Breeding vs Genetic Engineering - Essay Example

Outline Definition of the Problem……………………………………………………….……..……….3 History of Early Solutions……………………………………………………………..……….4 Forces behind the Techniques…………………………………………………….…….……..5 Competing Solutions………………………………………………………………….……….6 Challenges of Dominant Technology………………………………………..………………..8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………...…………………..9 References Breeding vs. Genetic Engineering Definition of the Problem In the agricultural processes taken up by a man since domestication of crops and later livestock, breed and variety improvement for maximum production remain critical to delivery of food security. Alternatively, the commercialization of agriculture coupled with increasingly complicated population factors of demand for agriculture products underscore the need to employ every trick in the books to support near-exponential agricultural production. With the dawning of the information technology that supports every aspect of human life, agriculture today has several options to improve output with little input costs. Early crop and livestock varieties improvement took simple methods, as knowledge would support. Cross breeding techniques in the traditional setting achieved better results but as changing demands for higher production set in, the best techniques had to come in (Harlander, 2002). Against the backdrop of production lowering challenges, chemical interventions still could not support the expectations. Examples of those challenges include control of pests, weeds, disease, harsh weather and storage. Continued use of chemicals to counter these challenges proved futile as chemical resistance developed to make it difficult for that technique to keep up with the pace of the tough demands. Industrial development and its ills to the environment in form of pollution through harmful emissions contributed to escalated levels of climate change with adverse effects to agricultural production. Technology continues to dedicate resources to finding solutions to the problems faced by crops and livestock within difficult conditions of their survival. History of Early Solutions Since the domestication of crops and livestock, man found the need to increase productivity of the varieties chosen to offer food security. Perhaps among the initial moves taken to ensure that productivity met the demand constituted of sorting of crops to embrace those that give higher output. Continued conventional breeding techniques must have introduced the focus of quality of produce to complement quantity as production demands continued. Civilization in the human society brought focus on economic and social needs that had to support the emerging challenges of the rising population. As an illustration, the population explosions that occurred after the Agrarian Revolution and Industrial Revolution created other needs around economic and political organization. Conventional breeding techniques needed to be refined in order to support the demands of crop productivity (Davis, 2006). Commercial farmers took advantage of the environment since their access to technical abilities and resources excluded subsistence farmers. It therefore implies that the biggest gainers in the industry included the big players who had the resources and knowhow on enhancement of the produce. The availability of finer technologies such as genetic engineering did not suffice until in the late 20th century due to the advancement in technologies supporting the complicated procedures involved in crop variety enhancement. As witnessed in the various sectors today, impressive innovation capacity stands as an impeccable promise to more equitable knowledge based agriculture. Comparing the results achieved in the current technological competence, agricultural outcomes and productivity needs of the population can reclaim the lost ground in meeting food supply for the entire global population (Serageldin, 1999)). Conventional breed enhancement to deal with various challenges proved to be uncertain of the actual outcomes due to the trial and error approach adopted. In addition, the procedures employed in such techniques took long periods for crossing several generations of varieties to realize outcomes. Based on the lack of information available in the traditional setting, conventional breeding always brought little success when compared to current advanced technologies with a higher information exchange platform. In terms of the amount of effort that farmers placed in the production activities, the productivity levels could perhaps reflect a huge room for improvement when the necessary technologies came into place. Traditional breeding took a long path to find results that required only a few procedures to achieve even better results. Economics of effort and time inputted in the agricultural procedures would find a welcoming hand in the industry since the challenges of meeting food demand continued to increase as time passed (Harlander, 2002). Targeting genes for productivity improvement adopts the delicate biochemical procedures in high-level laboratory techniques supported by numerous computerized information resources to ensure instant outcomes. Genetic engineering variously referred to as biotechnology, as one of the most advanced technologies to provide solution to these challenges require recent computerized systems to get to the finest detail of altering productivity elements of livestock and crops. Forces behind the Techniques Between 1980 and 1990, biotechnology increasingly found its way in the agricultural scenes as a commercial option to assist farmers deal with productivity issues at an increased scale. Safety of the biotechnology products variously referred to as genetically modified foods (GMFs) or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) also came into the equation (Hellmich, Munkvold, and Rice, 1999). The impact of the mutagenic impact of the engineering done to the crops on the human life upon feeding on such foods remained a speculative topic until bioethical assurances quelled such tensions. Bioethics integration into the debates covered the control of the procedures and the release of the GMOs with an aim of protecting life and the environment. Continued developments in agricultural technologies therefore faced two opposing forces, food demand on one hand and strict control on the other. Practice is that the professional control of biotechnology practices requires sufficient research and impact assessment to accompany a project targeting productivity enhancement. Release of genetically modified crops into the open farms follows a very strict government regulation depending on the results of environmental impact assessment. Biochemical research of crops and livestock productivity variables over the years provided several bits of information that supports conviction that alteration of the productivity attributes could bring the desired outcomes (Harlander, 2002). Some of the milestones in productivity enhancement projects undertaken in biotechnology laboratories include genetic engineering of quality