Environment
Crops that have inherit pest resistance reduce the need for the application of chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides can often have harmful effects on the environment, killing beneficial insect species in the field and getting into other ecosystems when washed into waterways. Some pesticides are illegal in the United States for their harmful effects. By using GMOs with inherit pest resistance, the use of pesticides can be reduced or eliminated.
Herbicides can also have negative impacts on the environment. Genetic engineering allows for the production of crops that are resistant to certain herbicides. This increases the potential number of herbicides that can be effective and potentially allows for environmentally friendlier herbicides to be used.
Productivity
Genetic engineering can be used in many ways to improve the productivity of crop species. Resistance to herbicide and insect pests are two ways can help to improve productivity. Traditional breeding has long been used to incorporate desirable traits to improve productivity. However, traditional breeding is slow and is limited to the available genetic diversity in the species. Genetic engineering has no such limitation and can use genes from any species. This will accelerate the development of improved crops and increases the potential for improve plant productivity.
Cost
The use of GMOs can significantly reduce the costs of growing crops.
