There are currently an abundance of genetically modified foods available at the market place. The seeds for such products can readily be purchased in just about any garden shop and run no more in cost than the traditional heirloom varieties.
People often ask what are genetically modified foods? In short, they are any organism which has had its genetic makeup altered. As we have come to understand the process of combining various genes from different organisms is frequently referred to as recombinant DNA technology. Those organisms which result are known as genetically modified, engineered or simply transgenic. Genome sequencing programs are currently underway for hundreds of organisms producing detailed genetic maps to allow new and more exciting agriculture products to be introduced.
In agriculture these genetically changed vegetables result in insect or disease resistant plants which may produce larger or in some cases greater amounts of fruit. To date there is in excess of 252 million acres planted worldwide of transgenic crops which include staples such as alfalfa, canola, corn, cotton and soybeans (Ornl.gov, 2008). We have trials currently being undertaken on virus resistant sweet potatoes and rice enriched with iron and vitamins. On the future horizons we find bananas which will provide human vaccines to guard against infectious diseases like hepatitis B; we see fish being breed which will mature in a fraction of the time it currently takes and finally our farmer's herds of cows will be resistant to the dreaded bovine spongiform encephalopathy or as commonly called mad cow disease. Most fruit trees are being engineered to yield produce years before their conventional counterparts.
Delaware being a major agricultural state provides a pivot point in this research. As you travel past the University of Delaware Agricultural Research center in Georgetown, Delaware you can view field after field of corn trials each with specific characteristics and all GMO dominant. Generally, these products are not openly available to the public but are still in the research stages. For my subject today I have selected Bt Corn (Sammons, 2005) as a topic of discussion. Bt corn has within its makeup a bacterium gene which aids it in manufacturing its own form of insecticide. This organism offers great hope towards decreasing the amount of residual pesticides found in the environment.
Crops which are engineered to resistance disease or to be pest resistant are frequently monitored closely by the EPA, Bt corn is one of those crops. The Bt corn crop contains a soil bacterium gene known as Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium generally will produce spores which possess a crystalline type protein. When this composition is eaten by an insect such as the European Corn Borer, the bacterium starts to break down and produces a toxin referred to as delta-endotoxin. As a result of eating the product the toxin will create holes within the intestines of the insect which degrades their digestive system to the extent that ultimately it causes their death within days.
Having mentioned the benefits associated with Bt corn let's now turn our attention to the negative aspects of the product. There have been expressions of concern as to whether the corn could have any impact upon the local butterfly populations. In all honesty, butterfly larvae are especially vulnerable to the Bt corn toxin therefore we will merely have to wait and see what the long term effects are.
The major complaint centers upon the concept that we simply do not know enough about the corn to deem it harmless to humans. In reality, we can not know what the long term effects are. Occasionally, mankind must take chances and GMO crops are just that - educated chances. I believe it is extremely important to consider the benefits which BT corn can bring to humanity. Every year farmers lose vast numbers of their crops to common insect pests and at the end of the growing season they take a loss. Think for a moment the amount of pesticides which are usually sprayed on our regular corn crop merely to keep the insects at bay. It all comes down to the fact that as a consumer would you prefer to eat a meal of healthy GMO corn or a regular grown corn soaked in uncertain pesticides?
Our population continues to grow larger with each passing year, while at the same time acres of farm land are being sold to developers to build apartment complexes to house these people. Somewhere we must have a handoff. We can not have it the way it has been for hundreds of years. The farmers that we have left must grow enough food to compensate for those who have now sold the farm and moved on. To me genetically engineered foods which can contribute twice the amount of conventional foods are necessary. I for one support the idea of genetic engineered foods with the understanding that they are properly managed and follow-ups conducted to ensure the human safety factor.
Government control is inevitable and will take place. I would like to think that their major role in this process would be merely to oversee the safety aspects of the GMO foods and not to dictate their own whims as to whether it is right or wrong. They should pass label legislation which informs the consumer that they are about to purchase a modified food. In this way the individual is afforded the opportunity to either accept the food or go elsewhere to purchase it such as an organic farm. In no way should conventional foods be outlawed as many people fear will happen.
Reference
Ornl.gov. (2008). Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. Retrieved from http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml
Sammons, A. (2005). Genetically Modified Corn. Retrieved from http://lwicker.myweb.uga.edu/corn.htm
http://www.survival-training.info
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