There are many issues surrounding the GM pro/con debate, this should give you a peek into what GM food is and why so many people seem to either be staunch advocates or violent opponents of it.
One issue that is hotly debated among scientists and the general public alike is genetically modified (GM) food. For those who are unsure what this is, GM food is considered to be any food product that has had its DNA modified in a lab. This may mean that genes were added by scientists, as in tomatoes which can withstand pesticide treatments that would typically kill them (a.k.a. round-up ready crops). Cotton is another crop that has been modified. It can now produce Bt toxin which kills certain bacterial pathogens. You may have heard of this specifically since there has been concern that the toxin is also killing butterflies that feed on the corn pollen. Modifications to a plant's DNA does not have to be so controversial or public, however. As of 2006, 89% of soybeans, 83% of cotton and 61% of corn in the U.S. was genetically modified in some way. Rice, tomatoes, squash and papaya have also been modified, although few people seem to realize it. Currently, only 18% of our land mass is cultivated for agriculture. To make matters worse, urban sprawl and development claim 70,000 km2 per year of previously dedicated farmland. Add to this, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2040 and a serious problem arises. How do we propose to continue feeding ourselves in the future when our population is rising and our farmland is shrinking?
GM foods are resistant to more diseases, grow in less space, provide greater yield and need fewer pesticide applications. There are other benefits as well since they can be engineered to carry medicines. For example, bananas can now carry a vaccine for Hepatitis D. Simply doing something as simple as eating these bananas can save adults and children from becoming infected by a disease that is both horrible and incurable. Syngenta, a GM company, is now producing rice which contains 23 times more vitamin A than conventional rice. Since vitamin A deficiencies cause 500,000 deaths per year, the medicinal quality to such rice is significant. Foods such as these may be genetically modified, but they are positioned to affect the world’s population in positive and potentially life-saving ways.
One issue that is hotly debated among scientists and the general public alike is genetically modified (GM) food. For those who are unsure what this is, GM food is considered to be any food product that has had its DNA modified in a lab. This may mean that genes were added by scientists, as in tomatoes which can withstand pesticide treatments that would typically kill them (a.k.a. round-up ready crops). Cotton is another crop that has been modified. It can now produce Bt toxin which kills certain bacterial pathogens. You may have heard of this specifically since there has been concern that the toxin is also killing butterflies that feed on the corn pollen. Modifications to a plant's DNA does not have to be so controversial or public, however. As of 2006, 89% of soybeans, 83% of cotton and 61% of corn in the U.S. was genetically modified in some way. Rice, tomatoes, squash and papaya have also been modified, although few people seem to realize it. Currently, only 18% of our land mass is cultivated for agriculture. To make matters worse, urban sprawl and development claim 70,000 km2 per year of previously dedicated farmland. Add to this, the global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2040 and a serious problem arises. How do we propose to continue feeding ourselves in the future when our population is rising and our farmland is shrinking?
GM foods are resistant to more diseases, grow in less space, provide greater yield and need fewer pesticide applications. There are other benefits as well since they can be engineered to carry medicines. For example, bananas can now carry a vaccine for Hepatitis D. Simply doing something as simple as eating these bananas can save adults and children from becoming infected by a disease that is both horrible and incurable. Syngenta, a GM company, is now producing rice which contains 23 times more vitamin A than conventional rice. Since vitamin A deficiencies cause 500,000 deaths per year, the medicinal quality to such rice is significant. Foods such as these may be genetically modified, but they are positioned to affect the world’s population in positive and potentially life-saving ways.
Future Foods: Join the GM Debate
Future Foods
This event is held at the Science Museum until the 31st of May 2009. The display explains the science behind genetically modified crops and explores the alternatives.
Location: Exhibition Road, London,
Contact: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
Organisers: Science Museum
Website: http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
