Genetically modified foods are created by taking natural organisms and changing them through genetic engineering. This means that scientists can develop foods that have ideal traits. It is becoming popular in the commercial food industry as it gives sellers a greater control in the quality of their goods.
The Case For
Climate change is having a detrimental effect on many crops. They need to have characteristics such as drought resistance and the ability to grow on hostile lands. This could be achieved through breeding. However, it is much more time consuming than genetic modification.
Starvation is one of the biggest issues of the modern world. Famine in war torn countries has increased in recent years. Many deaths can be prevented if GM seeds are used to grow food for the hungry. Oxfam have acknowledged the potential role GM food will play in the years to come.
Green organisations also support this emerging technology. It could lead to much more environmentally friendly methods of food production. Therefore two big problems in the world can be lessened through genetic modification. These are widespread starvation and climate change.
The Case Against
The fact of the matter is that there are no guarantees when it comes to the safety of GM foods. There is currently a lack of scientific consensus on the matter due to there not being enough data. In order to test out the long term effects, human beings will have to eat these foods for years. In essence they would be guinea pigs. There are many people who would rather not take the risk. Critics of GM foods argue that the money invested in this industry should instead go towards more modern forms of safe farming.
Getting Advice
There is a large amount of information on the subject of GM foods online. The difficult thing is determining which ones to trust. With so much misinformation on the internet it is much wiser to seek advice from medical professionals.
Livi, a useful health app can be downloaded from livi.co.uk and accessed on smart devices. It allows the user to speak with clinical professionals via the internet. These GPs will be able to inform people on the merits of GM foods, as well as alleviate any fears about consuming them.
Society’s Fear Of Genetics
A large reason for the reluctance of people to try GM foods is the fact that modern media has often portrayed genetic modification in a negative light. When an organism is genetically modified in movies it tends to have monstrous consequences. Horror movies feature GM organisms as hideous mutations.
In science fiction films untrustworthy governments sometimes feed their citizens with GM foods that have dangerous physical effects. These motion pictures have made audiences uncomfortable at the thought of eating GM products.
