Threats to global biomes The issues of genetically modified GM crops
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Genetic modification is the insertion of a foreign gene into the genetic material of an organism in an almost random way.
There are currently two main types of genetically modified crops, those engineered to be resistant to herbicides in order to kill weeds and those engineered to produce toxins to kill pests.
GM crops were first grown in 1996 in the US. Three quarters of the world's GM crops are now grown in the US and Canada. The main GM crop in the US is soya and maize and in Canada it is oilseed rape.
Many people around the world have heralded GM foods as a solution to world poverty and hunger. They claim that the use of GM seeds reduces the amount of pesticides and herbicides required and increase the yields.
The Soil Association, who certify most of the UK's Organic food, have produced a report in which they draw together facts from many different sources:
Reports from farmers of substantially reduced harvests have been substantiated by scientific studies, and the US government now admits that GM crops do not increase yields.
GM 'volunteers' (plants that appear after harvest) with built-in resistance to herbicides have spread quickly. Farmers are spraying with more herbicides, sometimes reverting to older, more toxic chemicals...