Impact of Genetically

Modified crops on
Environment

PRESENTED BY:- ASHI JAIN

GAUTAM ADITYA
KARTHIKA NAIR
KARTHIK KRISHNAN
 CONTENTS

1) What are GMO

2) What are GM crops
3) Current Environmental Situation
4) Status of GM crops in India
5) Concerns of GM Crops
6) How GM crops are assessed for Environmental Safety
7) Benefits of GM Crops
8) Risks of GM Crops
9) Conclusion
 What are Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO)
Organism whose genome has been engineered in the laboratory in order
to favour the expression of desired physiological traits or the generation of
desired biological products in short organism whose genetic material has
been altered using genetic engineering techniques are called GMO.

A wide variety of organisms have

been genetically modified (GM),
from animals to plants and
microorganisms. Genes have been
transferred within the same
species, across species (creating
transgenic organisms) and even
across kingdoms. New genes can
be introduced, or endogenous
genes can be enhanced, altered
or knocked out.
 What are Genetically Modified Crops
 Genetically modified
crops (GM crops) are plants
used in agriculture, the DNA of
which has been modified using
genetic engineering methods.
 In most cases, the aim is to
introduce a new trait to the
plant which does not occur
naturally in the species.
Examples in food crops include
resistance to certain pests, diseases,
environmental conditions, reduction
of spoilage, resistance to chemical
treatments (e.g. resistance to
a herbicide), or improving the nutrient
profile of the crop. Examples in non-
food crops include production
of pharmaceutical agents, biofuels
and other industrially useful goods, as
well as for bioremediation
Fig. Wild Peanut Fig. Transgenic
 What is the current environmental
situation?
 A growing population, global warming, and loss of biodiversity
have a tremendous impact on our environment.
 By year 2050, there will be 9.5 billion people living on this
planet.
 Feeding these people will mean massive changes in the
production, distribution, and stability of food products.
 Unfortunately, cropland and population are not uniformly
distributed.
 This situation is further aggravated by diminishing cropland due
to erosion, fewer renewable resources, less water, and a
reduced population working the land.
 The destruction of wilderness and forests, and continued use of
coal and oil.
 The loss of habitat has resulted in many species being
displaced.
 Status Of GM Crops in India

 India is largely an agricultural economy where almost 70 % of the

working population is dependent on agricultural sector for
employment.
 Genetically engineered cotton (popularly known as Bt cotton) for
insect resistance has been released for commercial cultivation in
India during 2002 by GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval
Committee), Government of India (GOI).
Cultivation and production of
Bt cotton has grown
exponentially since then and
India has become second largest
producer of cotton and leading
exporter in the world.
 The GEAC cleared Bt brinjal for commercialization in October 2009
but some concerns were raised by certain groups.
 Concerns of GM Crops
 The Genetic Engineering Appraisal
Committee, a 23-member committee
composed of scientists and government
officials — had first approved GM food crop Bt
brinjal in 2009 after a nine-year-long trial.
However, the Minister of Environment and
Forests (MoEF), based on public
consultations, imposed a moratorium on the
release of Bt brinjal. It has been a decade
since and we are still in a regulatory log jam.
 Opponents raise concerns over environmental
protection, contamination of non-GM crops,
and economic impact on organic farmers.
 Some argue for depoliticization of government
decision-making, some for farmer freedom to
use technology, and others push for
environmental protection and organic farming.
 How are GM crops assessed for
environmental safety?
 Transgenic crops are currently being cultivated on a
commercial scale in many countries.
 Assessments of their impact on the environment are
conducted before they are approved for commercial use, as
required by the regulatory biosafety frameworks.
 Environmental risk assessment (ERA) considers the impact
of introducing a GM plant into a given environment. The
ERA is concerned with evaluating the potential for harm to
ecosystem components given that there is exposure to the
GM plant.
 ERA has to evaluate the risks to human health and the
environment, whether direct or indirect, immediate or
delayed, which the deliberate release or the placing on the
market of GMOs may pose
Fig : Steps involved in risk assessment
 Risk assessment of Bt maize
Genetically modified Bt crops have been a subject of significant scientific evaluation
using risk assessment principles. Thus, the following discussion will focus on risk
assessment of two of the top concerns regarding Bt maize,
(a) dietary exposure to Cry proteins in humans and animals
(b) environmental impacts of Cry proteins on non-target organisms

 (a)Dietary risk assessment: Cry protein example in Bt maize

 Hazard identification :- Hazard identification in dietary risk assessments begins

with finding evidence of toxicity resulting from consumption. Typically, animal
models are used to inform human health risks for a potential toxin. While the target
pests are exposed to the toxins primarily through leaf and stalk material, Cry
proteins are also expressed in other parts of the plant, including trace amounts in
maize kernels which are ultimately consumed by both humans and animals .

 Risk conclusion :- Acute studies involving Cry protein consumption showed no

adverse effects, therefore chronic studies were not considered necessary as the
proteins were shown to be digested in the stomach, making acute exposure the
main concern. In addition, since Bt has been used as a foliar insecticide for several
decades with no adverse effects to humans, the weight evidence suggests that
there is no adverse risk in human or animal consumption of Cry proteins from Bt
(b)Ecological risk assessment: Impact of Bt maize on non-target
species.

