Genetic Engineering for Crop Improvement

Biotechnology offers various potential benefits and risks. The available impact studies of insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops show that these technologies are beneficial to farmers and consumers, producing large aggregate welfare gains and positive effects for the environment and human health. Genetic engineering provides a means to introduce genes into plants via mechanisms that are different in some respects from classical breeding. A number of commercialised, genetically engineered varieties in cotton, maize and soybean were created using this technology, and at present the traits introduced are herbicide and/or pest tolerance. Gene technology enables the increase of production in plants and the rise of resistance to pests, viruses, frost, etc. Gene transfer is used to modify the physical and chemical composition and nutritional value of food. The advantages of future applications could even be much bigger. Genetically modified (GM) crops can contribute significantly to global food security and poverty reduction. This review article is the compilation of various studies that present both positive and negative impacts of GM food on crops, the environment and human health.