Genetically modified foods (GM foods)
Genetically modified foods (GM foods) are foods derived from genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise than mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an organism is exposed to radiation or chemicals to create a non-specific but stable change. Other techniques by which humans modify food organisms include selective breeding; plant breeding, and animal breeding, and somaclonal variation.
There is a dispute over the relative advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified (GM) food crops and other uses of genetically-modified organisms in food production. The dispute involves biotechnology companies, governmental regulators, non-governmental organizations and scientists. The dispute is most intense in Japan and Europe, where public concern about GM food is higher than in other parts of the world such as the United States. In the United States GM crops are more widely grown and the introduction of these products has been less controversial.
The five key areas of political controversy related to genetically engineered food are food safety, the effect on natural ecosystems, gene flow into non GE crops, moral/religious concerns, and corporate control of the food supply. To date, not a single instance of harm to human health has been documented with GM crops.
MERITS :
· Reduce herbicide use.
· Reduce pesticide use.
· Reduce insecticide use.
· Improve nutrition of people.
· Reduce energy used in fertilizer production and application.
DE-MERITS :
· Reduce in-field biodiversity that may reduce the ecological services provided by agricultural ecosystems.
· Promote development of Bt resistance, which will eliminate Bt as a relatively safe pesticide.
· Kill nontarget caterpillars and butterflies, such as monarchs.
· Facilitate the creation of new viruses.
· Move genes into nonagricultural ecosystems where the subsequent increase in fitness of weedy species could eliminate endangered species.
· Prevent farmers from developing their own seed supplies adapted to local conditions.
· Disrupt local ecosystems if an ecologically limiting nutrient or protein is produced.
