Genetically modified plants and the future in Vietnam

Although the total area of ​​genetically modified plants increased year by year and provided more food to meet the needs of mankind, genetically modified plants remain a controversial topic all over the world.

Genetically Modified Crops ( GMC ) are plants whose genetic material is modified according to human subjective wants by modern biotechnology, or gene technology. GMC appeared two decades ago.

In genetic engineering, genes can be added or removed. If you add genes to a certain organism, people often choose genes from other species. In order to do that, it is possible to 'attach' the foreign gene to a virus and then to the host cell, or to introduce foreign DNA into the cell nucleus with a syringe. Some strains of bacteria can also transfer genes into cells and scientists have used them to create GMC.

According to the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and Policy for Natural Resources and Environment (IPONRE), the genetically modified tobacco plant is the first GMC to be tested in the field. Scientists genetically engineered tobacco plants so that they were resistant to herbicides, then experimented in the US and France in 1986. A decade later, genetically modified crops began to grow massively for the purpose of trade.

Genetically modified cauliflower plants. (Photo: Flickr)

Along with strong development, GMC has become a controversial topic on a global scale. In fact, GMC brings many benefits - such as increasing food supply and reducing production costs, conserving biodiversity, increasing incomes for the poor and reducing the harmful effects of agricultural production. with the environment, limiting the effects of climate change. But a part of the scientific community is concerned that they can cause risks that people do not know - such as an increased risk of allergies, oily antibiotic, toxic to the human body.

The US, Canada and developing countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia support the use of GMC. Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) is cautious in granting GMC planting permits and exchanging food derived from GMC in the market. Most EU member states do not import genetically modified food from outside.

From 1996 to 2008, the number of GMC growing countries reached 25 and the total area of ​​GMC cultivation worldwide was 73.5 times (from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 125 million hectares in 2008), according to IPONRE. .

A European Union report, published in 2007, predicts that by 2015, more than 40% of the world's genetically modified crops will be grown in Asia.

In Vietnam, genetically modified crops have been put to the test for the past 5 years. In August 2009, a conference discussing the future of genetically engineered tree planting was organized to discuss the possibility of planting, commercializing and managing possible risks when using modified crops. gene.

The news page of the National Department of Science and Technology Information said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has allowed large world corporations to import genetically modified plants to import products into our country for testing. wide area and the first step is quite smooth results for corn. In the world, the most grown GMC plants are corn, soybean, cotton and rapeseed.

Experimental results, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, are smooth, and so Vietnam will recommend mass planting since 2012.

Today, the Union of Science and Technology Organizations will hold a seminar to discuss this topic. GMC brings many clear benefits, but scientists believe that there are many potential effects on human health that need to be thoroughly understood before mass use.