What are the pros and cons of using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture?

‘When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use; when diet is right, medicine is of no need.’ With the exponential population growth, conventional crops can not meet our daily nutrient requirements. A faster, more efficient method is needed. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs),  first developed by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen in the 1970s, are “organisms with one or more genes introduced from another using recombinant DNA technology” (FAO, 2011, p.1). GMOs amplify crop nutrition and the efficiency of growth. Today, over 90% of U.S. corn, soybeans, and cotton are GMO varieties (Dodson, 2025). However, controversies surround GMO use in agriculture. This essay will weigh the pros and cons of GMO use in agriculture and provide new insight into the immense opportunities they bring.

Conventional breeding creates new plant varieties with desired traits, likewise, GMOs use. However, using GMOs in agriculture achieves this more directly and proficiently. GMOs can enhance nutrition by converting low-nutrient crops into nutrient-dense foods. For example, Golden Rice has a higher vitamin A content than regular rice. This can potentially prevent blindness in vulnerable populations when added to current vitamin A intakes. GMO crops can also resist herbicides, pesticides, and plant viruses.  Herbicide-resistant soybeans, for example, are identical in taste and nutrition to conventional ones but can withstand herbicides. Hence, yields of soybeans in America have increased by 30% since 2002 (USDA, 2023).

Furthermore, Bt corn, developed with Bacillus thuringiensis genes, annihilates pests by producing a protein that is toxic to the European corn borer. This innovation reduced pesticide use, increased yields, and lowered costs. Therefore, GMOs provide significant benefits, including higher yields, better nutrition, and reduced chemical reliance. However, there are public concerns about GMO use in agriculture, which proves the need for deep research into the negative effects of a GMO crop before it is introduced into the market.

On the other hand, Seralini et al. (2012) conducted a two-year study on rats fed Monsanto's Roundup-tolerant GMO corn (NK603) and/or exposed to Roundup herbicide. The main result of the study was kidney toxicity and/or dysfunction. Female rats showed kidney congestion, while male rats exhibited kidney dysfunction, including elevated blood urea and creatinine levels. The study suggested these effects were due to either the genetic modification or glyphosate residue from Roundup, highlighting the potential cumulative toxic effects of GMOs and herbicides. Increased research flagged issues about GMO crops reducing crop genetic diversity, putting them at a greater risk of crop extinction, and threatening the global food supply. 

Conversely, ongoing research emphasizes GMOs' environmental benefits. Crops are being developed to withstand climate change, grow in challenging conditions, and reduce fertilizer dependence by drawing nitrogen from the air. Innovations like carbon-absorbing plants like redwoods show promise for mitigating climate change. While GMOs improve yields and nutrition, the public is skeptical due to uncertainty. As Crosby stated, "Slowness to change usually means fear of the new." It is of the utmost importance to balance the concerns raised about GMO use in agriculture with the need for an urgent increase in food supply.

Works Cited

 Bøhn, T., Cuhra, M., Traavik, T., Sanden, M., Fagan, J., & Primicerio, R. (2014). The comparative effects of a GM maize diet and a comparable non-GM maize diet on the health of a European corn borer. Environmental Sciences Europe, 26(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-014-0014-5

Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2023, July). U.S. soybean production expands since 2002 as farmers adopt new practices, technologies.https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2023/july/u-s-soybean-production-expands-since-2002-as-farmers-adopt-new-practices-technologies?

Purdue University. (n.d.). Why GMOs? https://ag.purdue.edu/gmos/why-gmos.html

World Health Organization (WHO). (n.d.). Food genetically modified.https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/food-genetically-modified

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (n.d.). FAQs on genetically modified crops.https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/biotech/docs/faqsen.pdf

Economic Research Service (ERS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). (n.d.). Adoption of genetically engineered crops in the United States: Recent trends in GE adoption. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-united-states/recent-trends-in-ge-adoption

Yamashita, N., & Kanazawa, S. (2022). The role of nitrogen-fixing GM crops in reducing environmental impacts. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 234, 106900.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106900