of produce. As an illustration, rice varieties made in the laboratory, variously referred to as plastic rice, enables alteration of the rice grain’s features that fit in the market demand. In addition, nutrition enhancement of corn varieties engineered in the laboratory have been targeted to ensure that the dietary content of the food taken by the population do not fall below the required standards. Other varieties of pest resistant varieties such as the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) recombinant gene technology in corn have overcome the stubborn stem borer problem in production (Betz, Fuchs, and Hammond, 2000). Drought resistant varieties of genes transferred from crops that perform well in the arid areas into crops such as corn also prove to hold promise to future food security. Competing Solutions As mentioned above, the existence of a myriad challenges in the agricultural production and an increased commercialization of agriculture as an industry competing with the rest makes technology central in the involved processes. As the focus on economies of scale in production got entrenched in agriculture, technological solutions offered by biotechnology appear to be gaining momentum in order to make returns reminiscent with the demands of the current industrial trends. As highlighted above, initial practice of higher end conventional breeding practices among the powerful commercial players as a factor of access to resources still manifests in the genetic engineering in agriculture (Hellmich, Munkvold, and Rice, 1999). Whereas biotechnology steadily takes center stage in the current performance environment, the regulatory confinement keeps it a niche market for only a few players with the appropriate capacity. As an illustration, whereas several developing countries facing chronic food shortage continue to struggle to meet the increasing challenges in food production, other farmers in the developed world continue to enjoy the services due to their technical abilities and access to capital (Borlaug, 2000). Producing genetically modified crops in the developed world is at an advanced stage while the developing world has not moved from the legislation regulation stages. Genetic engineering is therefore at the moment a preserve of a few players in a few countries with the resources and technological detail. Compared to the conventional breed enhancement practices employed by traditional agricultural practices, biotechnology relies on the information system supported by a tight network of molecular biology resources providing details of every move needed in the laboratory to achieve the expected outcomes. However, the initial cost to set the project running in biotechnology laboratories provides a limitation to various players in the in making independent breed enhancement. In view of the production impact that biotechnology holds within the difficult climate change environment and growing demands, the outcomes in meeting food supply accurately prove its dominance, yet only a few players practice such production (Betz, Fuchs, and Hammond, 2000). Challenges of Dominant Technology In view of the biotechnology status in the market today, several challenges of its complete embrace across the world seem to hold back its application. Despite the successes that it has made in the food industry in various aspects, a skeptical analysis still overshadows its success on different issues. Firstly, its sustainability in ensuring genetic stability of the GMO breeds for the future of the industry remains an elusive concept. The strict requirement that controlled research continues around the world appears to leave a negative perception on the possibility of the technology causing havoc if it lands in the wrong hands. Secondly, the impact on the environment, at a time when the global attention sticks on conservation of ecological and environmental integrity that touches on human health will continue to provide a headache for the technology (Hellmich, Munkvold, and Rice, 1999). Despite continued assurances from researchers and other scholars on the safety of the food products obtained from GMOs, an equally strong opinion looms in the market that the long-term analysis of the impact on health has not sufficed in the short of existence of the technology. Apparently, it is logical to hold the opinion that a successful outcome of the products in terms of human health can only be made after a number of generations and fears already exist that the foods are not safe. In view of the magnitude of the technological advancement that biotechnology offers to food production, superior technological advancements in the field have not emerged. However, the common and popular trend in the agricultural market is that consumers are reverting to pure organically produced foods. Perhaps fears proposed by the opponents of biotechnology have successfully convinced the consumers to that effect. Additionally, the cost and technical knowledge of the high-end technology seems to act as a hindrance to equitable development of the industry in this respect across the development status. Conclusion In conclusion, agriculture continues to experience dramatic changes in order to provide the necessary adjustment to continued challenges. Conventional breeding still holds an important position in the world in terms of food provision at affordable costs and technology but at long research input periods. High performance of biotechnology in enhancing quality and quantity in agriculture proves to hold the key to global food security amid teething food production challenges such as climate change. Despite the ease with which production efficiency is enhanced using biotechnology, its acceptance across the world is affected by fears of environmental and species conservation, with a broader focus falling on impact generated on human health. Popularity of organically produced foods and its importance in a unique niche market shed doubts on the overall acceptability of the technology (Harlander, 2002). However, chronic food challenges may find instant solutions from biotechnology and sustain global needs as they stand. References Betz, F. S., Fuchs, R. L., & Hammond, B. G., (2000). Safety and Advantages of Bacillus thuringiensis - Protected Plants to Control Insect Pests. Reg Toxicol Pharmacology, 32, 156–173. Borlaug, N. E. (2000). Ending World Hunger: The Promise of Biotechnology and the Threat of Antiscience Zealotry. Plant Physiology, 124, 487– 490. Davis, L. C. (2006). Genetic Engineering, Ecosystem Change, and Agriculture: An Update. Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Review, 1(3), 87-102. Harlander, S. K. (2002). The Evolution of Modern Agriculture and Its Future with Biotechnology. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(3), 1615-1655. Hellmich, R., Munkvold, G., & Rice, L. (1999). Comparison of Fumonisin Concentrations In Kernels of Transgenic Bt Maize Hybrids and Nontransgenic Hybrids. Plant Disease, 83, 131–138. Serageldin, I. (1999). Biotechnology and Food Security in the 21st Century. Science, 285(5426), 387–389. Read More