From simply selecting for desirable attributes in organisms to modern day genetic recombinant techniques, man has sought to understand, improve and harness organisms that he deemed momentous (“Organic Food Must Be” 2). Today however, genetic modification is cloaked by stereotypes and shunned by many which may hinder its technological development. Application of recombinant DNA technology in recent plant breeding has resulted in the development of plants with enhanced agronomic properties (Hayden 23).
Food crops have been customized through the introduction of new agronomic character or suppression of constituent genes which code for disease or pest confrontation, herbicide tolerance, or inhibition of ripening. When characteristics from one plant are shifted to another species, the specific genes are referred to as trans-genes (Tudge). In the U. S. and Canada, approximately 40 genetically modified food crops have been introduced on the market, while in Europe; 9 genetically modified crops have obtained regulatory approval (“Organic Food Must Be” 2).
Market introduction of genetically modified food crops in Europe has given rise to wide public concern based on 2 facts: • Firstly, there is a deficiency of familiarity with the new molecular techniques applied. • Secondly, the truth that the genetic material of these plants (which are used for human utilization), has been changed in a manner which would not be found to happen naturally by way of reproduction or natural recombination (Hayden 23).
Some of the consumers also have moral concerns about genetic modification. Hazard of large scale cultivation of genetically modified plants and of chronic exposure of humans and animals to genetically modified food, are issues of intense debate. It has thus become necessary to address the key issues in the utilization of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) with regards to concerns raised about their affects on the users, environmental impact, ethics involved and economics.
Human Health Risks Human safety is one of the main causes for reserve when it comes to GMOs. Two chief concerns over the safety of GMOs are unknown effects of GMOs on human health and allergenicity. Because genes are transferred among species, some feel that they create a risk to consumers with regards to food allergies, claiming that users can be exposed to potentially immuno-reactive proteins that do not occur naturally in a particular food (Tudge).
This is unlikely though, since any organism has thousands of different proteins, the probability of the transgene causing an allergic response is extremely rare, but never the less, GMOs are extensively studied prior to approval (“Organic Food Must Be” 2). There is a mounting concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on human health (Hayden 23).
Many critics erroneously speak of the harmful effects of eating recombinant DNA not realizing that those trans-genes are made of exactly the same subunits as normal DNA (Tudge). It is also believed that antibiotic resistance could be transferred from GMOs to human pathogens thus producing what the media call super-bugs but these are also usually figments of imagination as GMOs have just as much possibility of having their genetic material incorporated into pathogens as non-GMOs (“Organic Food Must Be” 2).
Still, even though genetic modification of plants may have the potential to be damaging, these plants are tested comprehensively before being cultivated for human consumption. Environmental Hazards A few years ago, scientists succeeded in transporting a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) to economical plants such as cotton and maize. What makes the use of the Bt toxin more practical in agriculture is apart from being more cost efficient than using pesticides they are also risk-free to vertebrates.
Without the use of engineered plants, farmers would have to go back to using pesticides which would not only create the crops more expensive but also amplify toxicity and put selective pressure on pathogens with resistance. One more concern is that the engineered crop plants for herbicide tolerance and wild plant will crossbreed, which results in the transfer of the herbicide resistance genes from the crop into the weeds. These super-weeds would then be herbicide tolerant as well.
Other introduced genes may cross over into non modified crops planted next to GM crops (Quemada 256). Although crossbreeding is known to occur often naturally, many laws lessen this possibility by prescribing minimum cultivation distances of GM crops from potentially cross breeding species. The production of superior plants that can out-compete naturally occurring species is a vast concern to many environmentalists. This would only be a serious danger to natural ecosystems if cultivated plants were not so greatly domesticated and ubiquitous naturally.
Furthermore, many GMOs have been made sterile to prevent the spread of their genetic material (Hayden 23). Economic Impacts Probably driving most debates on GMO utilization is the underlying issue of economics. Agriculture is a trade and businesses need to make money. Bringing a GM food to market is a lengthy and expensive process, and of course agri-biotech companies wish to ensure a profitable return on their investment (Tudge).
Many GM plants and new plant genetic engineering technologies have been patented, and patent infringement is a big concern of agribusiness. Yet consumer advocates are concerned that patenting these new plant varieties will raise the price of seeds so high that small farmers and third world countries will not be able to pay for seeds for GM crops, thus widening the gap between the rich and the poor (Barrow 150). However, if returns are not made on GM investments than the production of newer and better genetic varieties are not worthwhile.
Terminator technology is a word often used by critics of GMOs, and its emotive nature brings fear. Terminator technology is the production of sterile GM cultivars and is vital in maintaining the demand for seed after every harvest. Although it makes farmers dependant on seed producers, the enlarged yield more than makes up for the seed costs. Furthermore, sterile cultivars have a smaller amount of impact on the environment by eliminating the chance of cross breeding and the resultant spread of transgenes (Barrow 154).