1. FEED THE WORLD 1. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK By 2050, the population is GMOs are a serious risk to the world’s expected to expand from 7 billion environment. Their seeds travel well today’s to way beyond 9 billion. To keep pace, beyond fields where they are grown. the United Nations say global food Cross-pollination creates herbicide- production will have to double over the resistant that threaten “super weeds” next 35 years. Yet the amount of farm other crops and wild plants. land is shrinking. Biotechnology is the Tampering with genetic crops’ only way to feed that growing makeup impacts down the food chain: population, by increasing yields to get scientists say have decimated GMO’s more food from less land. GMOs mean butterfly populations in the United cheaper, more plentiful food to fight States, or led to birth defects among hunger in the Third World. It also cuts other animals. By the time we find out costs for consumers and raises the long-term impact, it could be too livelihoods for farmers in developed late. countries. 2. STRONGER CROPS = 2. REMEMBER WHEN LESS PESTICIDES CIGARETTES WERE ‘HARMLESS’? Through genetic modification, scientists can give crops built-in resistance to pests. Biotech companies use old That means less need for pesticides that science to argue GMOs “tobacco” are potentially harmful to the are harmless or even beneficial to environment. health. Yet GMOs pose an array of Studies show the introduction of GMO concerns. soybean and corn in the United States Mixing up plant genes can threaten led to a 13 million kilo reduction in allergy sufferers like when Brazil – pesticide use in the 12 years up to 2009. nuts were crossed with soybeans. By reducing the need to spray, GMOs GMOs increase resistance to also cut farmers’ fuel emissions, helping antibiotics, making medicines less to fight global warming. effective. Fears have been raised over possible links to cancer, reproductive malfunction, and digestive disorders. Nobody knows the long-term effects.
1. FEED THE WORLD By 2050, the world’s population is expected to expand from today’s 7 billion to way beyond 9 billion. To keep pace, the United Nations say global food production will have to double over the next 35 years. Yet the amount of farm land is shrinking. Biotechnology is the only way to feed that growing population, by increasing yields to get more food from less land. GMOs mean cheaper, more plentiful food to fight hunger in the Third World. It also cuts costs for consumers and raises livelihoods for farmers in developed countries. 1. ENVIRONMENTAL RISK GMOs are a serious risk to the environment. Their seeds travel well beyond fields where they are grown. Cross-pollination creates herbicide- resistant “super weeds” that threaten other crops and wild plants. Tampering with crops’ genetic makeup impacts down the food chain: scientists say GMO’s have decimated butterfly populations in the United States, or led to birth defects among other animals. By the time we find out the long-term impact, it could be too late. 2. STRONGER CROPS = LESS PESTICIDES Through genetic modification, scientists can give crops built-in resistance to pests. That means less need for pesticides that are potentially harmful to the environment. Studies show the introduction of GMO soybean and corn in the United States led to a 13 million kilo reduction in pesticide use in the 12 years up to 2009. By reducing the need to spray, GMOs also cut farmers’ fuel emissions, helping to fight global warming. 2. REMEMBER WHEN CIGARETTES WERE ‘HARMLESS’? Biotech companies use old “tobacco” science to argue GMOs are harmless or even beneficial to health. Yet GMOs pose an array of concerns. Mixing up plant genes can threaten allergy sufferers – like when Brazil nuts were crossed with soybeans. GMOs increase resistance to antibiotics, making medicines less effective. Fears have been raised over possible links to cancer, reproductive malfunction, and digestive disorders. Nobody knows the long-term effects.
FINAL%20Report%20-%202017%20Community%20Attitudes%20to%20Gene%20Technology%20261017.docx