Genetically Modified Food: Good or Bad
Introduction
Recent technological advancements have led to many changes not only to people’s lifestyles but also to commodities. Of major concern in the field of agriculture is the development of Genetically Modified (GM) products/organisms. Biotechnologists remove a desired gene from an organism and transfer it to a different organism. This involves the extraction of a section of DNA from an organism and splicing it into the pre-existing DNA of the recipient organism (Rich, 2004, p. 891). Historians argue that the first commercial production of GM products occurred in the late 1990s in the United States. Research has shown that genetically modified crops currently cover over 300 million acres of land worldwide. This translates to nearly 3% of the world’s cultivated land. However, genetic engineering (modification) has received a lot of opposition from different regions in the world. The opposition of the technology has united environmentalists, small-scale farmers, as well as public health advocates from Western Europe, South Africa and the United States among others. This paper details the major aspects that have led to the increased debate over GM products with primary concern on their advantages and disadvantages.
The extend of Consumption of GM products
As aforementioned, GM crops occupy a significant part of the world’s cultivated crops. Many people across the globe, either knowingly or unknowingly, have consumed foods containing genetically modified ingredients. For instance, researchers have reported that nearly 250 million people in the US have consumed GM products over a period of seven years. Additionally, research has shown that in the United States about 70-75% of all the processed foods contain ingredients from Genetically Modified plants (Palmer, and McCullum-Gomez, 2010, p. 5). Many crops grown in most regions in America have resulted from Genetic Modification.
GM crop products constitute a large proportion of the raw materials in the food processing/production sector especially in the US. According to Palmer and McCullum-Gomez (2010), approximately 95% of the soybeans as well as 60% of the corn in the US are genetically engineered products (6). This increases the consumption of the GM products since the two are key raw materials in most of the food processing plants in the US. In the recent past, there has been increased production and consumption of the GM products in the United States, South Africa, China, Argentina and Canada. This raises the question about the benefits of such products in to humanity.
Advantages of GM products
Biotechnologists argue that the ingredients of GM products have several benefits to human health. Some ingredients reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases to the consumer. An example of such ingredients is psyllium, which is found in some GM bread and deserts. Some genetically modified eggs contain Omega-3 fatty acids that play a pivotal role in lowering the levels of triglycerides in the body reducing the risk of cholesterol-associated diseases. Research has shown that some strain of soybean have been enriched with compounds that prevent prostrate cancer as well as cardiovascular diseases (Schmidt & Vickery, 2005, p. 46).
Biotechnologists modify the certain crops to increase their nutritional content. In most developing nations, most of the staple foods are rich in only one type of nutritional element. The situation is worst in third world countries where the impoverished populations rely on a single type of food for their livelihood. For instance, in West Africa and parts of the Asian countries, the staple food is rice, which is mostly starchy. Owing to this, malnutrition is a common phenomenon in the developing nations. Through genetic engineering, biotechnologists have been able to incorporate some of the missing nutritional elements in certain foods. For instance, Researchers in the Plant Science Department at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology have some up with ‘golden rice’. It contains a high content of Vitamin A (beta-carotene). Vitamin A boosts the nutritional content of rice. The researchers are currently working on incorporating iron to the same rice an aspect that is instrumental in fighting malnutrition in most parts of the world.
In most parts of the world, crop pests are responsible for the loss of tons of crop products. This results into starvation in the affected areas. In the developed countries, farmers use tons of pesticides to prevent their crops from pests. Most of the pesticides that farmers use pose a threat to the health of the consumers. Additionally, most of the pesticides used in the farm find their way to the water bodies thus a risk to aquatic life. With the advent of genetic modification of crops, scientists have been able to come up with pest resistant varieties of crops (Radas, Teisl & Roe, 2008, p. 336) Such crops ensure that farmers especially in the developing nations do not lose their crops to pests. This also enhances food security in such nations. Moreover, pesticide resistant crops do not require any pesticides thus reducing pesticide residues not only in the food products but also in water bodies. They ensure the well-being of the human body as well as the ecosystem.
