Tompkins Canaccord: Modernization of Agriculture and Biotechnology

The beginning of modern civilization was marked by the introduction of agriculture, as agriculturalists improved production over the course of 10,000 years, and that way provided support to the ever increasing population. Over the last decade, innovations in the field of biotechnology have brought the American agricultural industry to a major productivity revolution, dramatically increasing crop yield and quality on American farms. Mark Tompkins Canaccord graduated with a degree in biological sciences and has become deeply involved in this new scientific and technical approach. Apart from developing his scientific skills and knowledge and getting trained by some of the leading experts in the field, he also completed a project work in agricultural biotechnology.

The new, genetically modified plants produced through modern biotechnology, not only did increase the overall production, but also prevented mass starvation and saved millions of acres of wilderness from disappearing from the earth. These transgenic or genetically modified plants have also made it possible in recent years to diminish the detrimental environmental impact of agriculture. However, what some people see as the industrialization of agriculture and use of genetic modification, others perceive as an ideology closely related with a plethora of controversies. As a scientist, Mark Tompkins Canaccord weighs both positives and negatives in order to come up with a scientific evidence. In fact, science doesn’t take sides regarding questions like whether GM crops are safe or unsafe, mainly because each genetically modified crop presents potential risks and benefits that must be evaluated.

Since the introduction of transgenic crops, more than 10 years ago, the number of farmland planted acres has increased steadily. With every year passed, transgenic seeds are becoming more widespread and used,  compared to the conventional seeds. Furthermore, each year farmers buy more seeds produced through modern biotechnology. Most farmers believe that these seeds are good for their business because representative cases selected as examples of achievable benefits that show how biotech crops have helped improved yields, played a key role in reducing the usage of pesticide, and significantly improved the profitability for small farmers bringing bigger profit. On the other hand, farmers who didn’t plant biotech varieties have greater chances of losing money. For now, Mark Tompkins Canaccord remains involved in providing exciting facts, concepts and solving modern biology problems by applying his knowledge.

Advertisement