Debate on genetically modified food crops Essay

In today’s world there are as many people suffering and dying due to various diseases as many as, people dying from hunger and starvation. As a society with communal harmony and social responsibility towards to the community what is the best thing to do: feed the hungry with such food which could cause more diseases and serious deaths or find a solution to already existing diseases and reduce their suffering. The genetically modified food and crops have had a varied type of effects on humans, animals, and environment. The impact of these foods and crops can be understood based on various considerations such as: the principle of general human welfare, the maintenance of people’s rights and the principle of justice, the need to ensure food security for present and future generations, safety for consumers and care of the environment. In terms of controversies, one of the greatest concerns is the long-term health effects that genetically modified foods will have on human health. With this technology being so new, long term studies have not been conducted to confirm that this process is in fact safe. Thus, here we try to explain all these aspects in detail and there by explain the harmful effects of genetically modified crops and food. WHAT ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS AND CROPS? THE ORIGIN It all started way back in 1980s when in the field of ‘biotechnology’, regular experiments were being conducted on ‘possibility of genetic modifications’ in organisms. In 1946 scientists discovered that they could transfer DNA among organisms. This paved the way for their search in the process of genetic modifications. In 1983 the first genetically modified crop was produced. It was an antibiotic resistant tobacco plant. The research on genetic modification was further enhanced, when scientist discovered that the modification process could be used to introduce nutrients and vitamins to enrich foods. THE PROCESS Manipulating the genetic composition of an organism by adding some specific useful genes is referred to as ‘genetic modifications’. The DNA is located in the chromosomes which has the genes that are modified. Genes carry information about genetically inherited characteristics of the organism. Thus the crops developed like this are known as genetically modified [GMO] crops, transgenic crops or genetically engineered [GE] crops. The main steps involved in the development of GM crops are: 1. Isolation of the gene(s) of interest. 2. Insertion of the gene(s) into a transfer vector: 3. Plant transformation 4. Selection of the modified plant cells: 5. Regeneration into whole plants via tissue culture 6. Verification of transformation and characterization of the inserted DNA fragment. 7. Testing of plant performance 8. Safety assessment. Commercially, four genetically modified crops dominate global biotech agriculture with soybeans accounting for 60% of GM crop area, maize accounting for 23% of GM crop area, cotton accounting for 11% of GM crop area, and canola accounting for 6% of GM crop area. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF GMO FOODS? The effects of GMO foods can be broadly classified among the following categories: Impact on health Impact on environment Impact on farming Economics and social threats IMPACT ON HEALTH Deaths and near deaths: A genetically modified version of the food supplement was released without safety tests, which lead to 37 deaths and approximately 1500 more were disabled. Cancer and Diseases GH is a protein hormone which, when injected into cows stimulates the pituitary gland in a way that the produces more milk, thus making milk production more profitable for the large dairy corporations. it is a very potent chemical hormone that has been linked to a 2. 5 to 4 times higher risk of human colorectal and breast cancer. Prostate cancer risk is considered equally serious – in the 2,8.to 4 times range. Allergies A documented case states that genetic modification involving transfer of a gene from a brazil nut to soybean led to transfer of allergens. Medical tests of people known to be allergic to Brazil nuts were conducted for the appropriate antibody response to the transferred gene. Seven out of nine individuals showed a positive response. This adverse result alerted the company and the work was discontinued so the product was not even submitted to the regulatory authorities. IMPACT ON ENVIRONMENT. Toxicity to soil Extinction of seed varieties Super weeds Killing beneficial insects IMPACT ON FARMING Harm to small family farms The small farmers are already a facing financial crisis with overwhelming debts and low prices for their produce. By introducing GM crops we will be adding to the misery of the farmers. Here the cost of production will be more and since there is no demand for these products the farmer will have to sell the produce at a very low price. The farmer also has to pay for the patentship of the seeds he buys from. Monopolization Of Food Production If the GMO crops enter the market they would be a monopoly market. The customers should be given the choice to choose between ‘natural’ food and transgenic food. Not only will the farmers suffer but the customers will have no option but to buy GMO products. The GMO foods is a very large industry it includes the owner to take patent ship on his specifications of ‘gene modifications’ and has to pay licensing. Thus, increasing the overall cost of the product. ECONOMICS AND SOCIAL THREATS. In past Britishers colonized many countries with technology and superior armies hence farmers had perception that with both control of genetic and agricultural resources would act as powerful weapon for the invasion of cultures. Without proper labelling of genetically modified food violates and harms the right to know what is in our foods – given the list of health, environmental, and socio-political reasons to avoid GM ingredients. Even if GM foods were 100% safe, the consumer has a right to know such ingredients – due to their much potential harm. The genetic modification