GEF

Unit 3  |  Primary Sustainability Issues 69 Many farmers in developing nations cannot afford synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In a continued effort to meet growing food demands, agri- cultural industry representatives and some researchers have championed a technological solution. Citing statistics that show a large and growing gap between food production and demand, they advocate for an increased use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that show increased yields over conventional crops. GMOs are created by manipulating the DNA of organisms or splicing genetic material from one organ- ism into another, representing a significant departure from conventional selective breeding or hybridization . GMO crops may present many problems, including fostering insecticide-resistant pests, the unintentional killing of benefi- cial insects, and accidental hybridization with native plants. Many GMOs are designed to tolerate high doses of pesticides, encouraging farmers to increase pesticide use. Scientific studies and community activists have cast doubt on the claim that GMO crops can significantly increase yield. In 2016, the New York Times carried out an extensive study, which demonstrated that GMO crops had not produced significant yield increases and had not reduced the use of pesticides. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS) Organisms that have had their genetic material modified using genetic engi- neering techniques. HYBRIDIZATION The combination of genetic stocks from different organ- isms to create desired traits.