In recent decades there has been a number of high-profile innovations in farming based on scientific research, most notably the use of chemical insecticides and the genetic modification of crops.
Without doubt these have led to some very positive outcomes. For example, researchers have been able to identify which pests cause problems for a particular plant and to create a means of destroying them. In some areas of the world this has transformed farmers’ ability to grow food for their own consumption as well as to sell it to generate income. Equally, in recent years the ability to manipulate the genetic make-up of plants has made it possible to create strains of crops naturally resistant to pests and diseases. In fact, some of these new scientific developments are reducing the need for the innovations of the previous generation.
However, there can be serious drawbacks to these scientific developments in agriculture. For instance, it is now becoming clear that pesticides may be damaging beneficial organisms as well as pests. For example, it is widely agreed that the world’s bee population is being affected by chemicals; this means fewer plants are being pollinated, which affects food supplies. It is possible, also, that a range of human diseases which are becoming increasingly common, for example asthma, may be exacerbated by these chemicals.
My own view is that it would be wrong to deny the potential of science to improve agriculture – as it has done throughout history, from the development of the plough to the refinement of livestock breeding. However, we must be sure we understand as much as possible about the effects of innovations before it is too late to reverse any negative consequences.