 Hazard identification : - The monarch butterfly is a common insect in North

America. Monarch adults feed on nectar from many forbs species, but their
caterpillars feed exclusively on non-crop milkweed species, making them no
threat to crop yields. As a member of the order Lepidoptera, it is conceivable
that monarchs consuming Bt maize pollen might be sensitive to Cry proteins
and this has been the focus of ecological risk assessment of Bt crops. While
monarchs are unlikely to emerge as larvae on Bt crop plants, the potential
for pollen to disperse and land on milkweed has become a concern as a
possible unintended negative ecological impact of Bt maize

 Risk conclusion :- The toxic conditions

created in laboratory studies do not
accurately reflect what is found in the
typical monarch breeding environment.
The small likelihood of toxic conditions
manifesting in any given area suggests
that the impact on the total population of
the species is negligible
 Benefits of GM Crops
 Reduce the use of Pesticides :- One of the significant
environmental benefits of GM crops is dramatic reduction in
pesticide use ,this is genetically engineered to resist insects
and therefore farmers don't have to use insecticides on them.

 Helps to Fight Diseases :- In some cases pesticide use has

actually increased for round Ready crop were created to be
resistant to herbicide roundup this actually means use of more
pesticides to kill weeds without killing the crop. GMO has also
been beneficial in help in fight diseases that commonly affect
certain crop for E.g. - Papaya is a major crash crop in Hawaii in
1992 a virus threatened to wipe out Hawaii's entire production
of papaya however thanks to creation of ringspot resistant
papayas farmers were able to save this important crop and
Hawaii continues to be main producer even today.
 Create new Pharmaceuticals :- Another potential benefit of
Gm crops is to create new pharmaceutical's using biologically
active compounds created by these crops that could fight
diseases.

 Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions :- Study assessing

the global economic and environmental impacts of biotech
crops for the first twenty one years (1996-2016) of adoption
showed that the technology has reduced pesticide spraying
by 671.2 million kg and has reduced environmental footprint
associated with pesticide use by 18.4%. The technology has
also significantly reduced the release of greenhouse gas
emissions from agriculture equivalent to removing 16.75
million cars from the road study of U.S. maize and soybean
farmers from 1998 to 2011 concluded that adopters of
herbicide tolerant maize used 1.2% (0.03 kg/ha) less
herbicide than non-adopters, and adopters of insect resistant
maize used 11.2% (0.013 kg/ha) less insecticide than non-
adopters.
 Potential Risks of GM Crops
 Genetic Contamination/Interbreeding :- Introduced GM crops may
interbreed with the wild-type which may lead to loss of novelty of wild
type (unless it confers a selective advantage to the recipient).

 Harm to Other Species :- Faster growth of GM crops give them a

competitive advantage over the native species , thus they may become
invasive and spread into new habitats causing ecological damage and
imbalance.

 Ecosystem Impacts :- However tolerance abilities of wild type may

develop, thus altering the native species ecological relationship.The
effects of changes in a single species may extend well beyond to the
ecosystem. Single impacts are always joined by the risk of ecosystem
damage and destruction.
 Impossibility of Follow-up :- Once a GM crop is introduced into the
environment and a problem arises it becomes impossible to follow up.
These risks are identical to those incurred with regards to the introduction of
naturally or conventionally bred species.

 Horizontal Transfer of Recombinant Genes to Other Microorganisms :-

One of the major risks related to GM crops is the risk of horizontal risk
transfer (via transformation, transduction or conjugation) by organisms. It
occurs especially in response to changing environments and provides
organisms with access to genes other than those which can be inherited.

 Development of resistant weeds and insects :- Recent researches

suggests the presence of gene movement from the GM crops to the weeds
through pollen transfer hence nearby weeds and insects have started
developing resistance.
Fig : Impacts of Genetically modified Crops
 Conclusion
 The use of genetically modified organisms is important in order to meet
increasing demands and improve existing conditions prevalent in our
environment.
 Certainly GM crops are a revolutionary technology in the field of research and
the potential benefits of these organisms show a lot of promise. But an
uneducated acceptance of this technology can have a negative impact. The
best would be to educate yourself first and then use GM crops to maximize the
benefits
 The technology may be
appropriate for farmers
who have difficulty
spraying pesticides and
herbicides .GM crops
may work well for farm
areas that are
inaccessible to tractor or
face droughts often
 Regulations concerning use of GM crops need a redesign. Post-
release impacts of GM crops must follow preventive and
precautionary measures based on risk assessment and
management.
 Monitoring and detection methods are vital for risk assessment and
management to control the negative environmental and health
impacts.
 We are at an anxious juncture where, on one hand, we are faced
with unprecedented threats to human health and environment, while
on the other hand we have opportunities to change the way things
are done. Considering the benefits and concerns of GM crops
neither a full-scale adoption nor a full-scale rejection will be viable.
THANK YOU