Evolution in Agriculture: Genetically Modified

Evolution in agriculture: Genetically modified organism (GMO)

The domestication of plants and animals unintentionally, and later intentionally, resulted in the promotion and sustenance of certain traits over other traits within domesticated species. It also affected the development of the living creatures of the world as a whole, given that certain species were favored over other species and new plants were imported and exported all over the world by humans, far faster than would have naturally occurred. Plants we take for granted as part of native cuisines such as the tomato in Southern Italy, the potato in Ireland, and corn in America are all imports: "every crop in North America other than the blueberry, Jerusalem artichoke, sunflower, and squash are borrowed from elsewhere" (Prakash 2001). Originally, there was suspicion of these new crops but then these plants became integrated into the culture and national cuisine.

However, genetic engineering of plants, such as the insertion of one vector of another species through a virus, plasmid, Yeast Artificial Chromosome (YAC) or other means to effectively reprogram the organism's DNA has proven far more controversial than plant cross-breeding or hybridization: or, at least humans view such modifications with the same kind of suspicion they felt when they worried that potatoes were poisonous when the plant was brought from the New World to the Old! In genetic modification, in most cases, only one or two additional proteins are added to the plant's DNA, which are then broken down either during processing or digestion (Prakash 2001).

Scientists see this as a natural extension of selective breeding, such as breeding chickens for larger breasts or pigs with leaner flesh, to suit consumer tastes (Hall & Hallgrimsson 2008, p.649). "Through a process of gradual selection, our ancestors chose a very tiny section of the wild plant community and transformed it into cultivated crops. Some profound alterations in the plant phenotype occurred during such selection, and these include determinate growth habit; elimination of grain shattering; synchronous ripening; shorter maturity; reduction of bitterness and harmful toxins; reduced seed dispersal, sprouting and dormancy; greater productivity, including bigger seed or fruit size; and even an elimination of seeds, such as in banana" (Prakash 2001).

These developments have proven positive for the human species, allowing for greater nutritional variety and varieties of tastes: "Beginning with Mendel's study of peas, knowledge of genetics helped usher in scientific crop development, resulting in high-yielding varieties. Food production increased in every part of the world in the past few decades, including in Africa" (Prakash 2001). The idea humans are tampering with nature in an insidious manner through genetic modification seems more due to superstition than science: using gene transfers to develop GM crops is an extension of older forms of human evolutionary influences on agriculture.