World Carrying Capacity

Professor Malcolm Elliot, founding director of the Norman Borlaug Institute for Global Food Security, stated that of the more than 7 billion people in the world, 9 million people die because of hunger and malnutrition (one every 3.5 seconds); 5 million are children (1). This figure will increase exponentially in the next 40 years. The worlds population is expected to approach 10 billion by 2050, which means that we must produce more food using less land, less water, less fossil fuel, fewer chemicals for agriculture, and still maintain biodiversity (Elliot 1). As our world population grows closer toward a biological carrying capacity, we will experience issues relating to food and resource scarcity.

Source: McLamb, Eric (2012)

Genetic Engineering and Genetically Modified Organisms Genetic engineering (GE) The deliberate modification of the characteristics of an
organism by manipulating its genetic material

Genetically modified organism (GMO) An organism whose genetic material has

been altered using genetic engineering techniques Simply put, a GMO is the by-product of genetic engineering. Dr. Norman Borlaugs deputy director, Dr Clive James, reported an increase from 4.2 million acres in 1996 to 395 million acres in 2011 [of GE] crops (Elliot 1). This dramatic increase in the usage of GE crops, along with increased crop yields, can help provide food for more people.

Average Percent of GE Corn Varieties Planted

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1 2 2000 01 3 02 4 03 5 04 6 05 7 06 8 07 9 08 10 09 11 10 12 11 13 12 14 13 25 26 34 40 47 52 U.S. 61 73 80 85 86 88 88 90

Average Percent of GE Cotton Varieties Planted

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 69 61 U.S. 71 73 76 79 83 87 86 88 93 90 94 90

1 2 2000 01

3 02

4 03

5 04

6 05

7 06

8 07

9 08

10 09

11 10

12 11

13 12

14 13

Average Percent of GE Soybean Varieties Planted

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 75 68 54 U.S. 81 85 87 89 91 92 91 93 94 93 93

1 2 2000 01

3 02

4 03

5 04

6 05

7 06

8 07

9 08

10 09

11 10

12 11

13 12

14 13

Source: United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service (2014)

Acres of GE Crops Worldwide

4,200,000

1996 1

2 2011

395,000,000

Source: Elliott, Prof. Malcolm. (2012)

$13.3 billion

$416.6 million

$615.2 million

Source: EuropaBio (2013)

Effects of GE Crops
According to L. L. Wolfenbarger and P. R. Phifer, the United States has intentionally and unintentionally introduced around 50,000 non-indigenous species (2088). Many of these non-indigenous species are seen as either beneficial or harmless to other organisms. Yet, some species, known as invasive species, are more aggressive toward other surrounding organisms and cause environmental issues. The United States spends around $137 billion annually to prevent, control, and correct the effects of invasive species on the environment (Wolfenbarger et al. 2088). Some fear that hybrid GE crops will cross-pollinate with other crops. Wolfenbarger reports, Natural hybridization occurs between 12 of the worlds 13 most important food crops, including wheat, rice, maize, soybean, barley, and cottonseed (2088). Fears of contaminated crop shipments have even affected global agriculture trade. According to Jacob Bunge of The Wall Street Journal, China has rejected an estimated 1.45 million tons of U.S. exported corn in the past few months (B1). Chinas basis for rejecting corn imported from the U.S. is due to shipments containing a genetic modification. A Swiss seed company named Syngenta AG is responsible for developing the genetically-engineered seed in interest (Bunge B1). Many nations around the world, especially in Europe, are prohibiting other seed companies from selling and introducing genetically-engineered seeds to their farmers. Although China claims the rejection stems from its strict stance on genetically-engineered corn, some believe the country is using this reason as a cover for decreasing its dependency on U.S. crops (Bunge B1). While foreign nations and others in the U.S. are skeptical of genetically-modified crops, people should judge GMOs on a case-by-case basis. Not every GMO may be beneficial for us to produce; yet, we should not ban all research and testing on a all-encompassing generalization.

Cross-pollination and Hybridization

Cross-pollination occurs only when pollen is delivered to a flower from a different plant Hybridization the process of combining two complementary single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules and allowing them to form a single double-stranded molecule through base pairing o Hybrid species of plants are much more common than animals

Benefits of GE Crops
In spite of concerns of cross-pollination with non-GE crops, genetically-modified crops present numerous benefits. One advantage of GE crops is the reduction of additional chemicals sprayed on fields. Pesticides and insecticides help combat animals and insects which feed on crops. However, humans who ingest artificial chemicals may show signs of health problems as a result. It is clear that the current solution is not sustainable or beneficial in the long-run. Some GE plants, such as Bt Cotton, experienced large reductions of insecticide as well as increased effective yields and financial returns. Reduced insecticides improve the environment by limiting the amount of artificial chemical runoff entering the soil and water systems. The higher yields of crops also support farmers and provide more food. These factors increase the worlds carrying capacity, offering a possible solution for the future.

Source: Qaim, M. (2009).

Here are some extra links for GE information:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19324440 http://www.fda.gov/animalveterinary/developmentapprovalprocess/geneticengineering/ default.htm http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-theus.aspx#.U0S8fvldW8A

Works Cited

Bunge, Jacob. U.S. Corn Exports to China Dry Up Over GMO Concerns. The Wall Street Journal: B1. Print. 11 Apr. 2014. Elliott, Prof. Malcolm. People Will Starve to Death Because of Anit-GM Zealotry. The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited, 23 May 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. EuropaBio. Top Ten Statistics on GMOs. EuropaBio.org. EuropaBio, 3 Jun. 2013. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. McLamb, Eric. The Day of Seven Billion. Ecology.com. Ecology Communications Group, Inc., 27 Jun. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Genetically Engineered Varieties of Corn, Upland Cotton, and Soybeans, by State and for the United States, 2000-13, 11 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2014. Wolfenbarger, L. L. et al. The Ecological Risks and Benefits of Genetically Engineered Plants. Science 290 (2000): 2088-2092. Web. 2 Apr. 2014. Qaim, Matin. The Economics of Genetically Modified Crops. Annual Review of Resource Economics 1 (2009): 665-693. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.