GMOs: Implications for Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Processes

Potential impacts of genetically modified (GM) crops on biodiversity is a controversial topic of public interest that comes under scrutiny in the Convention on Biological Diversity. The commercialization of GM crops has delivered global agronomic, economic and social benefits, but it has also raised concerns on the risks to human and environmental health. The current state of knowledge reveals that farmland biodiversity is jeopardized by intensive agricultural practices. The monoculture practice used in the cultivation of GM crops has increased the risk of the emergence of herbicide tolerance and insecticide resistance between weed and insect pest species. This, in turn, may interrupt the food web at different trophic levels. To avoid an overreliance on GM crops, alternative weed control and insect pest management strategies should be considered.