Agricultural biotechnology is a discipline that involves the use of scientific tools and procedures to alter the characteristics of food-providing organisms (Persley and Macintyre 2002). The methods include genetic engineering, the introduction of molecular markers, the creation of new vaccines, and the development of tissue culture. The purpose of the procedures is to eliminate undesirable traits in the organisms while introducing the characteristics that favor the highest productivity. The attributes under manipulation vary, depending on the organism. For example, in plants, the objective is to increase yields by reducing the time taken for crops to reach maturity. Similarly, in animals, the improvement of tolerance and resistance to pests and diseases facilitates higher productivity and reduces the costs of maintaining the animals. Therefore, agricultural biotechnology is a critical aspect of consideration by researchers and governments to ensure that in the future, the world's population does not suffer from an acute food shortage.
Interest in aggressive agricultural biotechnology began in the twentieth century. The primary concern for farmers was how to achieve the highest production by selecting the correct breeds of crops that are drought and pest resistance. However, biotechnology in agriculture did not begin with advanced scientific methods in place today. Instead, its genesis is the traditional crossbreeding process. Farmers would select the two strains of crops whose traits they desire. After crossbreeding, and through natural selection, the hybrid would have the desirable characteristics from both parents. Today, there are modern approaches to agricultural technology. For instance, mutagenesis utilizes radioactivity to stimulate mutations in crops. The result is the exhibition of new and desirable traits. Also, scientists have established a way of integrating extra chromosomes into organisms, in a concept called polyploidy. For example, seedless watermelons are the result of crossing a 4-set chromosome watermelon with a 2-set chromosome watermelon. There are many other techniques, such as RNA interfacing, genome editing, and transgenics. Researchers are still seeking ultra-modern and effective methods to ensure that the world has the right quantity and quality of food.
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Agricultural biotechnology offers some very critical benefits. For instance, extensive research has led to the realization of pest and disease-resistant strains of crops and livestock. There are various ways of achieving the resistance, such as crossbreeding. For example, many of the pure-breed European dairy cattle, such as Friesian and Ayrshire, could not survive in the tropics due to pests and diseases that are prevalent in the region. The indigenous people in those areas kept primitive breeds of cattle with low productivity, but they were unaffected by the diseases. Therefore, by crossbreeding the two cattle strains, researchers were able to develop high-yielding and disease-resistant hybrids (Puppel et al., 2018).
Due to the unpredictable environmental conditions today, biotechnologists have been working on developing crops that can grow during drought seasons. One way of achieving this fete is through genome editing. The procedure involves the direct manipulation of the genetic markers of an organism. The result is that the crop exhibits new phenotypical traits that facilitate higher yields under adverse conditions. For example, the CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) system eliminated the LAZY1 gene in rice, which increased yields (Zhang et al., 2018). The system has also been used to alter properties such as grain count, weight, and size. Therefore, the modified rice can grow under severe environmental conditions with significantly higher yields that the primitive strains.
Another vital benefit of agricultural biotechnology is the improvement of the nutritional content and flavor of the food we consume. For example, crops such as rice contain minimal vitamin content. Therefore, researchers developed the golden rice strain, which allows the body to generate Vitamin A after consumption (Lassoued et al., 2019). Also, in Uganda, the Banana 21 project has modified bananas to facilitate them with micronutrients such as vitamin A and iron. Similarly, TALEN (Transcription Activator-like Effector Nuclease) technology has resulted in fragrant rice by suppressing the genetic markers that inhibit the exhibition of the fragrance. Biotechnology, therefore, has significantly improved the quality and aromatic appeal of food (Zhang et al., 2018).
However, the discipline brings along some disadvantages and concerns. Chief among them is malicious manipulation. Agricultural extremists might use the technology to induce conditions in crops that will negatively impact the consumers, such as increasing the toxin content in fruits (Chalk, 2004). Also, unethical practitioners can deliberately alter the traits of a crop and sell them to farmers for planting. When the plants fail, they can then swoop in with remedies they have developed earlier on, in the hope of selling them and making a lot of money in the process. The world is at risk of agroterrorism, and the relevant national and international authorities must continually work together to prevent the risk of such attacks.
Similarly, there are numerous concerns that the consumption of genetically-modified foods will result in uncontrolled mutations among consumers. While the evidence is not conclusive, there have been experiments whose results suggest that the consumption of artificially-manipulated foods could have unforeseen effects on the consumers. For example, Seralini, Cellier, and Vendomois (2007) found out that two-thirds of the rats that consumed genetically-modified maize died as a result of food-related complications. Also, they exhibited mutations, such as mammary tumors. Therefore, even as the world strives to achieve food security, we should be wary of the adversities that the current techniques present.
Finally, genetic manipulation of food has created ethical, cultural, and religious conflicts. For example, members of the Roman Catholic church have expressed varying opinions on the subject, with a pontifical statement advising on the regulated use of the technology (Smith, 2015). Also, some cultures are cautious of the source of the new elements present in genetically modified food. For example, when scientists use genetic markers from organisms that are prohibited in a community to improve other food components, the people feel as though they are eating a part of the forbidden food.
Agricultural biotechnology has created various ripple effects across different sectors. Countries that have embraced the concept fully have higher food security and their researchers have the liberty and means to explore futuristic techniques. Therefore, should there be an acute food crisis on the planet, such countries would suffer the least. Conversely, the discipline has created legal concerns about the ownership of Intellectual Property. Some factions feel that it is necessary to regulate the sector by having public institutions control the rights on the development and usage of the technology. Individual research groups, however, feel that this would be a curtailment of their creative license.
Agricultural biotechnology is a divisive issue. While it has multiple advantages, there are concerns which neither the public or professional institutions can afford to ignore. Therefore, a future without biotechnology in agriculture in a grim one. The world is facing a lot of demographic, political, and environmental uncertainties. The threat to food security is at an all-time high. Technology manipulation of the crops we plant and animals we rear is the best bet against worldwide starvation.
References
Chalk, P. (2004). Agroterrorism: What Is the Threat and What Can Be Done About It? Santa Monica: RAND Corporation.
Lassoued, R., Macall, D. M., Hesseln, H. Phillips, P. W. B., and Smyth, S. J. (2019). Benefits of genome-edited Crops: Expert Opinion. Transgenic Research , 28(2), 247–256.
Persley, G.J., and MacIntyre, R. (2002). Agricultural Biotechnology: Country Case Studies: A Decade of Development . New York: CABI.
Puppel K., Bogusz E., Golębiewski M., Nalęcz-Tarwacka T., Kuczynska B., Slosarz J., Budzinski A., Solarczyk P., Kunowska-Slosarz M., and Przysucha T. (2018). Effect of Dairy Cow Crossbreeding on Selected Performance Traits and Quality of Milk in First Generation Crossbreds. Journal of Food and Science , 83(1), 229-236.
Seralini, G. E., Cellier, D., and Vendomois, J. S. (2007). New Analysis of a Rat Feeding Study with a Genetically Modified Maize Reveals Signs of Hepatorenal Toxicity. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology , 52(4), 596–602.
Smith, M. (2015). Here's What Religious Experts Have to Say About Faith and GMOs. Retrieved November 16, 2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/neyw5z/heres-what-religious-experts-have-to-say-about-faith-and-gmos .
Zhang, Y., Massel, K., Godwin, I. D., and Gao, G. (2018). Applications and Potential of Genome Editing in Crop Improvement. Genome Biology , 19(210), 101-154.
