Persuasive Essay on Genetically Modified Food

Genetically Modified Food and crops frequently raise questions amongst individuals. The topic has exponentially increased since the 90s and continues to do so to date. A genetically modified food/organism or GMO is defined by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) as an organism produced through genetic engineering. We are at an ever-changing diet spectrum that needs constant adaptation and improved technological skills in order to compete with the changing climate phases and people’s health. Hence the question raises itself when we include the topic of GMOs. Are we willing to adapt and finally accept GMO crops and foods in our staple diet? A GMO is a genetically modified organism. The biological makeup is manipulated into deliberate characteristics to achieve desired results. The term, ‘organisms’ also covers a wide variety of beings from animals to plants. Every plant and animal are products of genetic modification by mother nature. Living thing have been genetically modified from some predecessor. The theory is called evolution and Man has been modifying crops for thousands of years (Cowell, 2012).

Gene editing differs from older genetic modification technique, which often involves transferring genes from one species to another. Gene editing, on the other hand uses precise molecular tools to remove small fragments of DNA stretches or alter the single letters in genetic code. Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) occurs world-wide in most swine raising countries. There is no vaccine and hence no treatment. The Guardian journalist, Hannah Devlin reported that a trial, led by the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, showed that the pigs were completely immune to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) due to enhancement in their DNA being gene edited. As per the study, infected pigs are safe to eat for human consumption, but the virus causes breathing problems within pigs, death of piglets, pregnant sows to lose their litter. This is an economical problem as it costs the European swine industry nearly 1.5 billion in pounds in pig deaths each year. Since there is no cure for this disease, the scientists deleted a certain section of the pig’s DNA that in turn made them immune to the disease. Even after the deletion of the gene trait, prolonged exposure did not cause any infection. “It is what we call complete immunity. The resulting pig is still 100 percent pig… or 99.99 percent” (Burkard, 'Journal of Virology', 2018)

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The majority of the groceries one buys has transgenic properties or genetically modified organisms in some way or form. With the lack of information, marketed studies and biased opposers, people seem to not have full access to information about these foods and hence form negative opinions about them. We fear what we do not understand and hence the debate around GMOs is quite polarized.

As mentioned earlier, the information about genetically modified organisms is full of blanks which creates skepticism among the general public. Chelsea Gohd from Science Alert website, reviewed 6,000 articles on the opinion of GMOs wrote a 2018 meta-analysis of transgenic corn, where scientists went through real time data from 1996, the first transgenic corn planting, to 2016 in United States, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and Australia. They learned that transgenic corn varietals increased in yield quantity from 5.6 to 24.5 % in all agricultural areas. They also had lower percentages of mycotoxins (-28.8 %), fumonisins (-30.6 %) and thricotecens (−36.5 %), which are carcinogenic chemical byproducts of crop colonization. This meta-analysis is quite a substantial discovery as more than half the world consumes corn as a staple. It also allowed for the reconfirmation of the scientific idea that transgenic corn was safe to consume. This can be seen as an agronomic benefit as agronomy is defined as a branch of agriculture dealing with field-crop production and soil management.

An example of economic benefit from GMOs is the aid of farmers in developing countries. The ISAA Brief (2017) talks about developing nations like India, Paraguay, Pakistan, Columbia, Chile, and Mexico, to name a few, account for 53 % of the globe’s genetically modified crops. Five developed nations heralded by the United States and forty-three other countries also grow these crops. This crop is said to be the fastest acquired crop of the twenty first century. This 2018 study by the Cornell Alliance for Science from the ISAA brief, talks about the widespread economic gains to the farmers, especially in developing countries. They noticed the recent production of next generation biotech crops — including apples and potatoes that are not likely to spoil or become damaged, anthocyanin-enriched super sweet pineapple, increased ear biomass and high amylose content maize, and soybeans with modified oil content, combined with the commercialization approval for an insect resistant sugarcane . This provided more diverse offerings to consumers and food producers” (Cornrow, 2018).

It can also be mentioned that the health benefits are also high as climate change can also affect the nutrient output of crops. Modifying the chemical composition to make sure the food has specific nutrients which the human body needs. Taking Amflora potatoes for example, an additional copy of granule-bound starch synthase was introduced to the parent product. An opposite effect is that the final product has less amylose but is rich in amylopectin. (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology, 2010)

One of the earliest achievements of GMOs has been the “Flavr Savr” tomatoes. These were created in 1992 by a Californian company named Calgene. This new type of vegetable consisted of an antisense gene (a method for silencing genes) which suppressed a specific enzyme. This created tomatoes with longer shelf lives (Zhang, Wohlhueter, Zhang, 2016). This type of alteration is not just for plants or crops but can be used in animal products. Transgenic fish, the objective was to improve the growth hormones and body mass. The FDA (Food and drug administration) approved the AquaAdvantagea to American consumers on November 19, 2015, a decision made after twenty years. This type of salmon is the first of its kind to be approved for human consumption. This also caused a decrease in pressure on wild fish populations.

