertility of the soil and it's an ecosystem.
She strongly voiced her opinion against logging trees and building large dams.
She has authored 20 books of which " Plunder of the land" and biopiracy have gathered international acclaim.
This Spring she led a crusade in Europe where she voiced her opinion against seeds created in the laboratory.
She hopes she can create awareness among the masses to protect the environment from genetically engineered modification of crops.
Indira Bhan
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