Is There a Place for Genetics in Agriculture?
Many people oppose genetically modified crops. There is fear that s plicing genes from one species in to another will, for example, turn ordinarily benign rice in to a ravaging carnivorous organism akin to Wyndham's triffids. While that may be an exaggeration, there are good reasons to, if not fear, at least be wary of creations made by artificially changing or combining genes. Concerns mainly fall in to one of the following categories: unforeseen or unintended impacts on stable ecosystems; control of seeds by powerful agri-corporations limiting farmers' ability to grow the crops; or adverse health effects from unnatural Franken-foods. Let us consider the first category, which has the biggest potential impact on the environment. Crops have been genetically modified for a number of reasons, all with the aim of increasing yield. Increased yield is not a bad thing but at what cost. One method is to improve resistance of plants to pesticides, meaning that more pest...