Why People Like GMO Foods - Research Paper Example

Genetically Modified Foods affiliation Introduction Genetically modified foods (GMO) are foods that are produced from living organisms where particular changes are made in their DNA using genetic engineering method. Genetic engineering permits the introduction of new characteristics which allows greater control than previous methods such as mutation breeding and selective breeding. Genetic engineering develops an unstable combination of animals, plants, and bacteria that do not occur naturally or through conventional crossbreeding techniques (Whitman, 2000). The sale of GMO foods started in 1994, when Calgene marketed its Flavor Save delayed ripening tomato. Farmers are mainly focusing on cash crops modification such as corn, soybean, cottonseed oil, and canola. Genetic modification is done to help in resistance to herbicides and pathogens. Additionally, genetically modified foods are said to have a high nutrients profile. There are critics of the GMO who focus on environmental impacts and safety. GMOs are reported to damage the environment as well as violation of consumer’s and farmers right as some seeds are subject to intellectual property. Genetically engineered plants are produced in a laboratory. There is alteration of their DNA and assessments done to check whether the desired qualities are achieved. One of the most frequent modifications made is the addition to one or more genes to the plant’s genome. After the production of the desired plants, the producers register for approval so that they can test out in the fields (Skinner & Liang, 2004). GMOs have changing relationships to foods. Some GMO foods are consumed processed to remove its protein and DNA while others are consumed unprocessed. Other are used to generate unmodified foods. Animal and plant relationship differ in all aspects. Why people like GMO Foods GMO foods are associated with some advantages in either the consumption or production. They are created with the aim of providing products at lower prices and with significant benefits in terms of durability or nutritional value. The developers of GMO seeds desire that their products will remain acceptable to producers and the developers are concentrating on innovations that will directly benefit farmers. One primary reason for producing GMO is to improve crop protection. The GMO are aimed at raising crop protection through the introduction of diseases resistant crops caused by viruses and insects or plants that tolerate the herbicides (Duvauchelle, 2014). One of the reasons why people like GMO foods is because of their pest resistance. Crop losses from insects have resulted in huge financial losses to farmers and has a resulted to starvation in the developed countries. Additionally, consumers do not wish to consume foods that have been sprayed pesticides because pesticides are harmful to human health. With growing of GMO, foods such as B.T. Corn will help eliminate the use of pesticides (Skinner & Liang, 2004). GMO foods are herbicide tolerance. It is not always cost effective to remove weeds physically for some crops, and therefore farmers opt to use herbicides. Herbicides application is time-consuming and expensive process as it requires caution so that other crops are not destroyed by the herbicide. Genetically modified crops tolerate the effects of the herbicides. For instance, Monsanto has developed genetically modified soya beans that need only one application of herbicides. People do like the GMO due to multiple reasons. For instance, have vegetables stay fresh for a longer period and fruits have better taste. They can withstand the environmental challenges such as drought. GMO plants are cold resistant. The plants have antifreeze genes that help plants tolerate cold temperatures that would usually destroy unmodified plants (Skinner & Liang, 2004). People like GMO foods because of their nutritional value. Malnutrition is prevalent in most undeveloped countries where poor people depend on a single crop as a staple food. This single plant may not contain all the necessary nutrients that prevent malnutrition. If these crops such as rice are could be genetically modified, it can provide more nutrients such as minerals and vitamins. For instance, Swiss Federal Institute has developed golden rice that constitutes high contents of vitamin A. Reasons why people avoid GMO foods Consumers argue that conventional foods are healthy and safe to consume. There are numerous reasons why people are avoiding consumption of genetically modified foods. Developed countries consider GMOs as unsafe for human consumption. In countries such as Japan, Australia and nations in the European Union there are barriers or total ban on sale or production of GMOs. The majority of North Americans often find out whether the foods that they are buying contain GMOs. Consumers have said that they do not want to buy genetically modified foods. One of the major reasons why people avoid production and consumption of GMO foods are the fact that they are considered unhealthy. AAEM (American Academy of Environmental Medicine) says that medical practitioners are recommending on non-GMO foods to all the patients. The doctors posit that the food expose one to immune system disorders, organ damage, and infertility. Research has shown that GMO foods leave particles in the human bodies that can lead to long-term medical side effects. Many health issues increased after GMOs were introduced in 1996.In America; there was an increased rate of chronic diseases by six percent. There was a rise in reproductive disorders, food allergies, digestive