Genetic modification of crops: process, benefits, and health concerns

GMO Food

The process of genetic modification of an organism

Genetic modification of an organism is the process by which the genes of an organism are altered to introduce useful genes that are believed to help it to grow and thrive in any given condition. The genes contain DNA, a basic building block of all living organisms that is responsible for the presence or absence of certain traits or characteristics and modification of these genes creates new traits in the plants.

The genetic modification of a crop begins with the isolation of genes that are proved to have certain characteristics so that the same traits can be induced in other crops. The next step is to insert the gene into another crop and the most common technique is through a process called recombinant DNA that transfers the genes through the plasmids. Particle bombardment is another technique used to transfer the gene to another plant. Once this is done, the different plant cells are monitored to identify the modified ones from the original cells. The transformed cells are used to create new plants through tissue cultures under controlled environmental conditions. The growth is monitored to check if the plant exhibits the new characteristics and finally, it is tested for performance and safety before it is released into the market (African Biosafety Network of Expertise, 2010).

Pros and cons of the process of genetic modification

When GMO technology was introduced in 1970s, the idea was to create crops that would grow in harsh conditions and provide abundant food for the growing human population. During the last three decades, unfortunately, none of those have taken place. Only two kinds of crops were produced -- herbicide resistant and pesticide resistant crops and both these crops have only been successful in boosting the profits of companies involved in GMO crops.

The advantages of genetically modified foods is their increased resistance to pests, herbicides and diseases. They are in a better position to thrive in places that could not support these plants in their natural form. This has proved to be a blessing for third world countries that are suffering from high levels of poverty and malnourishment as they are able to consume staple foods such as rice that include other nutrients as well. Lastly, some plants like GM poplar trees are used to clean the soil and water pollution (Whitman, 2000).

One of the prominent disadvantages of genetically modified foods is its impact on the health of consumers. The increase in the number of diseases in the U.S. And other countries has been attributed in part to the consumption of these foods. Recent research conducted on animals show that these genetically modified foods release toxins and allergies that affect every organ in their body. In fact, many research trials have even led to the sterility and death of animals. Also, the lack of knowledge and the unreliability of the effects of these foods on humans make it unsafe for consumption (Institute of Responsible Technology, no date).

Another disadvantage is its impact on the environment. When certain plants are modified for human consumption, it has a detrimental effect on other organisms that depend on it for survival and this in turn, affects the local ecology. Besides, there are also economic concerns about the increased cost of GM seeds and the inability of small farmers to afford them.

Should the FDA require food to be labeled as GM?

The FDA is not mandated by any law to label food as GM. Though mandatory labeling has been proposed by many advocates, there is no law at the state or national level that mandates it. Residents of California have the right to vote on November 6, 2012 to opt for the labeling of genetically modified foods sold in their state. People in favor of labeling believe that it will help customers to make informed choices about the foods they consume while the opponents of labeling think its a long and time-consuming process that has little significance.

Concerns regarding genetically modified foods

In the scientific community, there are three prominent concerns regarding genetically modified foods and they are its impact on the health of humans, environment and on the long-term supply of food. The effect on human health is profound as these genetically modified foods increase allergies ad health problems in people. Reports show that allergies to soy have increased by 50% in a single year and the only significant variety available in the market is Monsanto's GM soy (Institute of Responsible Technology, no date). Another problem is the lack of in-depth research on the impact of genetically modified foods on humans and this is one of the biggest concerns regarding the genetically modified foods.

The second concern is that of the environment. When genetically modified foods are consumed by other organisms, the impact on them is huge. A good example is the killing of monarch butterflies that consumed the pollen from Bt corn (Whitman, 2000). Similar instances are likely to affect the ecology of an area in the long run. Another environmental concern is that pests can become resistant to these GM crops in the long-run, thereby making them ineffective in the future. Also, there is a possibility that the gene transfer can have unintended consequences on weeds as well, thereby making it difficult to eliminate them.

The last concern is the long-term supply of these GM seeds and crops. It is expensive to produce GM crops because of the vast amount of research involved in it. So, companies like Monsanto are looking to patent these seeds so that they can make huge profits from it. Unfortunately, this is going to make it difficult for small farmers to procure them and this can impact the long-term supply.

Everyday foods that contain GMO

Some of the everyday foods that contain GMO are animal foods such as meat, dairy and eggs because the animals are fed GM corn and soy to increase their production. Many fruits and vegetables such as papaya, tomatoes and zucchini are genetically modified while corn is another major GM food. This GM corn is used in a whole lot of baked and processed foods, especially as a sweetener in the form of high fructose corn syrup. Soy foods and cottonseed oils are also made from GM crops.

A list of these products gives us a glimpse of the amount of GM food that we consume today and it is time we take charge of our health and say no to these products.