University "in total, this research must be considered successful because it has actually increased per capita food production during a time when global population has more than doubled." (12) For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well. The best known example of this is the use of B.t. genes in corn and other crops. B.t., or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a naturally occurring bacterium that produces crystal proteins that are lethal to insect larvae. B.t. crystal protein genes have been transferred into corn, enabling the corn to produce its own pesticides against insects such as the European corn borer.
There are a number of different things that can be altered in plants to produce resistance to certain things. Just to start, as mentioned above, is pests. Pests can be a hassle to farmers who cannot afford to spray on tons of pesticides, also spraying pesticides on plants can make then dangerous to eat and harmful to the body. With genetic engineering, plants can resist insects and other animals that could hurt them and affect their growing. There are so many different ways that plants have been changed it would take a lot of paper to list them all, but a few are herbicide tolerance, which reduced the amount of herbicide applied. Disease, cold, and drought resistance protect from viruses, fungus. Genes from fish have been introduced to help seedlings tolerate cold temperatures which in early stages can kill them or severely harm the plant. Drought tolerance allows farmers to grow in areas that remain dry for long periods of time.
Although GM foods are very beneficial, many scientists are concerned about the long term affects, which are unknown as of now. Most concerns about GM foods fall into three categories, environmental hazards, health risks, and economic concerns.
