Biochemistry - Are GM foods dangerous?

GM Foods - Friend or Foe?

What are GM foods?

            GM stands for genetically modified, so GM foods are genetically modified foods. Genetic modifications allow for many benefits that are not available to traditional foods. For example, scientists have been able to grow tomatoes that can resist the cold. Another example is corn that has been modified to be able to grow in droughts. The FDA even has many GM foods approved, such as potatoes that don't bruise and apples that don't brown.

Who uses them/who is affected by them?

            Many people use GMOs, but when talking specifically about GM foods, mostly farmers use them. Farmers use them because they increase crop yield and decrease cost, which increases profits. If someone goes out to the store, the majority of the produce there will be genetically modified. The most common modification is crops that produce a toxin that is harmful to insects. While having foods that produce toxins sound frightening, it is actually harmless to humans. Much like how coffee is harmful to insects, or chocolate is harmful to dogs. As for who is affected by GMOs, pretty much everyone that eats... so everyone. A study in 2009 found that 88% of all US produced corn, soybean, and cotton crops were genetically modified.

Why are GMOs important?

            GMOs have a huge effect on modern culture, particularly agriculture. As stated before, a study in 2009 found that 88% of all US produced corn, soybean, and cotton crops were genetically modified. GM animals also exist, allowing for increased milk and egg production, meat with disease resistance and increased meat proportions. If it weren't for GMOs, humans may not be able to produce enough food to support the growing population on Earth. Scientists are exploring the use of GMOs in many more areas, including rice enriched with iron, vitamin A and E, and lysine, potatoes with higher starch content, and insulin, edible vaccines in maize, banana and potatoes, maize varieties with low phytic acid and increased essential amino acids, healthier oils from soybean and canola, and allergen-free nuts.

How are they created?

            Traditionally, humans have used selective breeding in order to acquire more ideal traits in crops and animals. This is a process whereby farmers only use seeds of crops or only breed animals with more desirable traits. The process has caused all domesticated organisms to look vastly different than how they were originally found in the wild. The problem with selective breeding is that it is very dependent on random chance. With GM foods, scientists can create foods with the exact desired gene makeup, eliminating the random factor. Essentially, the plants of GM foods acquired their genes through artificial insertion rather than pollination. While these are called “genetically modified,” all domesticated plants have modified genetics from when they only existed in the wild. GM crops are made through a process called genetic engineering. Through genetic engineering,  genes are moved from one organism to another. This can be accomplished through two methods. The first involves a device called a 'gene gun'. First, DNA to be introduced into the plant cells is coated onto tiny particles of gold or tungsten. Next, these particles are shot onto plant cells and incorporated into the genomic DNA of the recipient plant. The second method involves bacterium. In this method, bacteria introduces the gene(s) of interest into the plant DNA.

Are GM foods dangerous?

            In many studies during the last 30 years, scientists have found GM foods are no more harmful than traditional foods. Many scientists say that people against GMOs are speaking more emotionally than factually. However, many are still against GMOs because they believe they have drastic effects on health. Some say that GMOs are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, though there is no evidence to support this claim. Some potential risks identified by scientists are as follows: the danger of unintentionally introducing allergens and other antinutritional factors in foods, the likelihood of transgenes escaping from cultivated crops into wild relatives, the potential for pests to evolve resistance to the toxins produced by GM crops, and the risk of these toxins affecting nontarget organisms. Scientists say that there is careful regulation to prevent all of these factors in place in all developed countries, however, these factors do affect developing countries. Some potential benefits identified by scientists are as follows: higher crop yields, reduced farm costs, increased farm profit, and improvement in health and the environment. Despite the controversy, GMOs are clearly too important to be ignored.

Conclusion

            So are GMOs dangerous? GMOs can increase food production, lower food prices, and improve food quality. The long-term effects of GMOs on society are not completely known, though there is no evidence of health issues with GM foods as opposed to traditional foods. Another thing to consider is that all data expressed in this blog post explores GMOs through a scientific lens. Factors such as economic impact (getting to the point where developing countries that cannot afford to produce GMOs cannot continue to support their own agricultural infrastructure, furthering the economic gap between developed and developing countries) are not taken into account in the conclusion. This factor is where many of the problems with GMOs lie.

Links

• http://www.livescience.com/40895-gmo-facts.html
• http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2015/challenging-evolution-how-gmos-can-influence-genetic-diversity/
• https://www.nap.edu/read/23395/chapter/1
• http://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/tanzania-first-ever-GM-maize-crop-trial
• http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/pocketk/1/