Question
Can GMOs negatively impact biodiversity?
Hi! I'm writing a persuasive essay about how Genetically modified organisms introduced into an environment negatively impacts the biodiversity by overpowering the existing species. Do you have any information/opinion on this topic? I could really use an experts help. Thank you!
Submitted by: Sophie Tosh
Answer
Expert response from GMOManager
Tuesday, 27/02/2018 13:35
Thank you for reaching out to GMO Answers. The below responses have previously been asked on the site and address similar topics.
Expert Martina Newell-McGloughlin, Former Director of the International Biotechnology Program and UC Davis, addresses how biodiversity impacts GM crops, crop diversity, and the possible risks/impacts in this response.
“Biodiversity is actually enhanced by the adoption of GM crops. Those crops commercialized to date have reduced the impacts of agriculture on biodiversity through enhanced adoption of conservation tillage practices, through reduction of pesticide use and use of more environmentally benign herbicides and through increasing yields to alleviate pressure to convert additional land into agricultural use…”
Read the full response here.
Additionally, expert Dr. Peter Raven, President Emeritus of Missouri Botanical Garden published this article on the use of transgenic plants and whether they promote or diminish biodiversity. A snippet of this article is previewed below.
“The protection of biodiversity and of ecosystem services ought to be a top priority, taken into consideration in the course of all human activities, because we depend on it fully now and for the future. In this context, we note that the ecological problems related to the cultivation of GE crops fail to differ in any fundamental way from the ecological problems associated with agriculture in general, except that they usually involve the application of much lower quantities of chemicals and thus tend to leave the environments in and adjacent to where they are grown in better condition than do the conventional ones…”
High tech in agriculture is a good way to reduce threats to biodiversity because the biggest destroyer of natural biodiversity is habitat loss, most of which happens converting wild lands to agriculture. Increasing yields on existing lands reduces pressures that can harm that wild biodiversity.
We hope the information provided answers your question. If you have any further questions, please ask.
Answer
Expert response from Community Manager
Moderator for GMOAnswers.com
Tuesday, 27/02/2018 00:00
Thank you for reaching out to GMO Answers. The below responses have previously been asked on the site and address similar topics.
Expert Martina Newell-McGloughlin, Former Director of the International Biotechnology Program and UC Davis, addresses how biodiversity impacts GM crops, crop diversity, and the possible risks/impacts in this response.
“Biodiversity is actually enhanced by the adoption of GM crops. Those crops commercialized to date have reduced the impacts of agriculture on biodiversity through enhanced adoption of conservation tillage practices, through reduction of pesticide use and use of more environmentally benign herbicides and through increasing yields to alleviate pressure to convert additional land into agricultural use…”
Read the full response here.
Additionally, expert Dr. Peter Raven, President Emeritus of Missouri Botanical Garden published this article on the use of transgenic plants and whether they promote or diminish biodiversity. A snippet of this article is previewed below.
“The protection of biodiversity and of ecosystem services ought to be a top priority, taken into consideration in the course of all human activities, because we depend on it fully now and for the future. In this context, we note that the ecological problems related to the cultivation of GE crops fail to differ in any fundamental way from the ecological problems associated with agriculture in general, except that they usually involve the application of much lower quantities of chemicals and thus tend to leave the environments in and adjacent to where they are grown in better condition than do the conventional ones…”
High tech in agriculture is a good way to reduce threats to biodiversity because the biggest destroyer of natural biodiversity is habitat loss, most of which happens converting wild lands to agriculture. Increasing yields on existing lands reduces pressures that can harm that wild biodiversity.
We hope the information provided answers your question. If you have any further questions, please ask.
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