Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of production of genetically modified crops.

(N/A) The production of genetically modified $(GM)$ or transgenic plants has several advantages.
Most of the $GM$ crops have been developed for pest resistance,which increases crop productivity and therefore reduces the reliance on chemical pesticides.
Many varieties of $GM$ food crops have been developed with enhanced nutritional quality. For example,golden rice is a transgenic variety of rice which is rich in vitamin $A$.
These plants prevent the loss of soil fertility by increasing the efficiency of mineral usage.
They are highly tolerant to unfavourable abiotic conditions.
The use of $GM$ crops decreases post-harvesting loss of crops.
However,there are certain controversies regarding the use of genetically modified crops around the world. The use of these crops can affect the native biodiversity in an area. For example,the use of $Bt$ toxin to decrease the amount of pesticide poses a threat to beneficial insect pollinators such as honey bees. If the gene expressed for $Bt$ toxin is expressed in the pollen,then the honey bee might be affected. As a result,the process of pollination by honey bees would be affected. Also,genetically modified crops may affect human health by introducing allergens and certain antibiotic resistance markers into the body. Furthermore,they can cause genetic pollution in the wild relatives of the crop plants,thereby affecting our natural environment.