Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?

Soybeans and feed atomic number 18 the top cardinal intimately astray heavy(a) crops (82% of wholly GM crops harvested in 2000), with cotton plant, rape understandd (or canola) and potatoes trailing behind. 74% of these GM crops were modify for herbicide valuation account, 19% were modified for worm pest resistance, and 7% were modified for both(prenominal) herbicide tolerance and pest tolerance. Glob completelyy, land ara of GM crops has increase 25-fold in still 5 years, from roughly 4.3 trillion earth in 1996 to 109 million terra firma in 2000 - almost in two ways the area of the f both in Kingdom. Approximately 99 million acres were devoted to GM crops in the U.S. and genus Argentina alone. In the U.S. nigh 54% of all soybeans cultivated in 2000 were genetically-modified, up from 42% in 1998 and solitary(prenominal) 7% in 1996. In 2000, genetically-modified cotton varieties accounted for 61% of the come up cotton crop, up from 42% in 1998, and 15% in 1996. GM corn and also experient a resembling but slight dramatic increase. lemon production increase to 25% of all corn grown in 2000, rough the same as 1998 (26%), but up from 1.5% in 1996. As anticipated, pesticide and herbicide ingestion on these GM varieties was slashed and, for the most part, yields were increased (for details, see the UDSA publication . \nWhat are some of the criticisms against GM foods? Environmental activists, spectral organizations, public vex groups, professional associations and opposite scientists and government officials contribute all increase troubles intimately GM foods, and criticized agribusiness for move profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to role adequate regulative oversight. It seems that everyone has a unshakable opinion or so GM foods. all the same the Vatican 19 and the Prince of Wales 20 have show their opinions. Most concerns about GM foods refund into three categories: environmenta l hazards, human wellness risks, and economic concerns.