As science progresses, continual developments in various fields allow us to make life easier on ourselves, reducing the amount of effort on our part while increasing the benefits of many different activities. One such development can be found in the agricultural sector, genetic engineering (GE). Considered to be the successor to selective breeding and hybridization, Genetic Engineering takes those practices a step further allowing for more precise outcomes. Genetic engineering, most commonly discussed in conjunction with GMO's or GMC's, is the process of altering the genetic makeup of an organism. The procedure consists of inserting a specific trait-carrying gene into a target species, accomplished through one of several methods. The resulting species now has acquired the trait it was implanted with. An example of this would be tomatoes implanted with a gene from a vibrantly colored plant to give it that color trait. More useful applications include genes that increase disease resistance of plants as well as increased nutritional potential. This is especially useful in countries and regions of the world where many of the populace is in dire need of nourishment. Crops can be modified to provide more of a mineral or a vitamin. A prominent example of this is Golden Rice. Called as such due to its yellowish color from beta-carotene, this strain of rice has been engineered to deliver Vitamin A to people who consume it. Its intended target is children, with vitamin A deficiency in mind.1 .
Besides the consumers being the benefactors of the GM Food, farmers also have incentive to plant GMC's. As GMC's have been specially designed to withstand harsh environments, farmers will worry less about losing a portion of crop due to inclement or arid weather. In addition to the weather, many GMC's also require substantially less nutrients than traditional or organic crops. They can retain water and nitrogen much better, thus requiring less investment on the farmer's part.
