The Pros And Cons Of Genetically Modified Organisms

For thousands of years we have been crossing plants to gain new, better breeds of crops, (McLean, 2005) but with new methods and new technology the room for alteration has increased immensely, and changes can be made at an incredible pace. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) are organisms whose genes have been purposefully altered in a way that would not occur naturally (World Health Organization), to gain specific characteristics. Genetic engineering is controversial, even banned in some countries because of known or unknown consequences, but its use also comes with great advantages such as opportunities for improved food supplies and economical growth. To understand why there is so many different views on the risks and advantages with, we

However, both advantages and health risks are associated with the impacts on the consumers of genetically engineered crops. An example on the advantages, a project called Golden Rice Project is working towards reducing the blindness and other Vitamin A deficiency-related (VAD) diseases in poorer countries. If the the Golden Rice Project could succeed with making more nutritious food by using genetic engineering, they could help preventing the death of several million of people (GoldenRice.org). On the health risks’ side, consumers with allergies are exposed in particular. When using genetic engineering, allergens from one food can be transferred to another, and if products are not marked carefully this can create a danger to people with allergies, because the changes in the genes can cause an unintended allergic reaction. In Brazil in 1996 nut genes were incorporated in soybeans to give it greater nutritional value, which would cause allergic responses to people with nut allergies eating the soybeans (Teitel and Wilson, 1999). Results of GM food testing on animals have shown that GM food is linked with several unintentional instances. In 2010 Russian biologist Alexey V. Surov ended his study on hamsters fed with GM feed, which showed devastating results such as sterility, slower growth,

Corporations like Montosanto have fought independent research on their genetically engineered crops (Union of Concerned Scientists, unknown year). Less information gives a better probability of possible health-related consequences we don’t necessarily know the follows of. It also makes these products more unsafe than they are being presented as to the buyers and consumers. It is not ethical right to deny research that can prevent health-reducing reactions, because the consumers of any food have the right to know the content in what they’re consuming. There are of course other ethical and difficult problems and difficulties within this subject. For example if it is ethically correct to produce sell sterile genetically modified seeds. The Genetic Use Restriction Technology (GURT), make crops that only produce sterile seeds (Adonline, unknown year). Along with the advantages this technology gives the sellers and the industry market, comes the disadvantages it gives the buyers and consumers. This means that farmers would have to buy their seeds every season, making the industry richer. Many are afraid this can lead to a immense change in the agriculture and the economical situation of the farmers living of this business. This technology can also give the farmers economical advantages with making it easier to grow crops in more challenging climates because of the alternative of altering crops in such a way that