It is very important to acknowledge that technology and science alone cannot completely mitigate the debate of GM food, but technology and science can play vital roles, and may launch new scopes. Because it appears as if Genetically Modified foods are at this point to stay, what we have to continue to develop is a food system which allows for production and trade of both non-GM foods and GM foods.
Ideally, the food system would consider both non-GM and GM foods to simply coexist everywhere in the earth. Gaining this objective is where the analytical chemists or biochemist can help. Co-existence of the both food types needs that we can follow GM crops within the food system and verify the nonappearance, limited presence, or the presence of GM food in the stream of non-GM food. In addition, analytical chemists or biochemists can monitor, and help in making sure, that only those GM foods that are permitted for distribution go through either food web. Finally, analytical chemists or biochemists can continue to improve the tools we require that can assist us to reduce and identify any potential damage these crops might cause.
Presently, many methods are available for GM food detection. These methods usually focus on detection of the newly expressed protein or rDNA. These processes range from the DNA-based methods such as RT-PCR, PCR, and DNA microarray tests, to protein-based techniques based on immunological assays and gel-electrophoresis such as ELISAs. Moreover, HPLC, GC-MS, biosensors, and near-infrared (IR) spectroscopy, among many others, have been explored. In various cases these detection processes are qualitative when others are quantitative. Few methodologies are too costly for routine task or are ill-suited to quick field sampling. A superior overview of the methodologies and challenges following GM crop finding can be found somewhere else.
This agricultural innovation, in the widest sense, potentially can help in mitigating the first of the Millennium Development Goals of United Nation--to lessen by half the amount of people in hunger and extreme poverty by 2015. This MGD may be partly addressed by centering on agricultural requirements such as adequate food production, superior food quality, and entrance to water for agricultural uses. Agricultural biotechnology has the possibility to address many of these wants.
Recently, a World Bank study pointed out that technology and science can have a role in assisting to alleviate of poverty and improve the food security of the 600 million countryside poor in developing countries. But this study, while acknowledging the great assurance of agricultural biotechnology, also admits the controversial character of the agricultural biotechnology during the production of GM crops.
GM crops have become a pawn in disputes over globalization and trade and other issues which have an effect on international development. If GM crops will have a role in agricultural progress, especially in developing world, looks dependent and mixed upon the public deal in such task. China has made a big commitment to invest in the agricultural biotechnology and has improved much advancement, especially in the cotton production, and thus provides as a good quality case study for the benefits of the GM foods in agricultural development and innovation.
GM foods must also address ecosystem services and climate change issues. Production of the food crops utilizing less water, less energy, and fewer chemical uses such as energy-intensive fertilizer and pesticides, are going to be significant in order to protect human health and decrease carbon emissions and preserve ecosystems.
Again, GM soybean is applied as a source for the biodiesel, and GM sugar and GM corn are presently applied as sources for biofuels. Other GM crops both non-food and food varieties are probably to become sources for biofuels or biodiesel in order to lessen carbon dioxide emissions.
Latest GM crops are coming up to market. The non-governmental sectors, some government organizations, agricultural research centers, and a number of universities are presently researching and developing latest GM food crops and these crops for other uses. These crops are presently undergoing, or will shortly undergo, field trials. Their achievement throughout these field trials, and within their experiment, will partly determine if they will be presented for regulatory approval. Not every GM crops will create it to market but only those which do will require to be observed and their impact evaluated.
Despite opposition, the future appears bright for various GM crops and being capable to effectively track and assess it will likely diminish the debate of GM foods. New opportunities for various types of GM crops could be the future. The innovation of agriculture might at last move beyond supplying commodity crops and complete the early assurances that GM foods will aid feed the malnourished and hungry of our growing world.
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