Genetically Modified Crops (GM)

&
Food Security

By:
- Rajdeep Singh Sidhu
- Gaurav Ghai
 What is GM crops/ food?
 According to „World Health Organisation‟
“Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic
material (DNA) has been modified in a way at does not occur naturally, i.e. through
the introduction of a gene from a different organism.
 GM Crops are described by many different names –
•Genetically Engineered crops(GE)
•Transgenic or Biotech crops
•Genetically Modified Organism(GMO)

Injected

BT Gene
BT Gene inserted into Genetically
DNA of the crop Modified Plant
 Advantages of GM Crops

Insect
Resistance
Virus Herbicide
Tolerance Tolerance

Genetically modified
crops

Nutrient Drought
Enhancement resistance
Yield
increase
 Insect Resistance (IR)
 Insect pests have become an integral part of agricultural crops worldwide and
significantly reduce yield of the plants. So IR trait is inserted into crops.
 IR trait is helpful in following ways
•Reduction in Insecticide spraying
•Targeting of the insecticide solely to the plant to be protected .

Toxin is Present

European Corn Borer

European Corn Borer
Killed
(Insect)

GM plant
 Herbicide Tolerance
Over 63% of Gm crops grown globally have herbicide tolerance traits.
 Herbicide tolerance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from a bacterium
conveying resistance to some herbicides. In situations where weed pressure is high, the
use of such crops has resulted in a reduction in the quantity of the herbicides used.
Herbicide Spray

Result Of
Herbicide Spray

GM Crop
Weed Weed Killed
GM crop (Unaffected)
 Virus Resistance
Virus resistance makes plants less susceptible to diseases caused by such viruses,
resulting in higher crop yields.

For Example- Hawaiian Papaya- Hawaiian papaya is made resistant to the

devastating effects of Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV).

Papaya Ring Spot Virus

Hawaiian Papaya
 Disadvantages of GM crops
Allergenicity
Gene transfer
Outcrossing
Super Weeds
 Allergenicity
In India, hundreds of laborers picking cotton and working in cotton ginning factories
developed allergic reactions when handling the BT cotton. This didn‟t happen with the
non-Bt varieties. [Ashish Gupta et. al., “Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers‟ Health (in
Barwani and Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh),” Investigation Report, Oct–Dec 2005]
Hospital records: “ Show that victims of itching have increased massively this year,
and all of them are related to BT cotton farming.” [The Sunday Indian, 10/26/08]

Itching all over the body, eruptions, wounds, discoloration

 Out-crossing
The movement of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species in
the wild (referred to as “out crossing”), as well as the mixing of crops derived from
conventional seeds with those grown using GM crops, may have an indirect effect on
food safety and food security.

Direction of wind

pollens

GM Crops Conventional crops

 Super Weeds
Super Weeds :A wild plant that has been accidentally pollinated by a genetically-modified
plant and now contains that plant's abilities to resist herbicides and insects.
Glyphosate is the chemical name for an herbicide. Certain invasive grasses and weeds have
proven themselves to be resistant to glyphosate, meaning that the herbicide is no longer
effective against these plants.
Examples of weeds resistant to Glyphosate
•Common Ragweed
•Italian Ryegrass
No Effect of
Cross Pollination of Herbicide Spray
GM crop With Weeds Herbicide Spray
pollens

GM Crop Weed GM Crop Super Weed GM Crop Super Weed

 Food Security
 Definition: According to United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)

„Food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food

for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum :

(1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.

(2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (that is,

without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping

strategies).
 Food Security

Food Availability

Food Access
Utilization
Stability

Human
 Food Availability
 Availability of sufficient Quantity of Food.

 Quality should be appropriate.

 Food Access
Having sufficient resources to:-
• Obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet.

RESOURCES

Money
 Stability
• In case of :

Drought
Earthquakes

Floods
 Utilization
• Utilization of food through Proper :

Flushing

Clean Water Hand Wash

Washing Utensils

Proper Sanitation
 Why we need food security?
 To cope with situations like:

Floods
Drought

No market to sell the Goods

 Food Crisis in the World
during period 1986-2005

Food Emergencies in Years

• Africa has > 15 years of food crisis and worst in the world where the
average number of crises has tripled over the last two decades.
 Yield Increase

Conventional Seeds Low yield

Genetically Modified Seeds High yield

 Drought Resistant

 Genetically Modified Crops requires less

water for their growth , hence are capable to
sustain in drought conditions.

 Useful in areas which receive less rainfall.

 Nutrient Enhancement
 White rice is a staple food in most countries.

 It provides 80% daily calories.

Concern Arises
 White rice doesn‟t contain beta-carotene which human body converts it to

Vitamin A.

 WHO says 5 Lakh people get blind due to vitamin A deficiency every year .

 To tackle this beta-carotene is added to white rice to make “Golden Rice”.

 Adding Nutritive Value

Gene added from:-

1. Maize or Daffodil Plant Lycopene
2. Common soil bacteria (Erwinia)
Beta-carotene
White Rice

Golden Rice is rich in Vitamin A

Yellow-Orange rice grain

Or
Golden rice
 Food shell life Increase

Transportation
By various
means
Storage

• Spoiling of vegetable decreases.

• The first genetically modified crop
approved for sale in the U.S. was
the Falvrsvr tomato.

Ware-House
 Conclusion
 GMO‟s present both positive and negative aspects to society as a whole.

 They are a topic of much deliberation and tension; very prevalent in some parts of
the world and banned in others.

 GE crops are required for meeting Food Security in today‟s growing population.

 Ultimately, GMO‟s are still a relatively premature technology and in the

developmental process. Only time will reveal their ultimate effect on humans.