For mankind in general: to continue to use our new knowledge carefully and thoughtfully for the benefit of mankind and the environment. For individual scientists: to explore and understand better the nature of the world in which we live. For people of good will: the alleviation of poverty and suffering. And for the commercial companies involved: to make products which meet the needs and wants of their customers and thereby contribute to their own financial success.
The types of benefits which can be envisaged long-term include:

• better quality food and at lower prices

• foods with improved nutritional qualities (e.g. a healthier composition of oils and fats)

• foods to meet specific needs: 'Golden Rice' and 'Golden Mustard' are being developed that are enriched with beta carotene, which humans convert to vitamin A. This could help in the fight against vitamin A deficiency which can lead to blindness in developing countries. Research is also being carried out into GM crops with higher levels of nutrients, such as iron, zinc and calcium, to help reduce dietary deficiencies.

• food and other crops grown in soils and climates not at present possible

• more efficient cultivation of non-food crops – fibres, biofuels, structural materials, biodegradable plastics

• reduce allergens such as those found in peanuts or wheat

• products with increased levels of phytonutrients that can lower blood cholesterol levels, or remove anti-nutrients, which can cause negative health effects.

• large-scale, low-cost products of medical drugs including oral vaccines

• better protection of crop plants from attack by insects, nematodes, fungi, viruses and others

• reduced usages of pesticides: insecticides, herbicides, nematocides, etc. with savings both in costs and to farmers in some of the poorer countries who spray without proper protective clothing

• less use of machinery and labour in agriculture: cost savings and more leisure for farmers

• eventually, perhaps, the elimination of the need for nitrogen fertilisers

Sources:

J.M. Dunwell (2002). Future prospects for transgenic crops. Phytochemistry Reviews, 1, 1.

J.M. Dunwell (2004). Transgenic crops: the current and next generations. In: Peña, L. (ed) Methods in Molecular Biology: Transgenic Plants: Methods and Protocols, 286, 377-397, Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ.

<<<back