problems, autism disorders to mention a few. Doctors have always emphasized that people should avoid consuming GMO foods to prevent themselves from many disorders. Public health Associations have condemned the consumption of milk from treated cows because they have increased the level of an IGF-1 hormone that causes cancer. The other reason people avoid the use of GMOs is because they contaminate forever. GMO plants usually cross-pollinate, and their seeds are distributed all over the environment. It is difficult to clean sufficiently up a contaminated gene pool. Self –disseminating GMO pollution will increase the effects of nuclear wastes and global warming. The effects of pollution are adverse to the human health of the generations to come. GMOs have also increased the economic losses for non-GMO farmers who work hard to maintain their crops pure (Skinner & Liang, 2004). People are not happy about the increased use of herbicides. Most GMO foods are tolerant to herbicides. Farmers have increasingly used the herbicides and even more toxic herbicides that can affect the human health. Research has shown that between 1996 and 2008, farmers used more that 383 million pounds of herbicides to spray on the GMOs. Additionally genetic modification cause dangerous side effects. Combining genes from unrelated species, genetic engineering can lead to unpredictable side effects. The process of creating a GMO plant is in itself can cause great damage that produces new allergens, toxins and carcinogens and nutritional disorders (Skinner & Liang, 2004). Moreover, GMOs harms the environment because of the increased use of herbicides. The excessive use of herbicides can harm amphibians, marine ecosystems, birds, and soil organisms. They pollute water sources; they are unstable and reduce bio-diversity. GMO crops eliminate habitat for monarch butterflies, and this has reduced their population by 50 percent in United States. The herbicide has also caused embryonic deaths, defects in the birth of amphibians and endocrine disruption. Non –GMO agricultural techniques in developed countries have resulted to increase the yield of 79 percent while GMO have proved otherwise. A report by Science and Technology for Development stated that GMO crops have high yields at some point, but the yields eventually declined. GMOS have nothing to offer in terms of improving nutrition, reducing poverty and hunger, improving health and livelihood and facilitating environmental and social sustainability (Skinner & Liang, 2004). Expert’s advice to GMO foods In 2009, AAEM called on to a physician’s meeting. The physicians were to inform their patients, the public and medical community to avoid genetically modified foods as much as possible and offer educational material in regards to the health risks. AAEM stated that there were several animal studies indicating severe health risks associated with consumption of GMO foods (Smith, 2009). More doctors are already recommending GM- free diets. Dr. Army Dean said that he strictly recommend that people should take foods that are GMO-free. Doctors also say that children are the most affected by the toxins and dietary issues related to GMO foods. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) sector of Food Safety aims at helping the national authorities to identify foodstuffs that should be subjected to risk evaluation and to advise the appropriate measures to safety assessments of GMO organisms. Experts advices that the planting of GMO plants should be accepted only if a robust risk evaluation indicates it is safe for human and the environment. If the evaluation indicates otherwise, the GMO plants should not be planted. For any person who wants to create a GMO, the organism has to get a formal authorization from relevant authorities. Approval to market the GMO products is done at the European Union level while approval to release the GMO organism is done at the national level. Additionally, the expert recommends that before releasing GMO organism, potential risk factors such as allergenicity, toxicity, and possibility of transfer of genes to other plants. Experts also say that GMO foods, animal feeds, and crops cannot be market without authorization (Food Supply Networks, 2013) Opinion GMO organisms are not safe for human consumption as they pose a great danger to human health and the environment. There is evidence of the disorders that are caused by consumption of the GMO foods. These disorders include infertility, digestive problems, and food allergies among other severe disorders. GMO treated cows produced milk that has a high level of an IGF-1 hormone that is associated with cancer, a deadly disease. The process of bring the GMO foods to the market is expensive and lengthy and, on the other hand, the agribiotech companies want a profitable return to the investment. Production of GMO foods should be kept at the minimized rates to minimize the inherent dangers of their consumption. References Duvauchelle, J. (2014, January 13). Pros & Cons of GMO Foods. Retrieved from Living Strong.com: http://www.livestrong.com/article/213053-pros-cons Food Supply Networks. (2013, April 9). Policy Food and Farming Industry. Retrieved from Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies Skinner, D. Z., & Liang, G. H. (2004). Genetically Modified Crops: Their Development, Uses, and Risks. New York: Food Products Press. Smith, J. M. (2009, May 19). Doctors Warn: Avoid Genetically Modified Food. Retrieved April 15, 2015, from http://www.responsibletechnology.org/doctors-warn Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? New York: Discovery Guides. Read More