Final Paper Possible Conclusions

Possible Conclusions:

1.) Even though GM crops have been in development and use for decades now, there still isn’t any conclusive evidence on whether these crops are a good or bad thing. That’s because its not that simple. Given all the changes biotechnology can make to all the different varieties of crops, simply using a blanket statement such as all GM foods are good or bad is being too critical. Instead, as new advancements in crop modification arise, they should be viewed in an individual manner to assess the possible risks and benefits along with any other concerning factors before they are made commercially available. Because this is still a relatively new technology, the data for comparison of these products is limited, but not non-existent. We can use the research and trials done in the past few years to help provide a better picture of what areas GM foods clearly provide a benefit and what areas could be improved.

2.) Instead, a case-by-case approach must be taken, analyzing the individual effects of each specific modification. Anti-biotech views certainly have their merits as proven by research and testing, however the benefits this technology can provide shows much promise as well. Agronomist M.S. Swaminathan, thought to be the father of India’s Green Revolution argues that it’s “important not to rule out the benefits of the new biotechnologies, which he asserts, based on his experience with the Green Revolution, can play an important role in meeting the need for food security” (Bharathan 177), but adds that “the new biotechnologies should only be developed and used according to an integrated vision of environmental and socio-economic sustainability” (Bharathan 178). Many of today’s food issues involve either a problem with quantity or quality, and are having negative health effects in populations around the world. The innovations brought by agricultural biotechnology can help alleviate some of these problems as well as open the door to a whole variety of new possibilities regarding food and health. It is true that, just with any new technology, there is a certain amount of risk involved, but with time and experience those risks will be lessened, while the benefits these technologies provide can continue to grow and lead toward a healthier future.

3.) Agricultural biotechnology, including genetic modification and all the other biological modifications that fall under this category can be implemented in a plethora of ways, which makes it difficult to give a simple yes or no answer when asking if this technology is safe for human use or not. Even though GM crops have been in development and have been used for decades now, there still isn’t any conclusive evidence on whether these crops are a good or bad thing. That’s because it’s not that simple. Given all the different changes biotechnology can make along with all the different varieties of crops it can affect, simply using a blanket statement such as all GM foods are good or bad is being too critical. Instead, as new advancements in crop modification arise, they should be viewed in an individual manner to assess the possible risks and benefits along with any other concerning factors before they are made commercially available. Because this is still a relatively new technology, the data for comparison of these products is limited. We can use the trials done in the past few years along with current research to help provide us with a better picture of what areas GM foods clearly provide a benefit and what areas could be improved. Then we will have a much better understanding of the human health and safety effects the foods produced using these biotechnologies can have and be able to make better decisions on whether or not to use these agricultural biotechnologies.