In 2011, scientists in China had introduced a human gene into a group of three hundred cows which caused the production of ‘lysozyme’ which is a protein found in human milk but not in the cattle like variety. The main idea was to combat malnutrition in children as the modified milk contained antibodies and proteins to build up the immune system. Though it has not hit the market yet, scientists are hopeful to introduce it within three years as they need to conduct appropriate human trials. (Wolchover, 2011)

Transgenic foods can also be used in the stimulation of the immune system for the better, to produce antibodies. Many crops like rice, maize and soybean are being studied to be used as an option for carrying vaccines against different infections (Zhang, Wohlhueter, Zhang, 2016).

Though these genetically modified organisms have multiple benefits to them, there is still a lot that has not been tested. The main risks mentioned have been toxicity, allergens and genetic issues. The possible sources of these issues are the introduced gene and its proteins, the secondary products of the gene modification, the hypothetical disruption of the original genes.

Starlink maize is one major example. This particular crop had been introduced with the gene from Bacillus thuringinesis to make it resistant to insects. Many allergic reactions to these crops were reported after its consumption due to the creation of Cry9c, which had strong allergenic properties (Zhang, Wohlhueter, Zhang, 2016).

The biggest push of GM foods is for the purpose of creating pest and herbicide resistant crops (Brookes & Barfoot, 2018). Specific proteins are formed to protect against these issues which protect the plant and eliminate the pests. History speaks for itself as nature evolves with us and our creations so one cannot know what better adapted species may be born. In addition, getting rid of the major pests is great but the minor pests may shift to other species. A disruption is inevitable in the food chain which can cause irreversible changes (Brookes & Barfoot, 2018).

After mentioning some advantages and some disadvantages, it is clear that the world is still quite far off from introducing GMOs into full force. Creating heighted awareness about them is very important. It is true that plants can modify themselves on a daily basis, but transgenic organisms are very different. These breeds are engineered for purposes that naturally would not be possible.

There has not been serious evidence of the fact that GMOs cause health risks, but people are still concerned. The name itself “genetically modified” does create quite a stir (Norris, 2015). For the general public, it raises the question of what they are putting in their bodies. A consumer survey in Turkey which resulted in the understanding that they had a basic idea of what GM product was, but their main concern was the carcinogenic effect. They were satisfied if it was used in the health sector and prevented environmental pollution but did not like it being used in food (Tas, Balci, Yuksel & Yesilcubuk, 2015).

A blog through Harvard University spoke about the tests that different groups of scientists conducted in favor of GMOs. They spoke about a test that was conducted on rats in South Dakota University over a course of time to monitor if the toxicity that the modified organisms were claimed to have, actually have any adverse effects. They monitored the rats and up to three generations throughout the study. The final conclusion was that there was no relationship between GM foods and mutations, organ health and function, fertility, pregnancy and their offspring were unaffected with no evidence of gene transfer (Norris, 2015).

But on the other hand, certain false negative practice by big game corporations like Monsanto and Covance have led to further investigation and research that have led to people fighting the notion against GMOs and its biased testing. With only two weeks of testing of GMO products on lab rats, critics were unsure about the truth behind the significance of GMOs and question the long-term effect which none of the corporations are willing to comment on. For instance, an independent study conducted by Seralini with the statistics provided by Monsanto showed varying results and even damaging evidence. Analysis showed that there was significant increase in blood glucose of 10 percent in GM fed female rats, 24-40 percent overweight livers and enhanced liver/brain ratios and 3.7 percent gain in weight and disturbed kidney parameters.

Even though the study did not show proof of toxicity in the time period they performed the experiment, it is clearly undeniable. Scientist want to perform long term effects on different ages, sexes and with various pathologies but are not backed by these corporations and hence raise suspicion.

In conclusion, I would be open to continue in my consumption of genetically modified foods, but I do not support a lot of the practices involved in patenting the product and no long term studies have been granted full public transparency by major food corporation, specifically those of the Monsanto corporation. Coming from a third world country, having been witness to the economic advantage it has given the farmers and the people, it is very helpful in promoting their livelihood. These GMOs are the future of our diet and we need to be more accepting but also vigilant in the practices of handling and manufacturing of such modified being. Humanity needs to find a common base in order to build a secure and sustainable future.

References

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