Question

What is one possible drawback of genetically modified cotton?

Answer 1

It can cause some people to have rashes and discomfort

Answer 2

The genetic modification of organisms and the concept of sustainability have attracted much interest by the popular and academic media and in the political arena in the last 30 years. The capacity to modify the basic constituents of life, i.e. the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequences of the genes, is a powerful tool and, in common with all technologies, it has potential disadvantages as well as advantages. In agriculture, genetic modification (GM) can address crop protection issues, e.g. weed, virus and insect problems, as well as environmental constraints to productivity such as soil salinity, waterlogging and drought. This ability to modify the genetic base of plants so that beneficial characteristics are passed on by the plants‟ inherent reproductive processes would appear to coincide with the concept of sustainability. After all, a new gene that confers a „natural‟ resistance to damaging pests or disease would reduce the need for potentially environmentally damaging, expensive and energy-intensive pesticides and increase productivity. Surely this would be better for the farmer, the environment and society? Despite this, GM has generated polarized views as to its value. One major concern is the power of the seed-producing multinational companies who produce GM organisms and whose monopoly via patents etc is thus an element of globalization. Further concerns embrace the role of the state in the regulation of GM crops and the control of GM seed, plus the issue of technology transfer between developed and developing nations and how such exchange should be financed. Would GM exacerbate the gap between those who have and those who have not? Not withstanding controversy, GM crops, including cotton and specifically insect resistant cotton, have been cultivated for a decade and new developments are taking place at a rapid rate which suggests that GM is now an established and permanent weapon in the armoury of modern agriculture. GM offers a real possibility of increased production on land already under agriculture and thus reduces the need for further land with its natural vegetation cover to be converted to agriculture with implications for carbon storage and global warming.