Globally, there sit eh concern about food security. This has been propagated by the current changes in climate and the environmental degradation which has been propagated by the global warming issues. The rainfall patterns have changed and the production patterns in different parts of the world have been negatively affected. As such, there has been the need to come up with ways of curbing the food insecurity and ensuring that the people are food secure. Scientists, agriculturalists and basically everyone else has taken a step towards ensuring that there is food security in the world. Various interventions have been suggested, with one of them being the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) which are to be used as food. Of course, there are controversies and debates surrounding this issue. However, this essay will just seek to define what GMOs are, how and why they are produced as well as who produces them. A timeline on the development of the GMOs will also be traced as a brief history on the products is given. In a summative manner, this essay seeks to expound more on the issue of GMOs so that they are better understood by many. This is as discussed below.
First of all, there is the need to define the GMOs by answering the question “what are GMOs?” These are “Plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology” Non-GMO Project (Para 1). Through this technology, the DNAs from different species are merged, creating other strains of animals and plants which are modified so as to have the desired characteristics. They can also be defined as posited by Ho that “A GMO is short for genetically modified organism, also known as genetically engineered organism, or transgenic organism” (Para 1). They are produced in the laboratory through the transfer of genetic material from one organism to the next. In giving a deeper definition of the same, Health and Safety (Para 1) argues that understanding the GMOs starts with understanding the fact that all living things are comprised of building blocks which are the cells. Higher animals contained highly specialized cells while others such as the bacteria have only a single cell. At the core of the cell is the DNA which carries the genetic information of the organism. This is the material which determines the characteristics, traits and all other aspects of the organism. GMO production uses this knowledge to transfer the materials from one organism to another so as to come up with an organism that has modified traits or behaviors due to the transfer of the information. For instance, there can be plants with higher resistance to weeds, resistance to pests, faster maturing crops, as well as high yielding crops. Al these characteristics are attained through the biotechnological engineering of the cells.
This technology is quiet complicated and lengthy, and is also quite expensive to come up with the final product. As such, there sit eh need to look at the companies that produce these organisms. Most of the companies responsible for the production of GMOs include agrochemical industries, pharmaceutical companies as well as some companies which claim to seek the better nutrition for the world (Green Peace Para 1). Monsanto is just one among many of these companies. From this section, it can be seen that the GMOs are produced through the genetic engineering of the plant or animal cells, which leads to the altering of their genetic make up. The resultant organisms have some of the desirable characteristics, though at times they also tend to have some negative aspects as well. Globally, the technology has been widely embraced
There is the need to know what kinds of organisms have been produced through such technology. Nourish Life (Para 1) gives a description of some of the GMOs that are common in the modern agricultural field. The first and most common is the Bt Maize which has been modified to resist the infection of the stalk borer. This maize has been treated with the Bt Thüringen’s bacteria which makes it resistant to the pest. It so happens that the BT remains in the stalks of the plant. When the borer eats into it, the modification in the maize makes the gut of the stalk borer to block; hence it cannot feed. It ends up dying of starvation. Other modifications have been made on other plants as well. For instance, there is the modification of fruits such as the oranges to make them bigger and more succulent besides being seedless. There has also been the modification of the tomato plant where the tomatoes are much bigger and they can ripen on the stalk without going bad. The golden rice has also been improved such that it contains Vitamin A, hence making it more nutritious and favoring it as a crop for food security as well as nutritional nourishment in the wheat producing areas. Other modifications have been made on other crops as well where they yield more, mature faster and also require less labor. The same has been done to animals where there has been the production of faster maturing, more productive strains of animals. All these can be used in advancing food security of the world, which is the main argument that the producers go with.
Benefits of GMOs
As FAO (Para 1) argues, the first reason as to why GMOs were produced is so as to enhance the growth as well as the efficiency of food conversion. As it has been explained, the GMOs are modified in such a manner that they possess the characteristics which are thought to be beneficial to the humans. As such, a food item that was initially hard to digest and convert can be easily modified and made much easier to convert. As such, this necessitated the need for the modification. As mentioned at the beginning of this essay, food security is one of the main concerns in the global setting. This is mainly because food production has gone quite low and the population continues growing. The change in climate also implied that food production processes have been hampered. As such, there was the need to come up with a method through which the food could be easily produced; with less labor, less inputs, and also have maximum yield. This, in turn, would promote the global food security. As such, the GMO production was seen as an intervention to the global food crisis, aimed at saving the world from ultimate hunger.
Demerits of GMOs
Looking at this perspective, it can be said that the GMOs have become quite common. As a matter of fact, they have already penetrated the market so much that consumer watch bodies around the world claim that the products should be well labeled so that the people can know whether the foods they take in are GMOs or not (WHO, Para 5). The health body notes that there are challenges associated with taking GMO foods. This includes risks to human health such as toxicity, tendencies to provoke allergic reactions, nutrition effects related to genetic modification, as well as the stability of the inserted gene. It is also harmful to the environment in that “The transnational companies that produce genetically engineered food crops include several of the worst polluters of the 20th century” (Green Peace Para 1). Another challenge with these products is labeling. It is posited by Non-GMO Project that most of the citizens would like to know whether the foods they buy contain GMOs, but the “powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public” (Para 3). This indicates that even though about 500 of the countries around the world including Australia and Japan consider GMOs to be safe, there is a cloud of doubt on their safety (Non-GMO Project Para 4).