of plants involves transferring DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the genetic material, from a plant or bacterium, or even an animal, into a different plant species. Because we can increasingly identify which gene or genes determine particular characteristics, the appropriate genes can now be inserted directly into the plants we wish to modify. Although techniques required to create GM crops are recent and relatively sophisticated, genetic modification is in most respects an extension of what has been happening for ten thousand years. The primitive ancestors of almost all modern food crops are barely recognisable to the lay person; maize ears, for instance, were half an inch long rather than the eight or nine inches of their modern descendants. ETHICAL ISSUES & SOCIAL ISSUES Introduction to any technological advances reflects three principles. The first one, general welfare which works to promote the interest of citizens. The second one, rights of the people which work to promote their rights to freedom of their choice. The third one being the principal of justice which requires the policies to be followed fairly shared. These principles lead to Does this methodology promote welfare of people by providing food safety and reducing the usage of pests? Or this possesses unknown risks and environmental problems which lead to avoid them? How far this technology can provide right to customers to about the content of their food they are taking? How can the scientists conduct their research in ways to protect their intellectual integrity? Who will be beneficial due to this advances and obligations to compensate others? GM are used as a image for social welfare but it is unethical to treat nature in an ‘industrial’ fashion not because of the unfortunate consequences of so doing ,but because of they believe it is intrinsically wrong After examining all the scientific evidence in the light of the ethical considerations, they said that the genetic modification of crop plants, as so far developed, does not differ to such an extent from conventional plant breeding or other human interventions with the natural world as to make the process morally objectionable in itself. GM technology is a new tool which plant breeders are using to achieve their breeding goals more accurately and rapidly. the combinations of, for example, bacterial and plant genes in GM crops are very unlikely to be found or impossible to realise in nature. However, provided that potential side effects are thoroughly assessed, we do not consider that the generation of such new combinations should be prohibited. ALARMING EFFECTS: GM crops are developed with an aim to fix the nitrogen, resist the draught and to improve yield and to meet the demand of market. These goals lead to development of multibillion dollar industry controlled by corporate giants. According to studies in US it has been confirmed that â€Å"the miracle crops have not materialised. GM crops grown have two simple characteristics in the world. More than 70% are tolerant to broad-spectrum herbicides, with companies engineering plants to be tolerant to their own brand of herbicide, while the rest are engineered with bt-toxins to kill insect pests. A total of 65 million acres were planted in 1998 within the US, Argentina and Canada. The latest surveys on GM crops in the US, the largest grower by far, showed no significant benefit. On the contrary, the most widely grown GM crops – herbicide-tolerant soya beans – yielded on average 6. 7% less and required two to five times more herbicides than non-GM varieties†. These figures simply show that the GM crops do not show any effect. The herbicide tolerant weeds and b-t resistant insect pests are formed due to the GM crops. The herbicides not only decimated the wild species but also toxic to animals. These herbicide causes birth defects in mammals, and some lead to cancer in white blood cells. The bt-resistant insect pests kill insects such as bees and butterflies. There is enough food to feed in this world. But, the reason why our statistics showed that billions of people are hungry is that these resources are under the control of corporate monopolies. Hence the poor are becoming further poor. The new patents on developing GM crops helps these corporate giants further and prevent the farmers from saving and replanting seeds which are major source of their income. The development of new crops further intensifies these corporate and threats the living. It seriously cause unemployment increases debt and threaten farming systems and environmental damage. There have been many arguments that GM crops enhance nutritional value by incorporating genes to increase nutrients, iron content. But malnutrition occurred due to the substitution of diet provided by traditional farming. These agricultural practices deplete and remove nutrients from the soil resulting in the change of nutritional value of all food crops worse. Nothing GMO crops or technologies can change this trend. The mal nutrition problem can be solved only by new sustainable farming methods and recovering biodiversity. There are also unpredictable risks involved in this incorporation of genes. More observed is horizontal gene transfer i. e. , transferring of gene directly to some unrelated species. It gives rise to new bacteria and viruses that cause diseases and also spread antibiotic and drug resistances among the pathogens. These transgenic DNA resulted untreatable new viruses and bacteria can also spread to organisms in any environment including the human body. This transgenic DNA also leads to cancer. The main reason for the increase in food prices is increase in bio fuel production. The giant corporate that are producing GM crops are lobbying for bio fuels and are using the opportunity of this food crisis to promote their GM foods. Here GM crops are not for solving food crisis but food crisis is being used to improve the fortunes of GM industry which meant to be a profit based firm. â€Å"The main aim for these corporate is that they’re just using the current food