After over a whole decade since the first genetically modified crops were approved an increasingly fiercer debate has emerged as to whether the genetically engineered (GE) crops will promote the sustainability of agriculture. This debate shows no signs of ending with proponents emphasizing on the potential of the robust technology to promote productivity in the agricultural sector with the possibility of decreasing the utilization of the costly and environmentally hazardous inputs, as well as the potentiality of the technology to address the climatic conditions that are very dynamic and unpredictable. Even though the implementation of this technology in the future could come with a pack of benefits, there is a range of concerns. These include the growing concentration of economic power in a few firms who control very sensitive intellectual assets, the risks of increasing unique life forms in the natural setting, the looming continuous decrease in the number of farms and the ethical issues concerning the control and manipulation of the forms of life. The vocabulary of sustainability is usually employed to in framing arguments that involve the well-being of mankind in the long run. The scientific investigation done in the past will help support the assertions that will be put forward by this paper. This will infer that the differing views over the idea that genetically modified crops can enhance sustainability of agriculture have its basis emerging from how sustainability is understood and used to access the effects of the genetically engineered crops.
The conflicting viewpoints on this matter have been contributed to by the fact that the issue of social equity has been ignored, and this is inherent in the sustainability concept (Lacy 535). Scholars usually tend to rely on the on the simplistic assumptions concerning the social relations that constrain or enable the rise of sustainable practices and sideline the significant social issues that encompass the diffusion and development of technology, when addressing social effects (Ervin, Glenna and Jussaume 847-874). This aspect of ignoring a given dimension that deserves to be accorded equal consideration is very disappointing being that the attention usually given to issues of social concern are largely considered to be of importance is almost all the definition of sustainability and peaceful co-existence of mankind on the planet earth. The importance in considering the social impacts of technology is evidenced by the long history of research activities on the role of technology in the processes of adaptation and social change. Social equity should be incorporated in the process of investigating technology’s social, economic, environmental and political impacts. The mentioned assessments are important in identifying the probable risk that may be associated with the implementation of the technology hence generating a holistic scrutiny of the possibility of sustaining the technology.
The aim of this paper will be to highlight the inclusion of the social aspects of the concept of the possibility of sustainability of the technology of genetically engineering of crops in the future with the main attention given to its underlying impacts on the social equity. Individuals are meant to have equal chances to pursue a way of life of their own and also to be spared from the extensive deprivation of the results. The social aspects that that constrain or enhance the acquiring of opportunities for various people in different social classes at multiple levels in the society: industry, international policy makers, local communities, farmers, agribusiness and industries and the academic scientists and students will be examined. The key innovations in the social sector that will help resolve the menace caused by the technology will also be identified.
Though it can be postulated that the technology behind the GE is still in its premature stages the genetically modified foods looks so hopeful for scientists. Time is the only factor that can tell if such a future is approaching as the new modern ways are discovered on the methods of creating even better GE crops. The new discoveries brought about by the discoveries made in the genetic modification are in some of the most important staple foods in the globe. One of the benefits is that they are made to taste sweeter.
The future of this technology is very diverse. It will not only aim to make the foods taste sweeter or stay longer, but it will also be modified in a better way that can make them improve health. There is a bright future for this technology. The crops will be made to contain more of the essential nutrients that are required by our bodies for a healthy living. The foods will be developed so as to help fight stubborn diseases that have been a nuisance to man since time immemorial. Diseases like cancer will be fought using the genetically modified crops. It will reach a situation when one will only need to eat a piece of fruit to get cured of a given ailment. The future world will contain medicinal fruits and biological vaccines contained in fruits. Eating a given genetically modified food will make you develop a strong immunity against some diseases. Some of the drug manufacturers will be driven out of the business industry because the farmers shall have taken control of the pharmaceutical industries. What a world can this be? The more serious and expensive diseases to treat such as cancer will be given utmost priority. Such food products will have substances like anti-oxidants that will help in neutralization of the free radicals that cause cancer in the body. If this is to happen then that massive investment in the cancer control firms and foundations will have to be done away with. The expensive treatment processes of such diseases like chemotherapy will have to be sidelined to pave ways to the modern cheap technology. Obviously, someone will have to lose his or her job.
The improvement of the GE crops will see to the shortening of the processing times of the foods. The process of processing of the foods will require lesser efforts and resources. People will require lesser energy resource in cooking food. Some GE foods will no longer require cooking. This will affect the energy sector as the demand of energy in the households and in the food processing industries will decrease tremendously leading to closure of certain energy sectors. This will affect the incomes of those involved in the power supply industry.
