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Definition “food plants that have been genetically altered by the
addition of foreign genes to enhance a desired trait”
The enhancement has traditionally been done with breeding. This
can be very time consuming and is not always accurate. With
Genetic Engineering, we can create plants with the desired traits
quickly and accurately.
They can insert traits from plants and animals to produce a product
that can be resistant to disease, drought, temperature, etc.
A new desired trait can be achieved by breeding the
crop with a plant possessing the desired
characteristic. Farmers may introduce new traits to
crops for better durability or productiveness
The use of genetic engineering enables
farmers to create a pear with the same
coloration trait of an apple. This may be
performed by the crossbreeding of the two
crops.
The end result is a
combination of pear and
apple.
 Strengths/ Advantages 
Resist (nature’s cruel weather).
Expedite the growing process.
Increase growing size.
 Weaknesses/ Disadvantages 
Decrease cost of production.
Disrupt the natural creation of life.
Resistance to “roundup”.
Mutation Possibilities.
Consumers refuse to purchase GM foods.
Disturb national creation process.
 Opportunities 
 Threats 
Prevent crop loss.
Possible disease outbreak.
End world hunger.
Unknown side effects for human
consumption.
Reduce the spread of commutable
disease.
Possible improvements on
biotechnology.
Lack of knowledge on GM food
Loss of sales in U.S.
Increase the use of pesticide herbicide
and other hazardous chemical.
 Study put on by the New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research
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Small scale trials on GM Potatoes that are resistant to soft rot
 Process
 Controlled environment with absolute separation between control and test
 Benefits
 Reduce pollution via less need for pesticides
 Fewer loses to disease thus
helping; farmers profits, potato
processors, and consumers
 Potential Risks
New genes may have unforeseen effects
 Genes may transfer to other organisms
 Could become a “super pest”
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Short term
Stops famine and starvation
especially in third world
countries.
 Nearly 800 million people
starving worldwide.
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Pictures are from:
www.asft.ttu.edu/FDT4305/Presentations/
Long term
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Pictures are from:
www.asft.ttu.edu/FDT4305/Presentations/
Proteins added in GM food could spark unknown
reactions.
In the long run GM food may diminish world’s food
supply : cross breeding between plants may cause
contamination.
..Which can also be a threat to wildlife…
An Example is the monarch butterfly. Its larvae can
die within days after feeding on the milkweed leaves
dusted with GM pollen.
 GM Food could label their products before having them commercially
marketed
 GM scientists could teach consumers about biochemistry and how
modified food is produced
 Plant more organic products so the plants are not endangered
 Keep people up to date with research happening in labs around the
world
The enhancement has traditionally been done with
breeding. This can be very time consuming and is not
always accurate. With Genetic Engineering, we can
create plants with the desired traits quickly and
accurately .
 Expedite the growing process.
 End world hunger.
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A small-scale farmer in traditional
dress protests against planting GM
crops. (from Farmer’s Weekly, 20
September 2002)
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=www.biowatch.org.za/handsoff.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.biowatch.org.za/home.htm&h=357&w=199&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgm%2Bfoods%
26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DG
Disrupt the natural creation of life.
 Unknown side effects for human consumption
 GM scientists could teach consumers about biochemistry
and how modified food is produced
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