Biotechnology is one of the newest technologies that studied and applied by human in current world. It can simply defined by United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity as any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. In general, biotechnology can change our life in positive way, like more crop harvest, more food choice, medicine, biodiversity and so on. However, it can also cause some problems which refer to unhealthy food, ethical against and even a challenge toward to human’s dominating position.
First of all, biotechnology makes great impact on nowadays’ agricultural issues. It can dramatically increase the production of specific crops and plants. This huge add upon food supply in some regions, especially in developing country and the third world’s countries, help to solve the food shortage or so called hunger crisis happens there. For example in China, the total sales of biotechnological products in China have increased by nearly fifty times during a10-year period from 13 billion RMB in 1997 to more than 20 billion RMB in year 2000 (Ju, 2001). It really helped to release the hunger problem so that the development of the Chinese economy is performing well. Also in some developed country, an increase in crop production also helped. For example in the United State, a detailed study shows that biotechnology helped increase U.S. agricultural production by 8.34 billion pounds on 123 million acres in 2005, according to an article provided by Excellence Through Stewardship organization. Also, benefits like an increase in farmers’ income, enhancement in sustainability, reduction in environmental footprint and improvement in crops’ quality gained from using biotechnology helps us a lot. Plus, some future or potential benefits in more biological way is being studied by scientist.
However, biotechnology also brings some problems. A big worry from a social view is whether Genetic modified food is health or not. Although scientists tried to prove that Genetic modified food is not less healthy than natural growth food, people nowadays still prefer the natural one. Furthermore, the change of traits in organism in order to get better species is against human in ethic and moral aspects. Some species result from a modification in genetic way are proven with less or non ability to exist in nature world. One of the most examples of using biotechnology
Citation page:
1. Ju, Jin, “Life Science and Biotechnology in China”, May 28, 2001
2. “Agricultural Biotechnology: Benefits Delivered”, Excellence Through Stewardship,
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