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    STATION 3 Reading Material

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    LENE HAR
    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their DNA altered using biotechnology. The three most common traits engineered into GMO crops are insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, and virus resistance. This allows farmers to grow crops with fewer pesticides and higher yields. GMO crops can also benefit consumers by making foods more accessible, affordable, and less prone to spoiling. Additionally, GMO crops developed by organizations like USAID are improving staple crops overseas and helping small farmers in countries like Bangladesh earn more with insect-resistant eggplants.

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    STATION 3 Reading Material

    Uploaded by

    LENE HAR
    49 views1 page
    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their DNA altered using biotechnology. The three most common traits engineered into GMO crops are insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, and virus resistance. This allows farmers to grow crops with fewer pesticides and higher yields. GMO crops can also benefit consumers by making foods more accessible, affordable, and less prone to spoiling. Additionally, GMO crops developed by organizations like USAID are improving staple crops overseas and helping small farmers in countries like Bangladesh earn more with insect-resistant eggplants.

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    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their DNA altered using biotechnology. The three most common traits engineered into GMO crops are insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, and virus resistance. This allows farmers to grow crops with fewer pesticides and higher yields. GMO crops can also benefit consumers by making foods more accessible, affordable, and less prone to spoiling. Additionally, GMO crops developed by organizations like USAID are improving staple crops overseas and helping small farmers in countries like Bangladesh earn more with insect-resistant eggplants.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    49 views1 page

    STATION 3 Reading Material

    Uploaded by

    LENE HAR
    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are plants, animals, or microorganisms that have had their DNA altered using biotechnology. The three most common traits engineered into GMO crops are insect resistance, herbicide tolerance, and virus resistance. This allows farmers to grow crops with fewer pesticides and higher yields. GMO crops can also benefit consumers by making foods more accessible, affordable, and less prone to spoiling. Additionally, GMO crops developed by organizations like USAID are improving staple crops overseas and helping small farmers in countries like Bangladesh earn more with insect-resistant eggplants.

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    How GMO Crops Impact Our World

    Many people wonder what impacts GMO crops have on our world. “GMO” (genetically
    modified organism) is the common term consumers and popular media use to describe a plant,
    animal, or microorganism that has had its genetic material (DNA) changed using technology that
    generally involves the specific modification of DNA, including the transfer of specific DNA from one
    organism to another. Scientists often refer to this process as genetic engineering (/food/foodnew-
    plant-varieties/understanding-new-plant-varieties). Since the first genetically engineered crops, or
    GMOs, for sale to consumers were planted in the 1990s, researchers have tracked their impacts on
    and off the farm.

    Why do farmers use GMO crops?


    Most of the GMO crops grown today were developed to help farmers prevent crop loss. The
    three most common traits found in GMO crops are: Resistance to insect damage Tolerance to
    herbicides Resistance to plant viruses For GMO crops that are resistant to insect damage, farmers
    can apply fewer spray pesticides to protect the crops. GMO crops that are tolerant to herbicides help
    farmers control weeds without damaging the crops. When farmers use these herbicide-tolerant
    crops they do not need to till the soil, which they normally do to get rid of weeds. This no-till
    planting helps to maintain soil health and lower fuel and labor use. Taken together, studies have
    shown positive economic and environmental impacts. The GMO papaya, called the Rainbow papaya ,
    is an example of a GMO crop developed to be resistant to a virus. When the ringspot virus
    threatened the Hawaii papaya industry and the livelihoods of Hawaiian papaya farmers, plant
    scientists developed the ringspot virus-resistant Rainbow papaya. The Rainbow papaya was
    commercially planted in 1998, and today it is grown all over Hawaii and exported to Japan.

    Do GMOs have impacts beyond the farm?


    The most common GMO crops were developed to address the needs of farmers, but in turn
    they can help foods become more accessible and affordable for consumers. Some GMO crops were
    developed specifically to benefit consumers. For example, a GMO soybean that is used to create a
    healthier oil is commercially grown and available. GMO apples that do not brown when cut are now
    available for sale and may help reduce food waste. Plant scientists continue to develop GMO crops
    that they hope will benefit consumers.

    Do GMOs have impacts outside the United States?


    GMOs also impact the lives of farmers in other parts of the world. The U.S. Agency for
    International Development (USAID) is working with partner countries to use genetic engineering to
    improve staple crops, the basic foods that make up a large portion of people’s diets. For example, a
    GMO eggplant developed to be insect resistant has been slowly released to farmers in Bangladesh
    since 2014. Farmers who grow GMO eggplants are earning more and have less exposure to
    pesticides. USAID is also working with partner countries in Africa and elsewhere on several staple
    crops, such as virus-resistant cassava , insect-resistant cowpea , and blight-resistant potato.

    https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/how-gmo-crops-impact-our-world

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