After looking at this process, there is also the need to look at why how the GMOs are produced. Thus would help in better understanding them. Hudson Alpha (Para 1) posits that there are three main components that are needed in the production of the GMOs. One of them is the gene that needs to be transferred from one organism to the next as the modification. The second is the organism in which the gene is to be transferred to, also known as the target species, and the third is the vector, or the agent that is to be used in transferring the gen from one organism to the next. From the onset, this process can seem as if it is a very simple and straightforward process. However, this is not usually the case. It so happens that the process is quite complicated. On the outline, the process involves isolating the trans-gene or the gen to be transferred. It is isolated from the original organism, bound to the vector and then inserted into the target plant or organism. However, the process is not as simple and easy as it sounds. Below is a deeper description on how this comes about.
How GMOs are Produced
First of all, there has to be the restriction enzyme (Ho Para 2) which “acts as the genetic scissors that is used in cutting the DNA of interest from the mother plant.” The enzyme first scans the DNA for the specific sequencing that is needed. Once it identifies the sequence of interest, it cuts up the DNA, leaving two blunt ends on both sides. This DNA that has been spliced is known as the chromatid and has the sequencing for the desired characteristics. It is then inserted into a vector that has also been cut so as to fit the shape and size of the chromatid. At this point, it is worth noting that the vector is well capable of penetrating into the cells of the target plant and bringing about the required change. However, the vector has to be prepared for the assignment. This is done by removing the harmful parts of the vector, especially due to the fact that most of the vectors are viruses that could be capable of causing harm to the target plant. After the preparation process is over, the chromatid is attached to the vector and the vector is inserted into the host cells. Through the cell division and reproduction process, the gene is multiplied and is found in each new cell of the host plant. In the long run, a transformation is attained where the target plant gets the required characteristic.
Based on this explanation, it can be assumed that the process is quiet simple. However, it is worth noting that genetic engineering is not a mean feat. All the processes, right from the identification of the sequence with the required trait, the extraction of the gene, attachment to the vector and insertion into the target plant is not an easy task. Ore often than not, it takes quiet a long time, skill and resources to successfully bring a transformation to an organism. It is for this reason that it has been widely argued that the successful production of GMOs is one of the greatest biotechnological advances. Well, this remains to be seen, especially due to the controversy surrounding these organisms.
Why Produce GMOs?
Given that GMO production is such a long and tiring process, there is the need to understand why professionals would invest so much of their time to come up with them. this leads to the main question, “Why are GMOs produced?” there are quiet a number of reasons as to why companies, professionals and even governments could afford to extend sp much time and resources to the GMO production. Below are just a few of the many reasons given.
In the modern world, people are oriented towards business; making more profits while minimizing on the expenses. The GMO production was tailored towards this purpose. “Genetic modification is carried out so as to control the fertility and viability of the organisms” (FAO Para 2). This implies that the organisms produced are more fertile, hence capable of producing more yields. The crops produce a bumper harvest while the animals have increased production of meat and milk. In the long run, this would lead to an increase in the global food production margin, hence feeding the populations and keeping them productive. Well, though this has been faced by controversy as people wonder whether or not to accept the GMOs, it is acceptable that the initial aim was to “ensure there is food security” (FAO Para 2). Farming activities are also faced by myriad challenges, including the attacks by pest, weeds and other unfavorable conditions. The GMO production was aimed at solving some of these problems. The argument was that if plants and animals that were resistant to the pests and weeds were developed, then there would be a possibility that more would be produced but with less effort and less stress on the farmers. This gives another reason as to why the GMOs were introduced
Lastly, there is the need to look at when the GMOs were introduced. Green Peace (Para 2) indicates that the GMO production became a reality in the 20th Century and has continued growing to date. The development came about after the advances in science and technology which infiltrated into the biotechnology industry. As the people became more informed, they came up with other ways through which foods could be produced. This was no other way than the GMO technology, which has become widely spread around the globe.
In conclusion, this essay has looked at the issue of GMOs. Several factors issues in relation to the GMOs have been discussed. It has been realized that the main intention as to why the GMOs were introduced is so as to curb the food insecurity issues. This is mainly because the GMOs could help in coming up with crops and animals which were drug resistant, resistant to herbs, faster maturity and high production levels. This would help to boost the food security. The main disadvantages are that the producers of the GMOs tend to be environmentally unfriendly, which is not positive. There is also the possibility that the GMOs could lead to negative health effects on the individuals. The fact that labeling of the products is not very consistent casts doubts on their safety. However, it is indicated that countries which are advanced in technology such as Japan and those with tight regulations on food safety such as Australia believe that GMOs are safe. As such, it would be argued that rather than have people suffer from hunger and starvation due to lack of food, GMOs can be adopted to save their lives, but proper labeling would be needed so that consumers are aware of what they eat.
Works Cited
FAO. “Why are GMOs Produced.” FAO, 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.fao.org/docrep/006/Y4955E/y4955e04.htm
Green Peace. “Home.” Green Peace USA, 2012. Web, 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/genetic-engineering/ge-industry/
Health and Safety Executive. “What are GMOs?” Hse.gov.uk, 2012. Web, 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/gmo/whatare.htm
Ho, Mae-Wan. “FAQ on Genetic Engineering.” Institute of Science in Society, 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.i-sis.org.uk/FAQ.php
Hudson Alpha. “How are GMOs Made?” Hudson Alph.org., 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.hudsonalpha.org/education/kits/gmod/gmos-made
Non-GMO Project. “GMO Facts.” Non-GMO Project, 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/
Nourish Life. “Perspectives: GMOs.” Nourishlife.org, 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.nourishlife.org/2011/03/gmos/
WHO. “20 Questions on Genetically Modified Foods.” WHO, 2012. Web. 19th Nov. 2012, http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/