crisis and the fuel crisis as a mechanism to make GM crops profitable by advertising that GM crops can solve the problem of Drought and feeds the world. Despite 20 years of research in US and commercialization, it has been proved that GM failed to increase the yield which proved that traditional farming gains upper hand over genetic engineering techniques. It has also proved that there have been better techniques like â€Å"agro ecological farming† to meet the challenges of hunger, poverty etc., other innovative low input or methods of controlling pests and increasing yields are integrated pest management. This method is imprecise way of incorporating genes (may be foreign genetic from virus, bacteria) into crops with unknown consequences. These foods have taken only little but no long term safety testing. Animal feeding tests has shown some bad health effects. Only some studies meant to be on humans who showed unexpected effects on gut bacteria but has never further carried out. It has also realised that foods unlabelled caused millions of premature deaths in US. By considering the statistics in US on prices of GM crops it has showed that prices increases dramatically cutting the average farm’s income of farmers. These lead to long term disaster to farmers. GM provides patents to certain big giants that allow control over food supply which have a history of toxic contamination and public deception. They harass the farmers of saving seeds or genes even if genes got through contamination by winds or insects. Their price fixation leads to short income to farmers and price rise to market which destroys the farmer’s livelihood. Statistics revealed that in 1989, 37 people are died and 1300 were disabled due to release of GM foods without safety tests. There is also a chance that people who are allergic to certain genes can lead to shock and death if GM products do not disclose their information. RECOMMENDATIONS Traditional Breeding is preferred over Genetically Modified Crops because of following reasons. 1. Genetically modification crops decreases the yield, Traditional breeding improves the yield Genetically Modified Crops were assumed to increases the yield. Instead experimental results showed that they decrease the yield in most cases. The results of Differences in yields between conventional and GM soybeans is as follows. The conventional breeding showed an increase in yield and these are much drought resistant. Hence, traditional breeding need to be implemented rather than Genetically Modified Crops. Fig: Differences in yields between conventional and GM soybeans 2. Genetically Modified Crops increases the pesticide use Genetically Modified Crops requires more pesticide use than the conventional crops. It is not at all good to consume the food with pesticide content above the tolerable level. This may lead to several dangerous health issues. 3. Risks of Toxicity in genetically modified crops. Many health hazards were caused due to higher risks of toxicity. This leads to allergen city, antibiotic resistance, immune-suppression and cancer. As for environmental impacts, the use of genetic practices in agriculture will lead to biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction, and the potential contamination of all non-genetically engineered life forms with novel and possibly hazardous genetic material. 4. Genetically Modified crops and Non-Genetically modified crops cannot coexist. Trends in the planting of GM and organic crops suggest that the growth of the GM crop area has impeded the development of the organic cultivation. A study in Spain, has found that GM maize has caused a drastic reduction in organic cultivations of this grain and is making their coexistence practically impossible CONCLUSION Genetically modified foods had a great impact by solving many problems such as malnutrition, hunger and starvation but the after effects of consuming these genetically modified crops are very harmful. Because they not only solved the problem of starvation but also indirectly became the reason for various hazardous effects on human health. Genetically modified crops are the impractical ways of producing the crop and violating the natural breeding. Such impractical production will include many viruses and bacteria contained in it which are very harmful for the mankind in the long run. There exist many other ways of feeding the hunger than incorporating the genetically modified crops into our system. These genetically modified foods not only harm the human health but indeed they will also affect the environment because they contain a lot more pesticides and herbicides which are toxic and even the farmer and the people working around have bad impact. Even though this technology of genetically modified foods provide a lot more benefits to the environment there exits many potential risks by adopting this technology. All those people who so ever is involved in the development of genetically modified crops need to recognise and take the responsibility to the public. They need to ensure that the new technologies adapted by them are safe for the human health as well as they would no longer affect environment even in the long run. The planting of the genetically modified crops must be done precisely by limiting the plantation and constantly monitoring the side effects and the uses of incorporating genetic technology in farming. Even the farmers should use the caution concerning the development and spread of these genetically modified crops because even the farmers are badly affected by the adverse effects of the virus and even the insects are becoming resistant to these pesticides. â€Å"I suspect that one day the effects of GM contamination will dwarf both the financial meltdown and peak oil. † Anonymous. REFERNECES http://www. raw-wisdom. com/50harmful. http://www. globalhealingcenter. com/nutrition/genetically-modified-foods http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php http://www. nepadbiosafety. net/for-regulators/resources/subjects/biotechnology/process-of-developing-genetically-modified-gm-crops.