Genetically Modified Crops and the Environment

http://agron.scijournals.org/cgi/content/full/92/4/797

This article by Joanne E. Barton and Miles Dracup aims to provide a balanced assessment of the environmental impact of GM crops. The growing use of genetically modified crops has prompted many to claim that they can have adverse effects on the environment as well as human health. These crops could have numerous unknown effects on non-human organisms, the genes could be transferred, or the crops could become weeds in the industry.
There are also benefits that this article brings up. The environment would benefit from the lowered insecticide use that GM crops could cause and the yield increase could also be beneficial. There are numerous applications of GM crops and genetic modification could be used in different ways to benefit the environment.
This article does not stress a particular point of view. It aims to educate readers about the good and bad outcomes of widespread use of GM crops. This increase in public knowledge will lead to more informed policies and better management of distribution and implementation of gene technology in foods.
This article is extremely relevant to health care. It brings up the point that the GM crops could have much more impact that most people believe. Current debate focuses on the whether the crops are effective and safe for consumption. Most people do not realize the effect modified genes could have on the environment. The transference of these genes of further mutation could have impacts that are almost impossible to accurately predict. We could cause the extinction of wild type plants and animals or the destruction of certain niche organisms. We are part of the world environment, so these possible changes would affect our lifestyle and health.
I found this article very helpful. It caused me to consider many possible ramifications that I had not considered before. I feel more thought should be put how a certain modified crop will impact the environment into which it is placed. The article has convinced me that GM crops must be developed with specific regions and farmers in mind to minimize the environmental impact they have in addition to boosting food output and safety.