Biodiversity
designates
the diversity of
all forms of
life, including
microbes, plants
and animals,
both in the wild
and in the
agricultural
systems, as well
as the diversity
of the living
communities they
contribute to.
The relationship
between GMOs and
biodiversity is
thus a specially
complex issue,
regarding the
diversity of
GMOs on top of
that.
In an attempt to
better define
the impact of
herbicide-tolerant
crops on
biodiversity, a
team of
scientists
conducted an on-farm
study in U.K,
monitoring
biodiversity
within GM crop
fields and in
the field
margins over
several years (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/fse/).
The main
conclusion is
that each
combination of
GM crop with its
environment is a
special case
that behaves in
its own way and
that GMOs can
not be viewed
globally as
either
decreasing or
increasing
biodiversity in
the northern
agricultural
systems.
Nevertheless, GM
technology
provides tools
for preserving
biodiversity :
--
Some GM crops
are genetically
engineered to
resist to
insects by
producing a
natural
insecticide, the
so-called Bt
protein of
bacterial origin.
The advantage
over the
external
application of
chemical
insecticides is
that the Bt
toxin only kills
those pests that
feed on the
plant,
preserving the
non target
animals in the
field
environment.
This contrasts
with the
spraying of
insecticides
which may be
harmful to both
target and non
target organisms.
--
By increasing
crop
productivity, GM
technology may
contribute to
save lands from
agricultural
over- or
misexploitation,
hence to
preserve
habitats of wild
species.
--
By sustaining
crop
productivity and
combatting the
natural ennemies
of crop plants,
GM technology
may contribute
to preserve
endangered crop
species. This
was examplified
by papaya in
Hawaii.