The world’s population recently topped seven billion and the figure is expected to increase exponentially within the next five decades. Most of the regions in world are not arable due to various natural factors such as drought, salinity and cold conditions. Without genetic modification, the arable land will not be able to meet the nutritional demands of many people. Biotechnologists have come up with drought resistant crops, which include some strains of maize. This will enhance the production of food in areas deemed unproductive due to lack of water. For instance, most parts of Sub-Saharan Africa will benefit from such an innovation. There have been technological advancements that have led to the development of disease resistant crops. Such crops produce certain substances that prevent attacks from fungi, bacteria and viruses boosting their productivity. Disease resistant crops play a pivotal role in enhancing food security around the globe. In the cold regions, farmers can now enjoy bumper harvests since biotechnologists have developed cold resistant crops. They scientists have extracted an antifreeze gene from a certain species of fish-cold water fish. The gene has already been incorporated in tobacco and potatoes. Research has shown that scientists have engineered crops that can thrive well in saline areas boosting food production in such areas (Rich, 2004, p. 899). Genetically modified foods have indeed helped in the fight against hunger especially in third world countries.
Genetic modification brings about several products increasing consumer choice in the market. It increases the variety of foods. Moreover, genetic modification of foods increases the sensory appeal of the products in terms of color, texture and taste among other sensory attributes of the products (Palmer & McCullum-Gomez, 2010, p. 6). It also enhances the shelf stability of processed food products due to the incorporation of certain anti-oxidants (a type of natural preservatives) during production. Some GM products are formulated to meet the specific needs of certain groups in the society e.g. diabetic and hypertensive individuals thus meeting their nutritional needs perfectly. Despite their benefits, GM products raise some concerns.
Disadvantages of genetically engineered Products
The process may lead to an interruption of the products genome. According to Rich, it may cause the silencing of genes or even alter their level of expression (2004, p. 905). Additionally, it might activate certain dormant genes that present undesirable attributes to a given product. In some instances, the changes may lead to the development of certain poisonous substances presenting a health risk to the consumers (Hallman & Aquino, 2005, p. 14). In addition, the changes might lead to an increase in the levels of the existing anti-nutrients in a given product. This significantly reduces the bioavailability of nutrients to the body.
Some of the genes used in genetic engineering of crops might find their way into the cells of the human body and this may significantly alter their functioning in an undesirable manner resulting into the development of cancerous cells. In addition, some genetically modified foods might contain allergic compounds. Research has shown that due to the consumption of genetically modified products e.g. peanuts children the America and Europe have developed life-threatening allergies. Consequently, scientists have to come up with ways of testing the presence of certain compounds in foods to enable the customers to choose the products that best suit their health needs. Such a process is costly in terms of both time and money.
There are concerns about the effect GM products on the environment. The Ecological society of America argues that increased release of GM organisms in the environment may lead to the development of new or even more vigorous pests, which may cause harm to the non-target group of organisms (Rich, 2004, p. 910). This has the potential of destroying useful birds, insects and beneficial soil organisms among others. This poses a challenge in the maintenance of the ecological biodiversity of not only crops but also to other organisms such as honeybees. Other than the pests that they are designed to resist, some GM crops are poisonous to animals. The negative effect of such crops can work up the food chain affecting many other organisms including human beings (Coghlan, 2003, p.6).
Conclusion
Genetically modified foods have positive and negative impacts to humanity. They enhance food security in many nations reducing cases of malnutrition. On the other hand, they present harmful effects such as the allergic responses to certain individuals. As discussed above, some elements of GM foods are harmful to not only human health but also ecological diversity.
REFERENCES
Coghlan, A. (2003). Landmark Report Aims to Lay Frankenhood Scares to Rest. New Scientist,
179, 6-9.
Hallman, W. K., & Aquino, H. L. (2005). Consumer’s Desire for GM Labels: Is the Devil in the
Details? The Magazine of Food, Farm and Resources, 4th Quarter, 20(4), 10-16.
Palmer, S., & McCullum-Gomez, C. (2010). Genetically Engineered Foods Update. The
Newsletter of Food, Nutrition and Health, 33(7), 4-6.
Radas, S., Teisl, M.F., & Roe, B. (2008). An Open Mind Wants More: Opinion, Strength and the
Desire for GM Food Labeling. The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 42(3), 335-357.
Rich, M. (2004). The Debate over Genetically Modified Crops in the United States:
Reassessment of Notions of Harm, Difference and Choice. Western Resource Law Review, 54(3), 889-916.
Schmidt, J., & Vickery, C. E. (2005). Health Professionals Hold Positive Attitudes towards
Biotechnology and Genetically Engineered Foods. Journal of Environmental Health, 67(10), 44-49.
