Case Analysis
The case studies several important aspects of genetically-modified pineapple cultivation. The research is motivated by the fact that GMO technologies are becoming increasingly common in agriculture. The paper covers the existing benefits of GM pineapples, as well as examples of what could be achieved with this technology. It also addresses the health concerns connected with consuming and farming GM pineapples, and the environmental consequences that could result from it. Finally, the authors describe the biological principles behind genetic modification and outline the financials of the GM pineapple business.
Answering a Case Study Question
The case study offers four discussion questions, and this paper will focus on the second one. The question of whether GM pineapple causes too many environmental and health concerns to be a viable crop to grow or consume is something that warrants the most careful consideration. First, the question will be viewed from the point of view of a farmer, and then of a consumer.
Pineapple farming can be a risky endeavor, as the crops can take up to two years to fully mature and are susceptible to various diseases and pathogens. Genetic modification can alleviate some of those problems, resulting in a higher yield, which lowers the cost of each pineapple (Chistyakova et al., 2020). However, genetically modified pineapples can have an adverse effect on other crops through natural processes such as cross-pollination (Chistyakova et al., 2020). This could have unforeseen ecological consequences, and such crops should be assessed by the government to determine if they are safe to plant, and what procedures should be followed. In some regions, such as Costa Rica, GM pineapple farmers also employ chemicals that could have a detrimental effect both on the environment and on the health of the people who are exposed to them (Chistyakova et al., 2020). Overall, the health and environmental concerns of GM pineapple farming do not outweigh its benefits if the crop is grown in accordance with approved safe practices.
For the consumer, the primary tangible advantage of GM pineapples over natural ones is the price. The study does claim that GM pineapples have some health benefits, as they contain more iron, but there is also evidence that they could carry noticeable amounts of toxic residues that may be harmful to humans (Chistyakova et al., 2020). Depending on chemicals that the supplier uses when growing their pineapples, the health concerns may be severe enough to outweigh the benefits of a lower price for the consumer.
Case Evaluation and Feedback
The case study provides a sufficient amount of information to introduce the reader to GM pineapples, without overwhelming them with technical details. It covers the areas that are likely to attract the most interest from farmers and consumers of GMO products and mentions some problematic areas. However, the structure of the article could use some improvement. The authors outline some questions that the study addresses; however, the subsequent sections of the paper do not correspond to these questions. This is most prominent with the question about health concerns, as the paper instead contains a page talking about medical benefits, and negative consequences to the human body are only mentioned briefly at the end of the report. If the case study’s contents were more representative of the questions that the authors initially aimed to address, it would be significantly more useful for readers searching for concrete answers.
References
Chistyakova, A., Rodrigues, M., & Lattari, M. (2020). GM Pineapple. Agricultural Biotechnology, 13.