Will growing GM crops be MORE or LESS environmentally friendly than the present way agriculture is carried out

Question

Will growing GM crops be MORE or LESS environmentally friendly than the present way agriculture is carried out

Answer 1

Well, the way your question is possed, there really isn't that much difference between the way GM foods are grown, and the way large scale agriculture is done.  (This does NOT go for the small farmer, who is usually MUCH more environmentally friendly)

However, I'd like to change one word in your question for another, instead of "environementally" I'd like to put in "humanitarian."

If you do that, then the answer is a RESOUNDING NO!

GM crops are controlled by major business, like Con Agra, and Monsanto.  Many of the GM crops MUST have the chemical fertilizers, and pesticides produced by those same companies applied to them, in oder to grow and germinate.    Many, many more of those GM crops are also having a "terminator" gene put in them.

That means the farmer cannot save the seeds he grew and plant them next year.  Instead he MUST go back to those companies and buy new seeds from them, to plant a new crop (and of course also buy all the chemicals to make those crops grow and produce).

There is little question about it...whoever controls the food supply, controls the Government.

We are handing over MAJOR power to these giant companies, like Con Agra, and Monsanto, without even thinking about it.  So what will happen when those few companies finally control if, when, and how ALL the major food production in the U.S., and the world is done?

History has taught me over and over again that Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.  Will the Government we voted for still be in power?  Or will the few companies that can feed the masses be in power?

Ever stopped to wonder why these mega corperations keep getting laws passed with loopholes in their favor, which drive small farmer, after small farmer out of business?  The small farmers are not a financial threat to these mega companies.  But they will be a threat, because the small farmer keeps alive heriloom, open polination plants, and biodiversity....the small farmer also has the power to feed people, though on a much smaller scale.

I'm sure that a number of readers of this posting will simply concider me to be a crackpot, with consperacy theories.  Remember this though, "Just because you think they are all out to get you does not mean they are not!"

I for one, am totally disinclined to give more power to such companies.  Being a small farmer myself, I am able to produce most of the food for our family.  I also shop at farmers markets, and suport other small farmers.

My garden and crops are fertilized with manure from my sheep and goats.  Not petrolium based chemicals.  Insect control is provided by songbirds, bats, my chickens, carnivorous insects, and some wild critter, like shrews, and a very endangered salamander (which thrives on my farm).

Please suport your local small farmer, especially those who farm with permaculture methods.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 2

GM crops are good for the enviroment.  Many GM's pest resistant or designed to need less fertilizer.  But an effect that many people over look is the fact that GM crops are higher yeild, plants produce more on less land and in turn save wildlife habitats that would be need to feed our ever growing population.  Remember in place where people are going hungry they welcome all crops and don't really care what happens to a rare species of turtle.  But if farmers provided them with crops that only take up 10 acres to feed a village rather than 100 the turtle still has a home.

Answer 3

A crop is a crop is a crop. GM corn is grown just like corn. Are GM plants/ crops going to be an environmental issue? I doubt it as the varieties used and released for sale in different parts of the world have been tested carefully. The only problem seen with GM crops so far is that the reports generated as news has caused concerns and those issues have been blown way out of proportion by the vocal minority and the politically motivated with an agenda that targets GM companies and products unfairly. I can imagine that faced with starvation and death or eating/ using a GM product that opponents of them will starve themselves?

The only environmental issue would be the trampling of fields by a few angry uninformed opponents and the news reporters and their satellite equipment reporting the "struggle of GM farmers".

Answer 4

Growing GM crops will be neither more nor less environmentally friendly than present agricultural crops.

Answer 5

GM crops are farmed the same way as other crops unless the genetic modification is extensive and warrants that the crop be grown in green houses. The problem is that the environmental effects (not agricultural methods) of GM crops are still agronomical concerns or are still being investigated.

Answer 6

more environmentally friendly gm crops need less chimicals, and can need less water.

Answer 7

One of the problems with GM crops is that it has a tendency to spread to other farms where the owners have not planted it and Monsanto has been suing the owners of the contaminated fields for patent infringement.  Monsanto also sues farmers who try to save seed to plant in years after the original purchase.  In fact, one form of GM seed is called Terminator seed because it is sterile and is only good for one year.

These are two reasons why GM crops should either outlawed

or closely regulated to prevent abuse of farmers worldwide.

Answer 8

I assume your "GM" acronym stands for genetically modified.  It is a mixed bag.  There are a class of crops that are genetically modified to withstand an application of Roundup, an organic herbicide which kills almost all plant species.  The use of Roundup can greatly reduce tillage operations which reduces fuel consumption (environmentally friendly)  The use of the herbicide is deemed environmentally unfriendly.  their are many other similar situations.  

There are not many crops that have more breeding pressure than hybrid corn which has resulted in greatly improved yields.  Under the loosest of definitions it has been Genetically Modified. by controlled breeding and selection.  It is a much higher quality crop than the old single cross or straight bred corn.  The flip side of all of this by going back to the old varieties we could easily cut production in half which would economically force food prices drastically higher.

Answer 9

In general, most GM crops grown at this time are more environmentally friendly.  However your question is much too general.  Since we are just beginning to scratch the surface of developing GM crops you are really asking us to speculate in the future.  If close controls are kept on the development of GM crops there is no reason to expect that they would become environmentally unfriendly.  Despite the way a lot of people feel about GM crops their use has resulted in a big decrease in the use of pesticides and no harmful effects have developed to human or animals as a result of GM crops.  They have resulted in large increases in the amounts and quality of crops produced.