Genetically Modified Foods: Curse, Blessing or other.

In my presentation I would like to throw light on the problem of GM foods. I will analyse some facts and give positive and negative aspects of using it.

First of all it’s important to give definition to GM products (they are also called “transgenic” or “genetically engineered”). GM are products, the genetic make-up of which was altered with the help of special viruses or bacteria. As a result GM products acquire necessary features such as insect resistance, desired nutrients, ability to survive weather extremes, etc.

Why are GM organisms considered to be dangerous by some GM-opponents?

The idea is that – though there have been no facts proving that GM foods are unsafe, neither there is sufficient evidence to prove that they are 100% safe. The GM technology is too new and the effect is likely to become seen in one or even several generations. The opponents of GM foods are confident that the production and use of GM products is harmful for both the environment and for humans. Viruses which alter the organisms fit into the structure of the genome. They can’t be controlled. No one knows how such organisms can interact with the rest of the environment. These viruses can also accumulate in human organism and can affect badly the reproductive system.

On the other hand GM foods may help alleviate chronic malnutrition as the human population grows and areas under crops are not enough to supply the humanity with foods. GM foods are cheaper as well.

One has to decide himself whether to consume GM products or not and weather to consider them harmful or not. As for me, I don’t want to make dangerous experiments. I would rather exclude GM products. But this is possible only if the food producers label food package. So the main challenge in the GM area nowadays is the development of the legislature base that would oblige the food producers to mark GM products.

Genetically modified food

Food made from crops in which the genetic material of the plant has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. This process allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another. Traits that can be introduced into food crops include pest-resistance, color, freeze -resistance, and size, among others. So far , foods currently available on the international market don’t present risks for human health.

GE genetic engineering is not panacea for malnutrition its just one of the tools that will significantly increase our ability to produce the quantities of food. Of course, its possible to increase crop yields by simply planting and harvesting more crops. But it can be done by planting the more densely and increasing the number of acres devoted to growing them. GE is not the only way, but it could in the future become the most efficient and economical way.

I consider that GMF after all could fail human DNA. A man is the work of nature and he should use nature resource in his vital activity. And artificial produce could be really harmful the human.

As a result I suppose we can use GMF but very seldom.