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What are genetically-modified foods?
The term GM foods or GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content.
For example, plant geneticists can isolate a gene responsible for drought tolerance and insert that gene into a different plant. The new genetically-modified plant will gain drought tolerance as well.
What are some of the advantages of GM foods?
The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years. Ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways:
Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides . Consumers do not wish to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of potential health hazards. Growing GM foods can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market.
Disease resistance There are many viruses, that cause plant diseases. Plant biologists are working to create plants with genetically-engineered resistance to these diseases.
Cold tolerance Unexpected frost can destroy sensitive seedlings. An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill.
Nutrition Malnutrition is common in third world countries where impoverished peoples rely on a single crop such as rice for the main staple of their diet. However, rice does not contain adequate amounts of all necessary nutrients .If rice could be genetically engineered to contain additional vitamins and minerals, nutrient deficiencies could be alleviated.
Pharmaceuticals Medicines and vaccines often are costly to produce and sometimes require special storage conditions not readily available in third world countries. Researchers are working to develop edible vaccines in tomatoes and potatoes. These vaccines will be much easier to ship, store and administer than traditional injectable vaccines.
What are some of the criticisms against GM foods?
Environmental hazards
Reduced effectiveness of pesticides Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide , many people are concerned that insects will become resistant to crops that have been genetically-modified to produce their own pesticides.
Human health risks
Allergenicity Many children in the US and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals.
How are GM foods labeled?
Labeling of GM products is also a contentious issue. On the whole, agribusiness industries believe that labeling should be voluntary . If consumers show preference for labeled foods over non-labeled foods, then industry will have the incentive to regulate itself or risk alienating the customer.
Conclusion
Genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the world's hunger and malnutrition problems. Many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. However, we must proceed with caution to avoid causing harm to human health and the environment.