1 out of every 7 people do not have enough food to eat. As populations are on the rise food production rates will need to rise by 70-100% in the next 50 years to sustain global needs. The planning of future developments to insure food security, human health, and nutrition are constantly being considered. Thus raising the question how will we achieve this mass rise in food production with the land available?
In the US large scale farmers and agricultural producers have the American people, with out consent and little knowledge, turning toward genetically modify produce and animal product to meet today’s food needs. Because 93 percent of all soy, 86 percent of corn, and 93 percent of canola seeds are now genetically modified large farming industry finds it problematic to label foods that are genetically modified.
The process that is defines Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to used technology to modify products, to improve plants or animals, or develop microorganisms for specific use with the development of DNA coding. The alterations made to the organisms are meant to increase pest resistance, increase herbicide and disease tolerance, increased weather tolerance, size modification, pharmaceuticals, and taste. Supports of GMOs feel that we can now better direct the evolution of a species for our benefit to enhance our lives by making modifications while others find the practices of GMOs dangerous as little is know about the long term side effects of GMOs.
European nations have placed bans on GMOs produce entering their nations and require a strict labeling system of any product that use .9% or more of genetically modified product. Even some African countries at first denied the food help because of fear of allergies or health problems the GMO food could create. But still needing aid many of the countries eventually took the gm aid as 60% of American food donation is genetically modified.
The highly controversial process leads people to debate and question the regulations that are in place for the methods of GMO’s. Possible health risks are not completely foreseen but such risks include higher cancer rates and health risks, creation of ‘super species” that will out compete native species, loss of biodiversity, disease spread, not to mention the long term health consequences of ingesting plants that ‘grow’ their own pesticides. The question remains do the befits out weight the potential cost?
The European Food Safety Authority questions not only human health of ingesting clone animals but also the well begin of animals in general. It is recorded that 90% of clone animals are affected by birth deformities that often cause death to the calf and to the surrogate mother. Rats feed the cloned meat began lactating, increased the vocalization, and all sorts of side effects.
GMO’s offer many potentials as research continues to give more and more alternatives to the world food crisis. GMOs can increase food production yields and increase, more efficient food production, easily deliverable pharmaceuticals, solutions to the bee crisis, and possible future scientific feats.
The possible and present health risks associated with GMOs are extremely viable as we consider to further the development in the field. While the benefits seems plentiful the research on the risks seems to drop under the radar as developments with GMOs continue. Institution of policies that increase the studies of side effects can better help with the decision making process of allowing GMOs to dominate our food markets. As of now it is unacceptable to continue to put GMOs on the market with out some type of labeling system, like the one instated in Europe. As conscious consumers we hold the right to know the products entering our systems and as developments further regulations on GMO’s will need to be fortified by public intervention.
