A Fishy Modification The method by which food finds its way to our local grocer could soon change. For the first time, the Unites States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering the approval and release of genetically-modified (GM) salmon into the American marketplace (Big Fish). Salmon, of course, is just the brink of the biological possibilities. The possibility of the introduction of any GM foods is monumental. Man’s ability to increase the food supply guarantees major benefits; nevertheless, modifying the earth’s natural source of energy also promises detrimental consequences. What is Genetically-Modified Food (GM)? Genetically-modified foods (GM) describes crops (and most recently, animals) that have been enhanced by the …show more content…
The process is used to yield foods with an exact desired trait “very rapidly and with great accuracy.” (GM Foods Harmful or Helpful). The Benefits of GM Food At first glance, the possibility an enhanced food supply promises many possibilities. Generally, GM foods are thought to be the solution the world hunger crisis. Today, the world’s total population exceeds six billion humans and continues to grow (Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?). In fact, the world population is predicted to double in the next 50 years. (Genetically Modified Foods). Meeting this need will prove to be a huge challenge, but research proves that GM food can ensure a food production schedule of 17% more food than necessary for each human daily (Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods). However, controlling hunger is not the only benefit of GM foods. Other benefits include: Pest resistance & Herbicide Tolerance “Growing GM foods…can help eliminate the application of chemical pesticides and reduce the cost of bringing a crop to market.” (Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?) Every year, farmers lose crops as a result of insects and other pests. These loses require farmers to utilize pesticides when growing crops to ensure production. There have been more and more health risks discovered from the consumption of foods treated with these chemicals.
What are genetically modified foods? They are plants and animals whose DNA has been altered or change to suit the needs of humans. There are three types of genetically modified food (GM) first generation, second generation, and third generation crops. Each type is focused in different types of yields and crops so they can have a system that allows to keep production and value up.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified foods as: “foods [that are] derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism” (WHO, year). GM foods are constructed and distributed because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer. For a GM food to be of theoretical benefit to the consumer and society as a whole, it should: increase crop yields due to the introduced resistance to pests and disease, enhance the nutritional
Genetically modified foods, or GM foods, are foods that have been modified to enhance certain traits for the purpose of making them more desirable. Genetic modifications alter the DNA of organisms to help it resist rotting, for example, as was the case for the first genetically modified tomato in 1994. The Food and Drug
GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It is a organism that has had changes introduced into its DNA by using techniques of genetic engineering. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods that are produced by this method. Genetically modified crops were first introduced to the marketplace in the 1990s. Various different companies started emerging and began to grow many different modified crops including tomatoes and corn. Livestock is fed GM feed, and recently a genetically modified salmon was approved for human consumption. Our society and other nations should limit the consumption of GM foods until their safety can be proven and their disadvantages are corrected.
The word GM foods or sometimes labeled GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) is created for human and/or animal use by using the most advanced molecular biology procedures. The plants
The term GM food are most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Genetically modified plants have been widely publicised as the future in agriculture. Many believe that it may help improve crop harvests and farm productivity by developing genetically modified crops that can either resist pests or chemicals. But despite the promise that GM crops may offer, there are still doubts that linger among a number of people as well.
As human civilization has evolved over the centuries, the way we produce our food has changed. There are many terms for describing this process such as food biotechnology or genetic engineering, but the most common one is genetically modified organisms or GMO. GMOs are used on plant life to enhance certain qualities before consumption or extraction. There have been many concerns about this subject, but despite this it should continue to be used in the future out of necessity.
The governments and scientists were hoping that the GMO’s will provide to the public such benefits as increased food supply, helping underfed nations, assisting farmers, and better overall food taste. Because the crops are already resistant, this would allow farmers to skip steps in the production process, like spraying herbicides and pesticides.
There is much controversy surrounding genetically engineered (GE) foods and the use of biotechnology. However, they offer many scientifically proven advantages that could have a dramatic impact on world hunger and our environment in the near future. At the same time, the public is asking many good questions and raising concerns about what long term negative effects genetically engineered foods may have on the population’s health and the environment. Never the less, based on the following list, the advantages biotechnology currently provides, seems to out way the potential disadvantages they could impose on our future.
Currently over 7 billion people inhabit the earth, current estimates are that the world’s population could be as high as 10 billion by 2050. (Cleland, 553) In order to maintain a sufficient healthy food supply for a population of that size, the farming industry must continue to rely on scientific discoveries to raise crop output levels and raise nutritional values of that production. Beyond the discoveries that have already been made in the genetic altering of food supplies through mixed breeding of similar species. The next plateau will be the reliance on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to provide required crop supplies. Therefore, genetic modification of the world’s food supply is a sustainable effort to allow the human race to continue to support the ever-growing world population.
Food is a vital source for survival, and with a growing population that is likely to reach a total of 9,000 million by 2050, the use of biotechnology in farming for food production should be considered. The most efficient solution to solve the global food shortage might be to rely on science and technology. Though there are many controversies regarding the use of genetically-modified (GM) food, it could be the best solution. Though I support the idea of GM foods, I do believe those who enjoy organic foods should have the option to continue with it. Both organic and GM food supply should be used to suit both sides of the controversy.
Future GM seeds will allow farmers to maintain higher yields while using less water and chemical fertilizer by allowing farmers to produce bigger and more reliable crops. Nutrition-enhanced GM crops now in development can directly address the effects of malnutrition for poor consumers in developing countries. GM crops may be the only way to ensure that the worldwide production of food keeps pace with the growing population, which according to the United States Census Bureau, is projected to be nearing 10 billion by the year 2050.
Genetically modified organisms, GMO’s, and their safety are becoming one of the most important topics in the agriculture industry. The fact that scientists are changing the genome of an organism makes people hesitant to accept them as being safe. GMO corn is modified by changing a gene that causes the plant to make Bt toxin. When insects eat the corn, they also eat the toxin which is deadly to the insects. According to Cookson Beecher, a writer for Food Safety News, the Bt toxin forms a crystalline structure that the insect’s gut cannot deal with after digesting it, but it has no effect on humans when we eat it. The insects then die after ingesting the toxin, and the farmer does not have to spray pesticides on the plants. Health agencies
“70 percent of our corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland are planted with crops genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides and increase crop yields. 60% of all the processed foods in the United States are genetically modified; a shocking statistic has the concern of many Americans. However, most people are uninformed about the beneficial impact that genetically modified food has on their diet. GM is the use of molecular biology technology to modify the inherited structure of organisms. Genetically engineered crops increase nutrients, drought tolerance, provide more food for growing populations, and resists diseases and pesticides. Genetically engineered foods are crucial to the improvement of economy, agriculture, society, and health choices. The creation of GM foods was one of the most significant breakthroughs in food industry. Genetically modifying foods is a key component that is harmless for the enrichment of our foods.
Genetically modified foods or GM foods, also known as genetically engineered foods or bioengineered foods, are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Genetic engineering techniques allow for the introduction of new traits as well as greater control over traits than previous methods such as selective breeding and mutation breeding.