Section 1: Plant Breeding and Propagation

Glossary

Lesson 4: Issues and Concerns


Modern plant breeding, whether conventional or through genetic engineering, comes with issues and concerns, especially with regard to food crops. Most of the concerns pertain to three matters:

  • the nutritional value of the result plant breeding

  • the ecological impact that new varieties of plants can have

  • the legal and ethical issues of genetically modified foods

Nutritional Value

A prime concern regarding plant breeding methods is whether the breeding can have a negative effect on the nutritional value of the offspring. Although little direct research has been done in this area, there are some scientific indications that show favouring certain aspects of a plant's development may retard other aspects, such as not fully developing.

A study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" (2004), compared the nutritional analysis of 43 garden crops, from 1950 to 1999.
It was found that in six of the 13 nutrients measured, there were substantial decreases during that time, especially in protein and riboflavin.
The study was done by the University of Texas, and the researchers concluded that the results were likely due to the changes in newly cultivated varieties.
It was suggested that there may be trade-offs between yield and nutrient content.

Genetically modified oranges are bigger,
but what about their nutritional content?

Ecological Impact

Ecology is the study of the relations that all living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Anything that upsets the natural balance of these relationships can cause unforseen effects which may be quite undesirable.
Because of this, there is a fear that genetically modified crops could upset the natural ecological balance of a region.

For example, some countries in Europe banned the planting of a pest-resistant variety of corn, thinking that it might upset the ecological balance of the region.
Some people also question the safety of genetically modified food.

As a result, most countries have regulatory processes in place to help ensure that new crop varieties entering the marketplace are both safe and meet farmers' needs.

©iStock

Legal and Ethical Issues

  ©iStock
                                                               
 
There are a number of ethical concerns over genetically modified (GM) foods and these have all affected public support of the products.

The practice of genetically altering certain foods has been the subject of ethical controversy for the last quarter century.

Why is it important to label foods that are genetically modified? 
It's about health but more about the right of the consumer to make an informed choice.

    Click here to read about the pros and cons of genetically modified foods; you will need this information to complete part of your assignment.