The debate over the safety of GMOs is far from over. While many people are concerned about the impact on human health, there are other issues to consider. A possible problem is the danger of monoculture, or the widespread cultivation of genetically similar or identical plants. All the plants in a monoculture share the same risks and vulnerabilities. This agricultural practice predates modern GMOs. (In a sense, humans have been "genetically modifying" plants for perhaps ten thousand years, since the emergence of agriculture.) If a blight or pest should strike a uniform planting, massive crop failure could result, as happened in the Irish Potato Famine. This, of course, was not caused by GMOs but by the overreliance on a single potato variety. GMOs have a strong chance of creating such an overdependence, as many GMO crops are developed to be resistant to particular pesticides. This can lead to overplanting and potential weakness to pests and pathogens that happen to evolve immunity to the chemical.
Another area of concern to explore is the "secondary victims" of the pesticides, the humans and other animals that consume the crops. Many pesticides are highly toxic and some potentially carcinogenic. Such poisons can make their way into the water supply or remain on food to be eaten. It is worthwhile to examine the peripheral effects of GMO agriculture rather than focusing solely on the crops themselves.
https://www.pri.org/stories/2015-10-12/complex-nature-gmos-calls-new-conversation
Genetically Modified Organisms in Food Production
For many decades, genetically modified crops have been sowed and harvested for use in foods common to most American pantries. From the cereal in your bowl to the tomato in your salad, genetically modified organisms are created by incorporating genetic material from one organism into the DNA composition of another. Scientists are able to transfer traits between species that would not naturally be found in the unmodified version of the organism through this process. Although genetic modification is supported by many, it has been proven to come with consequences. More specifically, the use of genetically modified organisms, GMOs for short, is a detriment to society because testing of GMOs is inadequate with biased results, genetically modified crops contaminate their original counterparts, and consuming genetically modified food poses serious health risks.
When the first genetically modified organism was produced in 1973, a minimal amount of scientific testing to ensure product safety was completed. Now in 2017, the issue has not improved as still only meager safety testing is conducted on GMOs (Scientist: GM Food Safety Testing Is “woefully inadequate” n.d.). Additionally, the quality of data concluded from these studies is usually skewed as the majority of the testing is being done by GMO producing companies. Many of these monopolizing companies have been known to alter or discard data, especially when it results in a non-flattering conclusion (McHughen 86). Furthermore, scientists who make assertions of risks associated with genetically modified crops are subjected to increasingly heinous attacks on their credibility, leading them to keep their results quiet (Freedman 2013).
Also, genetically modified crops contaminate non-modified crops through natural pollen transfers. One of the most pressing concerns about genetic modification for scientists and farmers alike is the damage that crop contamination is capable of accomplishing (Genetically Modified Foods 2013). Ultimately, the cost associated with GMO contamination to farmers is enormous, including loss of market access, risks to long-term investments in farming procedures, and the expense to implicate contamination prevention measure (Merino 76). The ever-growing number of organic farmers receive the brunt of the consequences resulting from contamination. Specifically, these farms face loss of their expensive ‘organic’ designations and potential lawsuits by the GMO producing biotechnology companies for patent infringement (Sarich 2016).
Lastly, those who consume genetically modified organisms face significant health risks. Previous testing has proven that GMOs could be toxic or allergenic to certain people (Genetically Modified Foods 2013). In addition, scientists of the Food and Drug Administration have warned that genetically modified foods can cause erratic, undetectable side effects including new diseases and nutritional problems (Smith n.d.). Likewise, a team at the prestigious Nanjing University in China has proven that the foreign genetic material that is transferred to GMOs can cause human liver cells to increase their absorbance of cholesterol from the blood (Levaux 2012).
Scientists, farmers, and biotechnology companies in support of genetically modified organisms claim that these modified crops have drastically increased crop yields, resulting in greater profits all around. However, tests of genetically modified corn has shown that the new crop takes longer to reach maturity and produced up to twelve percent less than its unmodified cousins (Merino 88).
Overall, the negative effects of genetically modified organisms have proven to be a detriment to society. Firstly, testing of GMOs in minimal and often produces skewed results. Also, contamination from modified crops is an unnecessary financial burden to farmers. Lastly, consuming genetically modified crops can cause serious health problems. Further safety testing and precautionary measures are necessary for genetically modified crops to become beneficial to all those involved.
Works Cited
"About Genetically Engineered Foods." Center For Food Safety. Center For Food Safety, n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Freedman, David H. "The Truth about Genetically Modified Food." Scientific American. Nature Publishing Group, 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
"Genetically Modified Foods." Learn.Genetics. Genetic Science Learning Center, 15 July 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Lambrecht, Bill. Dinner at the New Gene Café: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the Global Politics of Food. New York City: Thomas Dunne, 2001. Print.
Levaux, Ari. "A Potential Danger of Genetic Modification." The Atlantic. Hayley Romer, 9 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
McHughen, Alan. Pandora's Picnic Basket: The Potential and Hazards of Genetically Modified Foods. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Merino, Noel. Genetically Modified Food. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven, 2014. Print. Global Viewpoints.
Rotman, David. "Why We Will Need Genetically Modified Foods." MIT Technology Review. Jason Pontin, 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
Sarich, Christina. "US Farmers Going Out of Business Due to GM Crop Contamination." Natural Society. N.p., 12 Apr. 2016. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
"Scientist: GM Food Safety Testing Is “woefully Inadequate”." The Organic and Non-GMO Report. Evergreen Publishing, Inc., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Smith, Jeffrey M. "Health Risks." Institute for Responsible Technology. Yes! Books, n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017.
Thompson, Tamar. Genetically Modified Food. N.p.: Greenhaven, 2014. Print. At Issue Health.
Young, Caroline. "7 Most Common Genetically Modified Foods." The Huffington Post. BuiltLean, 12 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2017.
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