How Are biofuels a threat to food security?
In general, the effect of the demand for biofuels will be to raise food prices, which will hurt the food security of many poor people in both rural and urban areas. This might increase wage income in countries where there is a large class of poor landless labourers.
Which transgenic crop is cultivated in India presently?
Bt cotton
Bt cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) crop that has been approved for commercial cultivation in 2002 by the Government of India.
What are 2 examples of transgenic crops?
Transgenic crops (e.g., cotton, rice, maize, potato, tomato, brinjal, cauliflowers, cabbage, etc.)
Which crops are transgenic?
The four main transgenic crops grown were soybean, maize, cotton, and canola, with herbicide tolerant soybean being the principal crop. Further details on the application of transgenic crops can be found in FAO (2011a).
Does biofuel production compete with food crop production?
While recognized as a renewable energy source with potential to improve fuel security, their production has caused controversy over competing land-use for food and increased grain prices. …
How do biofuels affect farmers?
Biofuels are a more environmentally friendly and sustainable source of fuel and they are a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels . The plant grows in dry marginal areas which are not used for farming, so no valuable farmland is lost to producing biofuels in India.
Which is the first transgenic crop in India?
Bt Cotton
Bt Cotton – India’s First Transgenic Crop.
How many transgenic crops are there?
Genetically engineered crops have been approved for cultivation in the United States since the 1990s. Today, there are 10 GMO crops currently produced in the US, while more than 120 GM seeds with unique traits have been deregulated.
What is transgenic crops in agriculture?
A GM or transgenic crop is a plant that has a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology. For example, a GM crop can contain a gene(s) that has been artificially inserted instead of the plant acquiring it through pollination.
Which crops are used for producing biofuels?
In addition to sugarcane, soybean, corn, and wheat, crops such as canola/rapeseed, cotton, palm kernels, and even switchgrass are processed for biofuel generation around the world. Soybean, canola/rapeseed, sunflower, cottonseed, palm seed and palm kernel, corn, and mustard are common biofuel crops in India.
How are biofuels used in agriculture?
Biofuel feedstocks can have both direct and indirect effects on food supplies. If biofuels are produced from feedstocks that would have been used for food, then biofuels directly reduce potential food supplies. The resulting price increase from the reduction in supply will induce farmers to expand planted acres.