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Ethical Issues Involved With Regard To Genetically Modified Foods

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Ethical issues involved with regard to genetically modified foods Ethics is defined as the moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity. It is a moral code or principal of values and rights and wrongs. Unfortunately ethics has many grey areas which can be managed to suit either party. GM foods have many concerns and these have raised public support or concern of the products. The issues have also triggered controversy and regulations around GM foods and any company that produces these crops or products. Concerns range from the environment to risks to our food web or issues concerning disease, allergies and contamination. Allergies and Disease A major ethical problem relates to allergies and diseases that are triggered in humans through consumption of GM Foods. Because genes are extracted from allergenic organisms and spliced into another that does not produce allergies, humans are unknowingly exposed to allergens. Allergic reactions range from mild skin …show more content…

For example edible insects, of which 2000 edible species are known and 2 billion people already eat insects. They emit fewer greenhouse gasses and require less land to produce. Bio pesticides and biological control agents like fungi and plants are a growing market at only 4.1% of the world usage. How is GM crop pest resistance going to affect these sustainable alternatives? Technology for precision farming already increases crop yields according to USDA Economic Research. (Nat Geo July 2014) Perhaps managing our land resources more effectively on a massive scale will do more than tampering with the genetics of basic food sources. The worrying feedback on research and the controversial issues that are being exposed as more questions are asked leads me to believe that this is just the beginning of another crisis of our own (humanity) making. Who will be affected in the long run?

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The Perceptions of GMOs With technological advancements in food processing, Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) have become encapsulated in the food of millions of Americans. GMOs have been a topic of concern over the last few years due to consumers leaning towards “natural” products (Shen). It has been said by numerous individuals that the various GMOs embedded in the food we consume are bad for your health. GMOs falls under the stigma of a “single story”, whereas a single story is characterized as when humans discuss situations in a single narrative (Brooks). A recent article entitled “Del Monte is Making This Huge Change to its Products” by Lucinda Shen on fortune.com explains how the company Del Monte is moving away from using GMO products.

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Research Paper: Food Fight As of 2015, there are over thirty species of genetically engineered crops which include corn, soy, and cotton. Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s “can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.” (WHO) This paper will focus on genetically modified crops, as no GM animal has been approved for human consumption barring one exception. Since the introduction of GM crops for human consumption in the late 1980’s, the public has expressed concerns over the safety of these products.

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Before one dives into the battle of good versus evil, one must first fully understand the concept of genetically modified foods. Genetically modified (GM) or genetically engineered (GE) foods have been modified in order to develop favourable characteristics. Genes are transferred from various organisms to fruit and vegetable plants and are responsible for generating favourable characteristics, such as resistance to pests and insecticides (Milano and Carol, 2007: 8-11). Many people are pro GM foods due to their positive effects such as larger yields and decreased pesticide use, but not everyone is convinced. GM foods are a relatively new phenomenon and

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For many years, humans have changed their surroundings and neighboring organisms that suit their needs. This took place when humans planted seeds into the earth to grow their own food, and continued to happen when humans reached out to provide food and shelter to other humans in exchange for labor and sustenance. When early agriculture proved successful, the best and strongest animals and crops were chosen for the next generation. This was the dawn of genetic modification. Many argue that the U.S. should not continue to produce and sell Genetically Modified foods, but in order to feed and accommodate the mass population of the U.S., we need to do a better job at using the nutrients, water, and energy needed to produce food (Messer 1), and we would not be able to do this without using GM foods.

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This increased yield would be very helpful to all farmers in both developed and developing countries. Along with the increased yields, GMOs use less land for the same amount of land which can further help poor farmers and save forests from being destroyed to use as farmland. Furthermore, according to Fitness reloaded, GMOs also use less pesticides which we use to drive away insects from our crops however they can have serious environmental damage. But due to GMOs, we “reduced pesticide spraying (1996-2012) by 503 million”. Less pesticide use can also further help farmers as it can lower their expenses and further increase their profits and further reduce poverty in developing

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People fear that GMO’s will harm wildlife. “ One of their greatest worries is that GM crops will harm wildlife”. This quote is a fear that people all over the world have. GM crops could lead to children and the future to not being able to have the kind of resources that we have today. They wouldn’t have the animals and plants that we have today all because of GMO’s.

