1. Genetically Modified Crops (GM)
&
Food Security
By:
- Rajdeep Singh Sidhu
- Gaurav Ghai

2. What is GM crops/ food?
 According to „World Health Organisation‟
“Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic
material (DNA) has been modified in a way at does not occur naturally, i.e. through
the introduction of a gene from a different organism.
 GM Crops are described by many different names –
•Genetically Engineered crops(GE)
•Transgenic or Biotech crops
•Genetically Modified Organism(GMO)
BT Gene
BT Gene inserted into
DNA of the crop
Genetically
Modified Plant
Injected

3. Genetically modified
crops
Insect
Resistance
Herbicide
Tolerance
Drought
resistance
Yield
increase
Nutrient
Enhancement
Virus
Tolerance
Advantages of GM Crops

4. Insect Resistance (IR)
 Insect pests have become an integral part of agricultural crops worldwide and
significantly reduce yield of the plants. So IR trait is inserted into crops.
 IR trait is helpful in following ways
•Reduction in Insecticide spraying
•Targeting of the insecticide solely to the plant to be protected .
GM plant
Killed
European Corn Borer
Toxin is Present
European Corn Borer
(Insect)

5. Herbicide Tolerance
Over 63% of Gm crops grown globally have herbicide tolerance traits.
 Herbicide tolerance is achieved through the introduction of a gene from a bacterium
conveying resistance to some herbicides. In situations where weed pressure is high, the
use of such crops has resulted in a reduction in the quantity of the herbicides used.
GM crop
GM Crop
(Unaffected)
Weed KilledWeed
Herbicide Spray
Result Of
Herbicide Spray

6. Virus Resistance
Virus resistance makes plants less susceptible to diseases caused by such viruses,
resulting in higher crop yields.
For Example- Hawaiian Papaya- Hawaiian papaya is made resistant to the
devastating effects of Papaya Ring Spot Virus (PRSV).
Hawaiian Papaya
Papaya Ring Spot Virus

7. Disadvantages of GM crops
Allergenicity
Gene transfer
Outcrossing
Super Weeds

8. Allergenicity
In India, hundreds of laborers picking cotton and working in cotton ginning factories
developed allergic reactions when handling the BT cotton. This didn‟t happen with the
non-Bt varieties. [Ashish Gupta et. al., “Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers‟ Health (in
Barwani and Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh),” Investigation Report, Oct–Dec 2005]
Hospital records: “ Show that victims of itching have increased massively this year,
and all of them are related to BT cotton farming.” [The Sunday Indian, 10/26/08]
Itching all over the body, eruptions, wounds, discoloration

9. Out-crossing
The movement of genes from GM plants into conventional crops or related species in
the wild (referred to as “out crossing”), as well as the mixing of crops derived from
conventional seeds with those grown using GM crops, may have an indirect effect on
food safety and food security.
pollens
Direction of wind
GM Crops Conventional crops

10. Super Weeds :A wild plant that has been accidentally pollinated by a genetically-modified
plant and now contains that plant's abilities to resist herbicides and insects.
Glyphosate is the chemical name for an herbicide. Certain invasive grasses and weeds have
proven themselves to be resistant to glyphosate, meaning that the herbicide is no longer
effective against these plants.
Examples of weeds resistant to Glyphosate
•Common Ragweed
•Italian Ryegrass
Super Weeds
pollens
WeedGM Crop
Cross Pollination of
GM crop With Weeds
Super Weed
Herbicide Spray
GM Crop Super Weed
No Effect of
Herbicide Spray
GM Crop

12. Food Security
 Definition: According to United State Department of Agriculture (USDA)
„Food security for a household means access by all members at all times to enough food
for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum :
(1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.
(2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (that is,
without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping
strategies).

13. Food Security
Human
Food Availability
Food Access
Utilization
Stability

14. Food Availability
 Availability of sufficient Quantity of Food.
 Quality should be appropriate.

15. Food Access
Having sufficient resources to:-
• Obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet.
Money
RESOURCES

16. Stability
• In case of :
Earthquakes
Floods
Drought

17. Utilization
• Utilization of food through Proper :
Clean Water Hand Wash
Flushing
Washing Utensils
Proper Sanitation

18. Why we need food security?
 To cope with situations like:
Drought
Floods
No market to sell the Goods

19. Food Crisis in the World
during period 1986-2005
• Africa has > 15 years of food crisis and worst in the world where the
average number of crises has tripled over the last two decades.
Food Emergencies in Years

21. Yield Increase
Conventional Seeds
Genetically Modified Seeds
Low yield
High yield

22. Drought Resistant
 Genetically Modified Crops requires less
water for their growth , hence are capable to
sustain in drought conditions.
 Useful in areas which receive less rainfall.

23. Nutrient Enhancement
 White rice is a staple food in most countries.
 It provides 80% daily calories.
Concern Arises
 White rice doesn‟t contain beta-carotene which human body converts it to
Vitamin A.
 WHO says 5 Lakh people get blind due to vitamin A deficiency every year .
 To tackle this beta-carotene is added to white rice to make “Golden Rice”.

24. Adding Nutritive Value
Gene added from:-
1. Maize or Daffodil Plant
2. Common soil bacteria (Erwinia)
Lycopene
Beta-carotene
Yellow-Orange rice grain
Or
Golden rice
White Rice
Golden Rice is rich in Vitamin A

25. Food shell life Increase
Transportation
By various
means
Storage
• Spoiling of vegetable decreases.
• The first genetically modified crop
approved for sale in the U.S. was
the Falvrsvr tomato.
Ware-House

26. Conclusion
 GMO‟s present both positive and negative aspects to society as a whole.
 They are a topic of much deliberation and tension; very prevalent in some parts of
the world and banned in others.
 GE crops are required for meeting Food Security in today‟s growing population.
 Ultimately, GMO‟s are still a relatively premature technology and in the
developmental process. Only time will reveal their ultimate effect on humans.