Genes are the blueprints for every part of an organism. Genetic engineering is the process of artificially modifying these blueprints. By cutting and joining parts of DNA-genetics, scientists can transfer genes specific to one type of organism into any other organism on earth. e.g. transferring potato genes to strawberry plants trying to enhance there growing rate, the size of the strawberries ect.
I will talk about all the negative points of creating and growing GM crops.
Firstly, Unnatural gene transfers from one species to another is dangerous. Biotechnology companies wrongly claim that their manipulations are similar to those of traditional breeding techniques. However, the cross-species transfers being made, such as between fish and tomatoes and even other unrelated species, would not happen in nature and these create new toxins which in turn will create diseases. In this risky experiment, the general public is the guinea pig.
When biotechnology companies claim that their methods are correct and complicated. In fact, the process of inserting genes is quite random and can damage normal genes. Genetic research shows that many weaknesses in plants, animals, and humans have their origin in tiny imperfections in the genetic code. Therefore, the random damage resulting from gene insertion will most certainly result in side-effects. Scientists have assessed these risks to be large. Remember, [genetically modified] products are alive. So they're unpredictable in terms of what they'll do once they're out into the environment.
As there is going to be an effect on the way these gm crops grow and give out toxins this leads to the theory that Genetically engineered products carry more risks than traditional foods which would be true due to scientist not knowing what these plants are going to produce. The process of genetic engineering can consequently introduce dangerous new allergens and toxins into foods that were considered to be naturally safe. ,. Already, one genetically engineered soybean was found to cause serious allergic reactions, and bacteria genetically engineered to produce large amount of the bean, have produced toxic contaminants that killed 37 people and permanently disabled a further 1,500.
The products that have been made have increased pollution of the food and water supply, More than 50% of the crops developed by biotechnology companies have been engineered to be resistant to herbicides. Use of herbicide-resistant crops will lead to a threefold increase in the use of herbicides, resulting in even greater pollution of our food and water with toxic agrochemicals which again in turn will affect human life the environment around us and the animals as well.
The thought of Health-damaging effects caused by genetic engineering will continue forever. Unlike chemical or nuclear contamination, genetic pollution can grow by itself. It can never be reversed or cleaned up large genetic mistakes will most defiantly be passed on to all future generations.
Then that leaves yet another question to be asked is “Is food safety an issue here, as you see it?” Yes, because what we're dealing with is the introduction of new genetic foods that have genes that code for proteins that we've never consumed. So when you place a Chinese hamster gene into your food crop and we consume it in raw or processed food, we just don't know what the reaction's likely to be. The fact is, we know that with traditional foods, 8 percent of children, 2 percent of adults have allergenic reaction to traditional foods. We spent a long part of our history testing various things we could eat, and a lot of people have died as part of this grand experiment to see what we could consume. Many of the genetically modified foods will be safe, I'm sure. Will most of them be safe? Nobody knows. The fact is, even the Food and Drug Administration, in internal documents by their own scientists that were forced out in a lawsuit, suggested that these foods could pose some potentially serious allergenic and toxic reactions among consumers.
There is also the thought that the whole human food system is being tampered with as
giant transnational companies are carrying out a dangerous global experiment by attempting to introduce large numbers of genetically engineered foods widely into our food supply. Because genetic manipulations can generate unanticipated harmful side-effects, and because genetically engineered foods are not tested sufficiently to eliminate those that are dangerous, this experiment, not only jeopardizes the health of individuals, but could also lead to national or even global food shortages and large-scale health threats.
There is no logical scientific justification for exposing society to this risk, nor is it necessary to take this risk for the purpose of feeding humanity. It is only of benefit to the biotech industry, which will obtain short term commercial gains at the expense of the health and safety of the whole population. Tampering with the genetic code of food is reckless and poses a serious threat to life. It could easily upset the delicate balance between our physiology and the foods that we eat. There is already ample scientific justification for an immediate ban on genetically modified foods in order to safeguard our health.
Presently there is only a very small case fighting for the idea of GM crops are good for us our environment and everything around us.
The Case for Genetically Modified Crops
The advent of plant biotechnology was hailed as the engine of a Second Green Revolution, capable of providing farmers with the hardier, higher-yielding, disease-resistant and more nutritious crops needed to sustain a burgeoning world population. Plant scientists argue that modification is really nothing new; using tools such as selective breeding and hybridization, humans have been influencing the genetics of food crops for millennia. Indeed, present varieties of corn, they say, bear little resemblance to their historical progenitors. The contribution of biotechnology is that the process can be sped up enormously and new traits incorporated from virtually any species. These proponents insist that their new varieties have been more extensively tested than any in history and that their safety as foodstuffs and in the environment is well proven.
Health benefits, such as extra vitamins, can be engineered in to the plants allowing a lesser chance of disease.
They could help farmers grow marginal land prone to drought or salt (this means that the farmers can grow better healthier crops on soils that are poor in fertilizers, acidic soils, salty grounds.)
They could help the environment by reducing the need for herbicides and pesticides cutting in the amount of use on the land meaning less pollution in the water which means less pollution for us as the polluted water will get into our system one day or another.
They can also benefit corporations and western shareholders due to the money that they are saving as the are spending less on the product they are literally putting into the field and making vastest amounts of crop this mean greater profits.
In conclusion to what I have produced in this essay I feel that GM crops should be banned world wide as the full consequences are not yet fully under stood and human being are being used as lab rats.
