Insect-Resistant GM Rice in Farmers' Fields: Assessing Productivity and Health Effects in China

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/308/5722/688

This article was written to show how farmers using GM crops in China have done compared to farmers who are not using the technology. China is very close to commercializing GM rice and this article focuses on two of the four types that have been developed and are being tested in farms. The insect-resistant strains have shown to be successful in creating higher yields and reducing pesticide usage. This is one of the first forays into producing a commercialized food crop rather than an industrial one such as cotton.
The results of the pre-production trials of the rice crops were positive. The farms using the new rice showed about a ten percent increase in crop yield and eighty percent decrease in pesticide use. This decrease in pesticide use also eliminated many of the health problems among farmers that using the chemicals causes.
The data gathered indicated that food crops can also be genetically modified effectively. We have seen industrial crops undergo modification and be used, but now China is likely going to commercialize GM rice. This process will prompt response in the worldwide industry and probably increase the number of farmers using biotechnology in other countries as well.
This article is relevant to healthcare due to the increased food production and because the experiment showed that farmers using GM crops got less exposure to pesticides and experienced fewer of the problems that the toxins in pesticides cause. This will improve health at the local and international level.
I enjoyed this article because many of the articles I have posted here in the past have dealt with genetic engineering being done on industrial plants like cotton. China is considering doing the same with a major food crop. This is a crucial step in improving gene technology in plants and encouraging the acceptance of GM foods across the world. The policies described the article show readers that GM foods are being tested and are successful. This could cause farmers and those in the agricultural industries in stuggling countries to try and seek access to the technology.