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Genetically modified foods can help with these issues. Overpopulation is already a problem and will only get worse. By 2050, it is estimated that the population will be 9.6 billion people. We are going to need 70% more food to feed everyone (Reville par. 2).

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It is argued that the biggest threat to society is lack of food in the future as to the fast-growing population and the only way to fix this problem in genetically modified food, because of its fast growth and nutrients. Since the huge genetically modified organism (GMO) revolution in 2011, 160 million hectares of biotech crops were grown—that's 10% of earth's arable land, and it was an 8% increase than the previous year. This means that food will be cheaper than the non-modified food, also with its longer shelf life the food can be transferred to country to country and help the needy. GMO foods can help farmers by the crops to grow faster using less land and providing more food for the population. Corn is subject to plant diseases, including fungi and bacteria.

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As the population of this world continues to grow, it is uncertain exactly what the future will look like. With an expected population of 9.6 billion people by the year of 2050, it is most uncertain in the eyes of farmers and growers across the world exactly how we will be able to provide for everyone. The agriculture industry has begun testing many different technologies and methods that might help to increase the efficiency of agriculture, as we know it today. One of the most controversial technologies that have begun to catch the attention of most people today is biotechnology and even more so, genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While evidence shows that biotechnology has been around since the ancient Egyptians, many people are still expressing concern on

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Food is not the same as it once was. With the advancement of technology, especially in genetic engineering, science has changed the way in which food is grown and made, increasing questions about the methods used and their potential risks. The problem is that the information we have on the consequences toward human health isn’t adequate enough to sway the way of thinking of the populous. Additionally the scientific community has not been able to reach a consensus on the risks and/or safety of this technology, even though it seems to hold uncertain and, potentially dangerous repercussions for human health. “Genetically modified foods" is most commonly used to refer to crops created for human or animal consumption, that have been altered in

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Genetically modified organisms, also known as “GMOs” have not been around in the consumer world for longer than one-hundred years, yet they are already a topic of discussion as well as concern for numerous people. The use of GMOs in our food, primarily animals, poses ethical questions about the abuse of these animals’ in addition to the unnatural ways that the they are genetically formed into being; i.e. chicken injected with hormones to modify their growth to the extent that they are unable to move. GMOs have also been used to create increased fortified rice to grow in underdeveloped and famined countries to help nourish those in the country. Both pose the ethical awareness of the use of GMOs furthermore increasing the difficulty in the discussion of imposing laws against the use of them. The practice of genetically modifying organisms should not be used when animals are in the mix, it is not okay to modify an animal to increase production or customer satisfaction at the animals expense.

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ETHICAL ISSUES The use of GMOs causes effects on the environment, untargeted species and human health. The practice of genetically modified organisms is still new. The long-term effects of this technology are still to come so we must continue with caution as we develop it.

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It is unethical to genetically modify foods without proper government regulations and thorough research into the negative effects it poses upon human consumption and environmental health. Perhaps the biggest problem surrounding genetically modified foods is the lack of knowledge people possess regarding the topic. Many consumers of these products, myself included, fail to do their own research into the production and effects of the foods they are putting into their bodies. Due to the topic of genetically modified organisms being incredibly broad, most people only take what information is being willingly given to them by the things they buy. This blissful ignorance is shielding consumers from the harmful

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According to source 2, “Human studies show how genetically modified (GM) food can leave material behind inside us, possibly causing long-term problems. Genes inserted into GM soy, for example, can transfer into the DNA of bacteria living inside us, and that the toxic insecticide produced by GM corn was found in the blood of pregnant women and their unborn fetuses.” GMO’s can hurt unborn babies. “Numerous health problems increased after GMOs were introduced in 1996. The percentage of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years; food allergies skyrocketed, and disorders such as autism, reproductive disorders, digestive problems, and others are on the rise.”

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Imbalance distribution of food arouses a wide public concern. It causes numerous of countries facing the problem of starvation. Genetically modified (GM) food, which means food from crops whose genes have been scientifically changed (Cambridge English Dictionary, n.d.), is suggested to be one of the constructive solutions. However, some people claims that it has negative effects on various fields of human life. This essay will examine the benefits and drawbacks of genetically modified foods, emphasizing on public health, farmers’ production cost and the environmental impacts.

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