Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
GMOs: Genetically Modified Definition
GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material, or DNA, has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. This creates genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods. Thus, GMOs refer to something living that has been artificially changed on a genetic level in order to alter one or more characteristics.
GMOs: Genetically Modified Safety
The safety of Genetically Modified Organisms s a hot debate. Consumers continue to be concerned about both the food safety and the nutritional equivalence of GMO foods. In a 2015 Pew Research Center survey of consumers, 57% of adults believe that eating GMO foods is unsafe, while 37% say they believe it is generally safe.
GMOs: Genetically Modified Rationale
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the world will have to grow 70% more food by 2050 just to keep up with population growth. Climate change will make much of the world's arable land more difficult to farm.
Globally, about a tenth of the world's cropland includes GM plants. Four countries, namely the U.S., Canada, Brazil and Argentina, grow 90 percent of the planet's GM crops
Most GMOs have been engineered to increase crop yields and resistance to pathogens. Genetically modified foods are also engineered to increase tolerance to environmental variables such as temperature, water availability, etc., as well as to decrease the need for pesticides.
GMOs: Nutritional Equivalence
The testing for substantial equivalence of GM and non-GM crops involves the quantification of selected molecules. The GM crop is assessed for agronomic, morphological and chemical characteristics, such as macro- and micro-nutrients, anti-nutrients and toxic molecules.
GMOs and their non-GMO counterpart are nutritionally equivalent, unless the nutritional content of the GM crops has been intentionally modified.
GMOs: The Genetically Modified Experiment
In 2019, up to 92% of U.S. corn, 94% of soybeans and 94% of cotton were grown from genetically modified seeds. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are consuming genetically engineered foods without full knowledge of their side effects.
Some argue that we have consumed many GMO meals with no apparent side effects. However, if we look closer at data, we realize that there are many more side effects than first thought, and that the benefits many not outweigh the consequences.
GMOs: Observations & Side Effects
- Food Allergies … The incidence and severity of food allergies has risen dramatically in the past 35 years. This coincides with the introduction of GM foods. Since plant proteins are changed in GM crops, it is very likely that there allergies are due to the genetic changes in the foods we eat.
- Obesity Epidemic … Obesity continues to rise at an alarming pace worldwide. Studies have shown a correlation between the obesity epidemic and increased corn consumption, specifically genetically modified Bt corn. It is very possible that genetically modified foods are the culprit for our obesity epidemic.
- Increased Use of Toxic Herbicides and Pesticides … The pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is inserted into the DNA of certain vegetables so that they can secrete their own pesticide. The argument for this modification is that we can then reduce the use of toxic pesticides and herbicides. However, the use of pesticides has continued to increase significantly. Toxic pesticides are used to control the Bt resistant insects. These strong pesticides also affects the bees and other pollinating insects.
- Increased Toxins … Genetic modification is intended to improve crop performance. One of these methods is to increase a plant’s resistance to insecticides. However, this increased resistance to pesticides promotes increased use of agrochemicals. This causes more toxic runoff in our waters and toxins in the foods that we eat.
- Local Farming and Ecology … GM and big corporate farming have devastated local farming and ecology.
Most studies that purport to show the safety and GMOs are performed by the organizations promote them. Long-term health effects can be subtle and nearly impossible to link to specific changes in the environment. Scientists have long believed that Alzheimer's disease and many cancers have environmental components, but few would argue we have identified all of them.
The fact that we do not see immediate, clear and obvious side effects is not he same as being proven safe.