Q.Write the benefits and risks of Genetically modified food.

GM food offers agronomic and nutritional benefits but carries biosafety, ecological, and socio-economic risks.

Genetically modified (GM) food is derived from crop plants whose genome has been altered using recombinant DNA technology to introduce a desirable gene, often from an unrelated organism.

Benefits: GM crops can be engineered for higher yield and improved productivity. Traits such as built-in resistance to insect pests (e.g., Bt cotton/Bt crops expressing a bacterial toxin gene) and tolerance to specific herbicides allow farmers to reduce the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. Disease-resistant GM varieties reduce crop losses. Nutritional quality can also be improved -- for example, Golden Rice is genetically engineered to produce beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, to help address vitamin A deficiency in populations dependent on rice as a staple. GM crops can also be engineered for longer shelf life (delayed ripening/spoilage) and for greater tolerance to environmental stresses such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures, helping maintain productivity under adverse conditions.

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