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Can GM crops harm the environment?
GM crops, like conventional crops, can influence the environment in three main ways.
They can potentially:
- cross-pollinate with related plants
- directly affect the organisms, such as insects, that feed on them
- change farming practices.
These concerns are only unique to GM crops in very few cases. In many cases, conventional crops pose similar risks. For example, conventional crops can cross-pollinate their wild relatives, letting genes move between species. The environmental risks associated with GM crops depend on the trait introduced and, as with conventional farming, how well agricultural practices are regulated.