The Controversy Surrounding Genetically Modified Organisms
We are currently facing a global food crisis without even knowing it. It is estimated that 795 million people around the world do not have access to an adequate supply of food. With our Earth’s population increasing by around 75 million every year, our world will need more and more food every coming year. In addition, the world’s total arable (agricultural) land available for farming is dropping every year, due to global warming and human development. Due to this disparity, scientists and food engineers alike have come up with ways to modify the genetic structure of plants, to maximize crop yield and extend food spoilage times to be able to provide food for more people around the world. This process of modifying a plant’s genetic structure creates something known as a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).
Genetically Modified Organisms have their genetic structure mutated, by either adding a gene to their DNA, or removing a gene from their DNA. In the case of plants, this can make the plant much less vulnerable to pests, diseases, and spoilage. Oftentimes, genetic modification also increases crop yield, and results in expedited plant growth to allow for an earlier harvest season.
In recent times, these Genetically Modified Organisms have come under fire by various food advocacy groups including GMO Free Canada, ETC Group, and Stop GMO Canada. Without these genetically modified organisms, crop yields would go down, and fruits and vegetables would spoil much quicker. This would make for a nightmare scenario for the entire world; with experts predicting the number of people without access to an adequate supply of food to jump by 50%.
What all that being said, genetically modified organisms also have various drawbacks which must be addressed. The genetic modification must be used within moderation and with proper scientific research as justification.
Oftentimes, the modification process does not have adequate testing and research, meaning that the side effects of a certain modification are relatively unexplored. Many times, long term effects of a certain modification are never tested, and they are only discovered many years down the road when the consequences are irreversible. Additionally, the genetic modification may make it challenging for your stomach to digest the food, as it is unaccustomed to the structure of the genes.
Moreover, there have been various studies which link GMOs to various diseases such as liver failure, urinary and bladder cancers, hypertension, thyroid disease, stroke, and even birth deformations in extreme cases. Ever since GMOs gained popularity in the 1990s, there has been a huge rise in the number of diseases caused by GMOs. When the rise in popularity of GMOs is compared to the occurrence of the diseases associated with GMOs, a correlation coefficient (r-value) of over 0.95 can be observed. It would be laughable to play it off as a mere coincidence.
All in all, GMOs have various drawbacks as it comes to the effects they have on the human body. There needs to more long-term research done regarding the negative effects that GMOs have. Although, with an increasing world population, and a decreasing square area of arable (agricultural) land, stopping the use of GMOs simply isn’t a sustainable option.