The modification of the crops genetically will be geared towards making the process of food processing more efficient than before. The foods will be made to contain more ingredients that help in the eventual food processing and the minimization of the unwanted wastes. This will see to the simplification of the waste management systems in the food processing industries. The industries will not have to put much investment in the process of waste management systems. This will be disadvantageous to the industries that use the waste products as their feedstock. The companies that use the organic wastes to generate power by ethanol production will suffer a big blow, as the production of their feedstock shall have been interfered with.
The benefits mentioned above will not be realized easily. The question of sustainability of the technology will never cease to pop up as long as technology and agriculture still maintains a bearing to the aspect of social equity and justice. According legislation, a sustainable agriculture should satisfy the human fiber and food needs, improve the environmental quality, incorporate the most efficient use of non-renewable resources where the right natural biological cycle dominates. In addition, it should foster the economic viability of the operations in the farms and improve the living standards of the society as a whole and of the individual farmer. Overwhelming emphasis has been made on the fact that the ecological, social and economic factors that include the livelihoods of farmers must be thoroughly integrated into the agricultural food system if the technology employed has to be termed as sustainable.
The implementation of the future technology is not likely to do social justice to all partisan individuals. Not all the farmers are expected to enjoy the benefits of the genetically engineered crops. The large farms that specialize in the production of a few crops will benefit more than the small farms that are diverse and labor intensive due to the fact that they are designed to minimize the labor cost and the input cost in a large scale production system. A technology that is based on a few mass production of crops reduces the social remunerations of the biodiversity of agriculture. The drift of the genes from the GE crops is a harm to the public as it will be pollution. The benefits that the society and the farmers used to enjoy initially of reduced tillage are eminently going to disappear with the continuous spread of weeds that are tolerant to glyphosate.
In the scenario of the genetically modified crops, the economic benefits will be concentrated in just a few firms that could have gained oligopolistic power or the single monopolistic firms that will control the seed crop markets. In future, a great change will be seen in the pattern of patent ownership of the genetically engineered crops. Many patents will be owned by the joint ventures and the mergers organizations. This is evidenced from the past studies that have shown that a reasonable concentration of ownership of the property of the intellect is related to the genetically modified crops (Glenna and Cahoy 111-129). The concentration may reduce the economic returns to the farmers, and this could affect the ability of the farmers to pay more wages that are inclined to those whom they employ. This would in turn cause the living standards of the farmers to decline.
In realizing a sustainable agriculture through the application of genetically engineered crops, the adoption of a more holistic and flexible approach to the distribution, development of the GE technology is a very important determinant. The future economic viability of this technology will greatly depend on the fathoming and the addressing of the economic and social structures and various management techniques that are available for use in the contemporary farming. A well-directed research is needed to concentrate on the process of reforming practices and policies that are inequitable so as to improve the GE applications. This would lead to a more sustainable agricultural practice. The proposed suggestions below can address the issue of social injustices that could be caused by the technology in the future.
All the relevant concerned persons from different levels in the agricultural food system, all the farmers of different sizes and classes included, citizens and consumers should collectively be involved in the process so as to ensure diverse representation of the values and interests in the GE development, research and the process of application. For instance, the model of participatory plant breeding could serve as a prototype. Such processes are likely to address a wider cross-section of the interest of the farmer, contribute to addressing of the farmers’ challenges and also promote biodiversity in agriculture.
The scientific breakthrough should be harmonized with the knowledge gathered from the experiments so as to overcome reductionism limits. Research on GE crops has been centered on solving the problems that arise from mass production alone. For this reason, they are not viewed as contributing to sustainable agriculture with the application and use of the technology. A focus should be made on achieving social equity. This could help solve the socio-economic conflicts that surround the advancement of the technology.
The genetically engineered crops researchers should divert their attention from private goods to a focus that includes emphasis on public goods. This can be accomplished with reforms on the research and intellectual property funding. The novel intellectual property organizations can be changed to facilitate research work done by the public and their accessibility to propriety facilities. It is worthy to acknowledge that the private sector lacks the necessary incentives to concentrate on the research on public goods. Therefore, if GE crops are to create more social benefits in the future, then the support of the public for the public research organizations must be geared towards the distribution and generation of other non-propriety and minor crops agronomic knowledge.
Works Cited
Ervin, David E., Leland L. Glenna, and Raymond A. Jussaume Jr. "The Theory and Practice of Genetically Engineered Crops and Agricultural Sustainability." Sustainability 3.6 (2011): 847-874. Print.
Glenna, L.L, and D.R Cahoy. "Agribusiness Concentration, Intellectual Property, and the Prospects for Rural Economic Benefits from the Emerging Biofuel Economy." Southern Rural Sociology 24.2 (2009): 111-129. Print.
Lacy, William B., Dina Biscotti, Davis Leland Glenna, and Rick Welsh. "Agricultural biotechnology, socioeconomic effects, and the fourth criterion." Appetite 56.2 (2011): 535. Print.
