They are also cited as more economical, despite the initial higher cost of the seeds. The rationale is that they reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides as well as reducing the manpower needed to successfully grow the crops, which should translate into improved financial gains.Improved food quality is another benefit associated with GM foods. A tomato, for instance, can be engineered to stay fresher for longer, thereby extending its shelf life in the supermarket.
Yet another benefit that is believed to occur from GM technology is that crops can be engineered to withstand weather fluctuations and extremes. This means that they can provide sufficient yields and quality despite a severe, poor weather season.
Also,GM foods can be engineered to have a high content of a specific nutrient that is lacking in the diet of a local population group. The vitamin A rich 'golden rice' is one example of a GM food that has been engineered to have high levels of a nutrient.
However, every issue has two sides. Concerns have been aroused in the public about wheter GM foods could be harmful to health, and wheter their production would bring about adverse effects to the environment.
A worrisome issue in GM foods is the ability of a food to trigger an allergy in humans. Some of the genes used in GM technology might be taken from a food that causes allergies in some people. Inserting that gene into another organism could cause the host organism to express that allergen as a trait. Alternately, a new allergen could be produced when genes are mixed across different species.
Another potential downside to GM technology is that other organisms in the ecosystem could be harmed, which would lead to a lower level of biodiversity. By removing one pest that harms the crop, you could be removing a food source for an animal. Also, GM crops could prove toxic to an organism in the environment, leading to reduced numbers or extinction of that organism.
Given that some GM foods are modified using bacteria and viruses, there is a fear that we will see the emergence of new diseases. The threat to human health is a worrisome aspect of GM technology and one that has received a great deal of debate.
I am an opposer to GM foods, not only because of the newness of it but also of the action of alterlating the nature.
The nature itself is a large cycle, by food chian, nutrients were transported from one level to another. Though human also state themselves as the most “high-classed” organisms in the world, I do not believe that we have the right to alter the nature which have raised us. We have already do things harming to the environment and we are already facing the drawbacks, so why are we still dare to alter the nature again?
Although supporters of GM foods stated that GM foods can help in sloving the problem of world hunger, I doubt about it. First of all, the “World hunger” is in fact cased by the uneven distrubution of the resources on earth and the problem is especially significant in thrid world conturies. I do believe the GM food can help raising the crop yeild but can the farmers in this countries affort the cost?
Also, the technologies is still not mature engough. Lots of back-up is required if we put the technologies in pratice. Again, do these countries proceed the high technologies? This shows that the technology is in fact limited in the well developed countries. However, this countries do have already excess amount of food. The extra crop yield produced may finally become a trash in the landfill site.Therefore, I do not support the GM food.
However, as time goes by, this techonogy may be well developed in the later time and can be affortable for third world countries and erased the worries of people. Therfore, we should keep an optimistic mind to this issue.
