GMOs for crops:

Bt cotton: This is a variety of cotton that has been genetically modified to produce a toxin called
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that kills bollworms, a major cotton pest. Bt cotton has been widely
adopted in India, China, and other countries, and has been shown to increase yields and reduce
pesticide use (1).

Golden rice: This is a variety of rice that has been genetically modified to produce beta-carotene, a
precursor to vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is a major health problem in developing countries, and
golden rice has the potential to reduce the incidence of blindness and other health problems
associated with this deficiency. Golden rice has been in development for over 20 years, but is still
not widely available due to regulatory and political barriers (2).

Roundup Ready soybeans: This is a variety of soybean that has been genetically modified to be
resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (sold under the brand name Roundup). This allows farmers to
use glyphosate to control weeds without damaging their soybean crops. Roundup Ready soybeans
have been widely adopted in the United States and other countries, and have been shown to
increase yields and reduce herbicide use (3).

Rainbow papaya: This is a variety of papaya that has been genetically modified to resist the papaya
ringspot virus, a major disease of papaya crops. Rainbow papaya was developed in Hawaii in the
1990s, and has been credited with saving the papaya industry in that state (4).

Arctic apples: This is a variety of apple that has been genetically modified to suppress the production
of an enzyme that causes browning when the apple is cut or bruised. Arctic apples were developed
by a Canadian company, and were approved for sale in the United States in 2015. They are currently
being marketed as a convenience food, as they do not require peeling or slicing (5).

References:

1. Tabashnik, B. E., et al. (2013). Global Pesticide Resistance in Arthropods. In Annual Review of
Entomology, 58, 99-119.

2. Ye, X., et al. (2000). Engineering the Provitamin A (beta-Carotene) Biosynthetic Pathway into
(Carotenoid-Free) Rice Endosperm. Science, 287(5451), 303-305.

3. Duke, S. O. (2011). Glyphosate-Resistant Crops: History, Status and Future. In Pest

Management Science, 68(4), 427-436.

4. Ferreira, S. A., et al. (2002). Papaya Ringspot Virus. In Plant Disease, 86(1), 101-112.
5. Garber, K. (2015). "Nonbrowning" GM Apples Headed to Your Local Stores. In Nature
Biotechnology, 33(4), 326-327.