Can Genetically Modified Crops Feed the World?

People fear what they don't understand.

GMO will be the leader in seed production technology and will feed the majority of the population in the future but the risk of this will be an eventual genetic mono-culture that is subject to the whims of Mother Nature and her ability to create something new to attack those lines.

It should be seen as accelerated evolution.

Indeed!

I just hope we (humans) don't accelerate evolution faster than we can understand it.

Peoples paranoia most likely stems from so many movie plots that begin with GM species, and interestingly enough, most of those movie plots require some hero to save the human population from some terrifying disease/mutant strain/super-evolved species released into the population by some mad scientist somewhere.

Oh yay!

Personally, most all of my food comes from local farms running an organic operation. I get locally (grain/grass) fed livestock, poultry, and produce. The rest of my diet is hunted from the wild (freezer full of Elk at the moment), and caught from the streams (nice fresh trout/salmon). But I suppose Living in Oregon is not an accurate representation of the rest of the World.

I do agree that GM crops will most likely be the source of most food to feed our ever growing world population in times to come.

Accelerated devolution then?

The article is pretty clear that GMO crops have no advantage over traditional breeding methods, in terms of food production.

Many governments are banning them, because of the clear potential for harm - not because they fear what they don't understand (which can be true in some cases).

That means, if you want agricultural trade with Germany, for example, you will have to respect that ban and keep your crops clean of patented genetic material.

Frankly, the 'patented gene' issues, the lack of control of such genes into general plant populations, the predatory approach of Monsanto and the GMO industry with intention to establish monopolies on food seeds and their harassment of non-compliant farmers by charging them for genetic material that strays into the plant population etc etc. are a very good reason for the ban. Simply to protect the basic right to collect seeds and grow food in this world.

From a survival standpoint, the loss of diversity in crop seeds is a needless and foolish risk to take. Without genetic diversity, there is no chance of adapting to changing climate conditions etc. Bottom line: a world of patented GMO crops would be a world primed for famine.

The use of GMO technique has so far been for frivolous, monopolistic, and risky purposes: BT genes, pesticide resistance, some pretty bad gambles. No risk assessments before doing it: and the results have not been beneficial for the farmers or for the farm ecosystem, nor for anybody afaict.

I spoke to a farmer today who claims that he was doing worse with GM crops.

The seeds that are designed to be insect repellant now is found to also kill the good (guys) bacteria in the soil.