There are many environmental issues surrounding the agricultural, farming, and ecological applications of biotechnology. Objectors to altered crops express concerns wondering how engineered pest and herbicide resistance might affect local ecology. For example, they ask if herbicide resistance would lead to increased use of dangerous herbicides to kill weeds, since farmers would no longer worry about the dangers of their crops' overexposure to these chemicals. In addition, these people express concern that depriving insects of crops for food would, in turn, deprive birds and frogs of insect prey.

There are also many objections to the release of genetically engineered organisms into the wild. Environmentalists express misgivings about the effects of introducing new and novel organisms into a given ecological systems. They say that the effects of new organisms - or even ordinary ones with new genes - are too complex to be predicted, and potentially too dangerous to be risked.

Some of the well-known transgenic crops on the market today are Roundup Ready Soybean, Roundup Ready com, Bt Corn, IMI corn, etc.

Pros and Cons of Genetically Altered Crops

· Labeling might increase the cost of food.

· Transgenic livestock and crops are ethically acceptable, but they should be thoroughly tested for safety. The original genome of all altered organisms should be kept on file to protect genetic diversity.

· People with health, religious or moral concerns about GMO foods could make informed food choices.

· Crops can be made herbicide tolerant or virus resistant. That can reduce the use of pesticides which can help to protect the environment.

· Crop yields can be increased, providing more food for the world.

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1987
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)