Biotechnology & Human Population

• Biotechnology & Human Population:

  • There are some possible biotechnological solutions to the demands of the growing human population
  • These mainly centre around
  • Genetic modification of crops
  • Genetic modification of livestock
  • Such solutions move towards a more intensive food production industry globally
  • More people plus less available land means that agricultural productivity must rise
• Examples of agricultural productivity gains via biotechnology:

  Genetic Modification of Crops-

  • Genetically modified (GM) crops may be regarded as an elegant solution to increasing food production, but GM is not without its risks and drawbacks
  • Just over 10% of the world's arable land is now under GM crops
  • This has grown rapidly since the 1990s
  • The fact that not more than 10% of arable land is GM suggests that the route towards a fully-GM food supply base still has its problems and blockages that are holding back progress
• Advantages & Disadvantages of Genetically Engineered Plants Table:

  
• Advantages & Disadvantages of Genetically Engineered Plants Table: