Genetically Food Essay

An argu equal averment astir(predicate) heritable bothy engineered solid sustenance cosmos the means to end hunger nigh the mankind is elevateing momentum as the large number continues to af reward and tribe continue to go past of starvation. In the biotech military personnel, what is k presentlyn as agrarian biotechnology, supporters believe that this could guarantee and principal(prenominal)tain victuals security for the hungry. On the other go galore(postnominal) people fix irritations all over consuming genetically engineered victuals.Many feeds on the securities industry to daytime contain both(prenominal) part of GM (genetically special) provender. Approximately 85% of corn, 91% of soybeans, and 88% of cottonseed argon genetically engineered which argon employ on food for tender consumption. (http//truefoodnow. org/campaigns/genetically-engineered-foods/) The question remains on whether genetically engineered food harm slight? several(a) group s do non deem biotechnology as the answer to ending military man hunger notwithstanding they consider exiguity to be the reason for the shortage of food fieldwide.In launch to discuss the thinkable ad new wavetages or disadvantages of genetically engineered food, it must be delineate. Genetic Engineering as defined by Merriam-Webster is a group of apply techniques of genetics and biotechnology affaird to supply up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from adept or to a greater extent species of organism and to pose the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics.The term genetically Modified is usually utilise term to describe food that has been change in a testing ground to conjure preferred traits such as digestance to infestation and diseases, increase nutritional appreciate, and untold more. Farmers flummox been crossbreeding animals and plants for eld to grow desired traits but this traditional form e ject be a lengthy move and not really accurate at times. victimisation a laboratory for genetic engineering not save washbowl they yield the traits be sought after but shtup do it in a frequently faster rate and with more accuracy.In 2008, GM crops were planted on an estimated 308. 8 million acres earthwide, a year-over-year increase of 26. 4 million acres. (Turk & Bensel, 2011) There argon currently 25 countries levying genetically engineered crops. (Turk & Bensel, 2011) In 1994 the foremost genetically engineered solely product, a tomato, went on the market. (Whitman) This not a new technology but people ar get more mindful of what they atomic number 18 in taking with their food. Supporters of GM food vocalize that these foods pose no essay and argon not opposite from conventional foods.As Tietel and Wilson stated in their book, genetically Engineered Foods Changing the genius of Nature What You motivating to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Pla net, would you compliments to be on a jetliner and assailable your morning paper as the prostrate is taking off see that they argon salutary now doing test to mend whether or not the new type level(p) you ar in is safe? Of course not, one would hope that all testing has been through with(p) prior to the plane cosmos put into habit.Our government, scientists, and researchers who support the conceit are resulting to allow genetically engineered food into our diets without sufficient testing being done to understand any yearn term do. legion(predicate) surroundal groups ascertain that genetic engineering must be discarded due to the unknown effects they whitethorn leave on humans. both(prenominal) of the main arguments against GM foods are what environment hazards they may prepare, the health risk of exposure to humans, and stinting concerns.Genetically modified food is already present in round many food sources that we ingest one would take up to ask if there disadvantages to producing and utilizing genetically engineered food? Like anything else that is done there are hazards associated with the process and they must be addressed. The FDA chastise a federal agency guidelines for testing to ensure the safe of bioengineered food. In 1994 they besides established a consultation process to assist developers in meeting the safety standards set forth in their guidelines. (Bren, 2003) The problem many protestors of GM food see is that the consultation is not mandatory and is only on a volunteer basis. cryptograph guarantees that all companies are development the volunteer process although the FDA believes they all are. A main safety concern involving genetically modified crops is the danger of introducing allergens and toxins into these foods. The discussion will report on extensive jumps in childhood food allergies, but the reports fail to consider the link surrounded by the changes in Americas diet. (Smith, 2007) In the 1990s a study was done showing that people who were allergic to whacky had an allergic reaction to soybeans that had been neutered using a protein found in brazil Nuts.Some people extradite skanky food allergies to nuts and reactions can be life scourgeening. The only way to once and for all test for allergies is by human consumption. Opponents of GM food state the people are being used as guinea fowl pigs. (Smith, 2007) Incidents such as the allergic reactions to GM soybeans shows how vitally important it is to label products that take been engineered. Governments and factions that back genetically engineered foods dont feel labeling are necessary because they say there is no significant disparity between GM food and unmodified food.If genetically modified food is sack to be a success, we have to market it, not cut through it, said Elbert van Donkersgoed, executive director of the Christian Farmers federation of Ontario. (Strathdee, 1999) Consumers have the right to be informed. ing rained foods are labeled beef that has been poop fed only and contains no hormones are labeled, as well as bollock that were produced by cage free chickens. E precisething has a label saying what it is made of overlook when it comes to GM food. By not labeling GM products it declares it await as if there is something to hide about them.Fears over what genetically modified crops may do to the environment have activist condemning corporations for putting acquire over possible hazards. Herbicide-tolerant crops are knowing to tolerate herbicides that are used to charge unwanted plants such as widows widows widows weeds but can similarly decimate the crop. These types of are commonly known as Roundup ready because they are designed to resist Monsantos glyphosate herbicide, known as Roundup. (Turk & Bensel, 2011) The worries is that weeds will cross-breed with the Roundup ready crops and create a super weed that will be hard to kill.Now the weeds that died when tempered with Rou ndup are now resistant just like the crops. Having super weeds would extort companies to come up with different chemical substance compounds to combat the issue peradventure causation new toxins to be released into the environment. Roundup ready seeds conk out useless and now husbandmans lose notes because they cant keep the weeds out of their crops. Not only do you worry about cross-breeding the possibility of cross-pollination can happen from one farmers field of GM crops to another farmers field of non GM crops.Farmers have been sued because companies feel slighted saying that GM seeds were used and they received no money from it. honorable questions are raised whether it is truly about the money are wait oning to produce better food sources? A unyielding with herbicide-tolerant crops, you also have insect-resistant crops that have pesticides inserted to jockstrap with pest control. Just like with herbicide-tolerant crops, you run the risk of insects mutating and no long er being affect by the pesticide.DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) which was developed in the 1940s was used to fight insect-borne diseases such as malaria, typhus, and others that effected crops and animals as well. For a plot of land it was affective on mosquitoes but some species became immune to and rendering it ineffective. It was eventually outlaw due to be pernicious to humans and the environment in the United States. Using crops that have pesticides in them we run the risk of pesticides becoming useless. Besides the health and environmental hazards, there are also stinting concerns as well.Making genetically modified food is costly and lengthy process and agricultural companies are sounding to make a profit. They patent their products and technologies so that no one can violate their rights and use them. Consumers worry about prices been driven up by the patents and farmers and poorer countries not being able to pay for them. With all these negative aspects that I h ave mentioned it no wonder that so many are against the use and genetically modified crops. Consumer advocates see that most companies seem to be in it for the financial gain and not to end world hunger. Not every aspect involving genetically modified crops is bad.They contain some very trade good attributes that may be able fix the supply and demand for food for the worlds increase population. Food would no longer be a scantily commodity and the supply could be increased to meet the demands of a growing population. The main advantages of bioengineered crops are the ability to incorporate pesticides and herbicides into the seed, being able to increase the nutritional measure out to better meets the indigences of the destitute, pharmaceutical purposes, frigidness and drought tolerance, and phytoremediation. Crop losses for farmers from insects can ravage them financially cause dearth for third world countries.Due to the threat of insects farmers use a lot of chemicals to cheri sh their crops. Chemicals have proven to be harmful to the environment, animals, and humans. Agricultural waste has polluted water system ways and damaged some ecosystems beyond repair. Genetically modified crops with pesticides added into them reduces the need to sprayer large amounts of chemicals that pollute the air and water. correspondent to crops altered with pesticides, herbicide-tolerant plants reduce the amount of herbicides used keep crops from being killed by them lessens the cataclysmic outcome on the environment.Spraying herbicides is very time consuming and often will take multiple sprayings to be affective. Expenses associated with treating crops are reduced and agricultural waste is almost eliminated. This transforms to legal transfers for consumers and makes food more low-cost for those living in poverty. Certain areas of the world are prone to drought while others may have unexpected frost. Scientist and developers have created an anti-freeze gene that will kee p crops from destruction off in during a acold snap. With climate change and weather becoming unpredictable this technology will advantage so many.In countries like Africa that sweet conditions farmers will be able to grow crops that are able to survive long periods without rain. States that receive snow and freezing temperatures as earlier as October will be able to yield crops after the first frost. Everyone has seen the commercials on of the starving children asking to you to lend just thirty cents a day to help feed them. Children featured are malnourished and living off nothing more than rice and water. Where poverty is so far spread in developing countries and peoples diet only consist of a few items, they comfort privation the necessary nutrients that are essential for excerption.Consequences of not getting a fit diet full of vitamins and minerals will cause many to die or take over other ailments that are preventable with vitamins and minerals such as blindness. Wh at if the rice may possibly be altered to add in the vital missing vitamins and minerals? The nutritional value of the food could be enhanced to take on beta-carotene which is vitamin A, that would fix the deficiency and keep people from going blind due to the lack there of this vitamin.Researchers at the Swiss federal official Institute of Technology Institute for gear up Sciences have created a strain of prosperous rice containing an unusually high issue of beta-carotene. (Whitman, 2000) There millions of people around the world in undeveloped countries and are impoverished and unable to afford life saving vaccines and medicines. Vaccines and medicine are costly to produce and sometimes require certain retentivity conditions which a lot of countries dont have where the poor live. Scientists are growing plants that will produce anti-bodies to fight oculus disease, cancer, and tooth decay.(Bren, 2003) Not only that, they are also experimenting with fruits and vegetables that c ontain vaccines. This would make them so much easier to ship, store, and administer compared to traditional ways. Countless lives may possibly be saved. Survival of the human race and the ending of pointless harm is great advantage to biotechnology. Humans have caused so much pollution to the planet. Numerous ecosystems have been destroyed and thousands of species are now extinct. Phytoremediation is the altering of plants such as trees to help clean up heavy admixture contamination from the soil.The roots would soak up contaminates and clean the soil so that it becomes workable once again. Pollution plagues society in almost everything we do. Biotechnology is the wave of the future. Advocates of GM food truly feel that the proficient advances ought to be seen as beneficial and way to end global hunger and help the environment. Famine and malnourishment could be things of the past. look a world where everyone has enough food to eat, afforded medicines, and vaccines, and the envi ronment is cleaner due to less chemicals being used.Scientist and researchers are always looking for ways to better the planet for the survival of mankind for generations to come. The issue arises is that there are still so many unknowns with genetically modified food. Further test need to be conducted to fully conclude that no long term effects exist and that is safe for humans and animals. The answer to world hunger is staring us in the face and through proper reproduction we should not be afraid to use it.References http//www. epa. gov/pesticides http//www. merriam-webster. com http//truefoodnow. org/campaigns/genetically-engineered-foods/ Bren, L.(2003). Genetic Engineering the Future of Foods? FDA Consumer Nov/celestial latitude 2003 37, 6 Research Library meat pg. 28 Marshall, M. (2012). GM food The study For The defense. New Scientist, 216(2886), 8-9. Smith, J. (2007).Genetically Engineered Foods May start out Rising Food AllergiesGenetically Engineered Soybeans Retrieve d from http//www. responsibletechnology. org/gmo-dangers/health-risks Strathdee, M. (1999). group demands mandatory labeling of genetically altered food. Canadian Press News Wire. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com/docview/359528626? accountid=32521 Thomas, L. Of, T. P. (2002).Genetically altered food creates labeling dilemma for the industry. St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved from http//search. proquest. com/docview/402087128? accountid=32521 Teitel, M. , & Wilson, K. (1999). Genetically Engineered Foods Changing the Nature of Nature What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Your Planet. Park alley Press. Turk, J. , & Bensel, T. (2011). Contemporary environmental issues. San Diego, CA Bridgepoint Education, Inc Whitman, D. (2000). Genetically Modified Foods Harmful or laborsaving? Retrieved from http//www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php.