Selective Breeding - Olga Pavlovic

Selective Breeding

“Selective breeding involves choosing parents with particular characteristics to breed together and produce offspring with more desirable characteristics.” (yourgenome.com, 2019)

Mother with high milk yield

Strong and large bull

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Calves that produce high milk yields and are strong

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WHy do we selectively breed?

After 300 years of selective breeding, watermelons are now sweeter and have less seeds

Bananas used to have large, hard seeds. Now they are easily peelable and have small seeds

Wild carrots are typically thin and disformed. After selective breeding they are orange and thick.

ETHICal considerations

It is argued that selective breeding violates animal rights. Humans influence the way in which animals reproduce and behave, for our own benefit. The agriculture business suggests the idea that animals are of human property, rather than individual beings. Animal health must not be compromised for the benefit of our food supply. Humans must restrict our needs and consider ethical principles. When working with animals, humans must be careful to not significantly impact the evolution of a species. Our environment is carefully balanced, and to continue this chain, farmers must ensure genetic variation is not compromised.

DISADVANTAGES

ADVANTAGES

- lack of genetic diversity within species- animal health can be compromised for a human's need- impacts the evolution on particular species - high risks of mutations because of a decreasing genetic variation - can cause imbalance within an environment - does not have a 100% success rate

- profits increase when selectively breeding in agriculture- simple and cost-effective technique - little safety issues or precautions that need to be taken - can eliminate problematic diseases and traits in animals and plants - produce better quality animal and plant product s

Are selective breeding practices in agriculture necessary to ensure adequate food supplies?

Nowadays, the agriculture business must provide for the increasing demand of food. To adequately supply for human need, farmers rely on selective breeding. This common method involves manipulating the breeding of organisms, to ultimately produce better, stronger offspring. These offspring are often more capable of producing products, therefore, reaching supply demands. It has become necessary for animals and plants to be selectively breed, so that they are able to produce more product of preferable condition. This considered, farmers risk reducing genetic variation amongst a population of a species. This can cause a higher risk of genetic mutation, and a change in the species forever. Humans currently rely on selective breeding as a way to ensure food is of high-quality and appealing appearance. If selective breeding were to no longer be used in the agriculture business, there would be a lack of supply and an increase in low-quality goods. To meet food demands and expectations , selective breeding must be used in agricultural practises.

OLGA PAVLOVIC | 8A