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There are many benefits to using genetic engineering. It is used in agriculture to do things such as, improve the yields of important economic crops, and provide insect or pest resistance. It is also used in the medical field to create insulin, which can be used for treating diabetes. But, as with most new technology, it also carries potential risks.

Benefits of genetic engineering

• Genetic modification is a faster and more efficient way of getting the same results as selective breeding.
• Improve crop yields or crop quality, which is important in developing countries. This may help reduce hunger around the world.
• Introduce herbicide resistance, which results in less herbicides being used, as weeds are quickly and selectively killed.
• Insect and pest resistance can be developed and inserted into the plants. The plant produces toxins, which would discourage insects from eating the crop.
• Sterile insects could be created such as a mosquito. They would breed, which would lead to infertile offspring. This may help with spread of diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever and the Zika virus.

Risks of genetic engineering

• Transfer of the selected gene into other species. What benefits one plant may harm another.
• Some people believe it is not ethical to interfere with nature in this way. Also, GM crop seeds are often more expensive and so people in developing countries cannot afford them.
• GM crops could be harmful, for example toxins from the crops have been detected in some people’s blood.
• GM crops could cause allergic reactions in people.
• Pollen produced by the plants could be toxic and harm insects that transfer it between plants.