Environmental Effects of GMOs

        Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced to the market in 1996, and the adoption of GE crops has increased rapidly due to the high profits they create. According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, the area of GM crops has reached 420 million acres. As more GE crops are planted, the more environmental issues they create. GE crops have only been developed for less than 20 years, however, they have already posed a serious threat to the environment.

        Roundup Ready (RR) products have increased the use of herbicide since the farmers don't have to worry about overdosing the crops with herbicide anymore. The RR crops themselves contain herbicide-resistant bacteria within them to protect the crops. As the result, "US farmers sprayed an extra 383 million pounds of herbicide on GMOs" (Smith). The overdose of herbicide leads to “superweeds", which are resistant to the herbicide. The increased use of Roundup reduces the populations of certain species.

Monarch Butterfly
Photograph by Hope Ryden

 In Midwest, the monarch butterfly population has sharply declined over the past 17 years. Milkweed, the primary food for Larvae of monarch butterflies, "has disappeared from at least 100 million acres of these row(GE) crops" (Pollack). Ecologists suspect that the adoption of GMOs caused the dramatically reduce the population of indigenous plants. Researcher John Pleasants of Iowa State said that, "The reduction (of monarch butterflies) is caused by loss of milkweed resources available to them"(Pollack). GE crops also reduce the bio-diversity by causing birth defects in insects and damaging organs of animals. The main chemical in Roundup is glysophate, which is linked to potential health threats such as cancer and sterility. The exposure of GMOs can have negative effects on ecosystem.

        GE crops can self-replicate and pass on the characteristics to the neighboring crops, penetrating the fields of farmers who want to cultivate the crops without genetic engineering. They can unintentionally decrease the populations of certain insects, animals, and plants. GE crops can no longer be controlled once they get outside of the laboratory, and they will eventually cause a damaging shift in ecology if the issue keeps being ignored.



Work Cited

Pollack, Andrew. "In Midwest, Flutters May Be Far Fewer." NYTimes.com. 11 July 2011. The New York Times. 24 June 2013 <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/science/12butterfly.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0>.

Smith, Jeffrey. "10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs." Institute for Responsible Technology. Institute for Responsible Technology. 24 June 2013 <http://www.responsibletechnology.org/10-Reasons-to-Avoid-GMOs>.