Controversy in Agricultural Engineering: Biotechnology (Prompt 7)

By: Tyler Lahusky

Every field, no matter what it may be, contains a subject or argument that poses some controversy within the field. Many times these can be little things that come up as research is conducted, but other times they are major innovations that could have a lasting impact. The most common controversial topic in agricultural engineering is biotechnology. Many people may know biotechnology as genetic engineering, or genetically modified organisms (GMO's) that they may or may not find at the store. It is clear what biotechnology is and what it does, but there are two main arguments within the agricultural engineering world and in the public eye about biotechnology - do the benefits outweigh the risks, or do the risks outweigh the benefits? (Frompovicz)

History

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the risks and benefits for yourselves, you must understand the history of biotechnology and what it is at the present time. Biotechnology was first invented back in the 1500's. Different that what is expected to be considered biotechnology and genetic engineering today, cross-breeding plants and animals was the first version of biotechnology. Cross breeding, or selective breeding, is the selection of 2 organisms of the same species and breeding them to produce an offspring that contains both of the desired traits from the 2 parent organisms. To this day, almost all major crops that we know have been selectively bred to the state that they are now. (Frompovicz)

Present Day

In modern times, biotechnology has evolved to something quite different than what was used in the 1500's and the 1800's. Although the main idea is much of the same, the process is very different. Today, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is taken from an organism with a desired trait and inserted into the DNA of another, completely different, organism. This allows scientists today to take DNA from many different organisms and stack desired traits and characteristics into one single organism, such as corn for example. The goal of biotechnology is to create an overall better product in a number of different aspects. It is estimated that about 70% of food on the shelf at the grocery store today has genetically modified organisms contained in it. (Frompovicz) So why all the controversy? To answer that, we must know the benefits, and the risks alike.

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The Benefits

There are endless possibilities for benefits in biotechnology with the number of different traits you can mix in organisms. Highlighted here are just some of the main benefits scientists are working on and are within the grasp of genetic engineering today. Already in place all over the world, biotechnology has created crops that are resistant to pesticides and herbicides. This allows for cheaper products used on fields for weed control and higher yield with less irrigation, as all the water goes directly to the crops and not the weeds. Many foods can be engineered to have increased nutritional value and grow vitamins and nutrients that they never before have grown. Yes, this means you get a better 'bang for your buck' when you eat a GMO banana and can pass up on the orange. Not to mention, when you buy that banana, biotechnology can increase the shelf life of the food you buy. Just these few, simple things biotechnology can do may go a long way. With increased shelf life and an increase in nutritional value, biotechnology can be put on the front line for fighting world hunger and malnutrition. (Frompovicz) So what are we waiting for?

The Risks

So what are the risks to all this agricultural engineers ask? There's one problem - we don't know. Currently, there is no direct evidence of GMO's being harmful to humans or the environment. However, as a fairly new technology, the public remains very weary of it which holds back many agricultural engineers and researchers. Most of the GMO's today are used as a food source for animals or in processed food for people. But the thing is, the long term effects of using biotechnology are simply unknown. Many scientists and agricultural engineers are concerned about the effects it may have on the environment. It may be possible for a genetically modified organism to transfer its traits (through pollination or breeding) to a wild organism and spreading it throughout the environment. The effects on the wild plant that obtained the genetically modified trait would be unknown. These effects could range from harmless, to catastrophic to the environment and ecosystem, throwing everything out of balance. (Frompovicz)

You Decide

Now that you know what biotechnology is and the risks and benefits behind it, it's your turn to decide. This is a very familiar issue to agricultural engineers all over the globe. Everyone must wrestle with controversial issues such as these in order to improve the world and keep it safe. So what do you think? Place yourself into the shoes of an agricultural engineer and comment below on your stance on biotechnology.

Source: Frompovicz, H. (2006). A Growing Controversy: Genetic Engineering in Agriculture. Retrieved November 10, 2015, from http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=elj&sei-redir=1&referer=http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=controversy%20in%20agricultural%20engineering&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFj