How The Uses Of Genetic Engineering Are Endangering Dinner Time

In ancient times, farmers generally relied on the natural elements to plan their planting cycles. Crops were planted during dry season, and harvested before the wet season. Farmers also used organic or natural fertilizers, pesticides and other chemicals to nurture their crops and eliminate harmful pests. As civilization progressed though, and the increasing population placed added pressures on farmers and societies to produce more food, scientists and crop experts began devising new methods for developing crops that were more resistant to varying weather patterns, pests and other external elements. Thus came forth the words genetic engineering.

In genetic engineering, the inherent structure of crops were modified in ways were they are considered safe to be eaten. Some crop breeders and scientists have even induced mutations in a crop's genetic structure though chemicals, radiation and chemicals. The process of altering a crop's genetic structure to make it pest and drought-resistant is now referred to as GMO development, or genetically modified engineering.

Is The GMO Industry Only Worried About Profit?

Today, gene transfer technology is available worldwide, and some even hail this development as a victory against pests and sudden weather changes. However, many worry that few large companies are slowly gaining full control of world agriculture, to the detriment of small farmers in poorer countries.

The GMO industry however counters that poor third-world farmers can actually adopt these GMO technologies, to help them achieve efficient farming practices, as well as to ward off harmful pests from their fields. However, critics of the uses of genetic engineering argue that genetic engineering is a technology is actually making global agriculture dependent only on large multinational companies. The potentially harmful effects of a number of GMO foods have also not yet been fully determined by health researches.

The Public Should Know The Truth Behind The GMO Research

Genetic engineering is not actually a truly safe process. One example of the hazards of GMO research was brought to the public limelight a couple of years ago, when scientists in the US state of Nebraska planned to transfer a gene from a Brazil nut to soybean, to get good quality protein. What happened was that people developed severe allergic reactions to the Brazil nuts. As a result of this debacle, the soybean genetic modification project was discontinued.

Staunch critics of genetic engineering also claim that the process has a negative impact on the environment and food safety. Although there have not yet been any publicly documented cases on any sever illness or environmental damage, the critics fear that the development of more GMO crops may lead to the possibility of creating disease or pesticide-resistant insects, as well as to the development of certain diseases and infections in humans.

Concerned whether the food you eat is genetically engineered or modified?

Recent polls show that over 90% of American's believe genetically engineered food should be labeled. Unfortunately this will not happen until consumers choose to get informed about what they are eating and stop purchasing genetically modified food.

You can take action by staying informed about GMOs at http://geneticallyengineeredfoodnews.com

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Genetic Engineering: Boon Or Curse?

Genetic Engineering is the alteration of the genes of an organism, to improve its chances of survival, boost its immunity, help in its regeneration and reproduction, and in more complex fields of study - even clone them. It is the direct manipulation of an organism's genes. It uses the techniques of cloning and transformation to alter the structure and characteristics of genes directly. It has ushered in a new era of science and technology with many successful applications. The most notable of such applications include increased crop productivity, development of insulin in hamster ovary cells, development of organs such as 'ear' on the body parts of mice and the most known example that really accelerated the researches on genetics and its application - cloning of a sheep named Dolly in 1997.

Today, genetic engineering is one of the most hotly debated topics in the world. Many believe and hope that it can once and forever get rid of all human sufferings due to diseases, disability, starvation, etc. On the other hand, more conservative and pessimistic people - who actually believe they are rather realistic, argue that genetic engineering will never be able to accomplish what it promises. They argue that it will do more harm than good citing the principles of natural selection and evolution.

Genetic Engineering has a wide range of applications including agriculture, animal husbandry, medicine and surgery. With its help, various species of crops have grown immune to many lethal diseases. Hybridization has helped to increase crop yield. Today, many species of crops such as wheat are genetically altered for high nutrition value and quicker and higher productivity. Countries all over the world are adopting genetically enhanced crops which have helped to minimize food scarcity, provide highly nutritious food and grow crops much immune to various illness and pesticides. This has thus brought about a new era of agricultural revolution, which can hopefully eradicate starvation and malnutrition.

However, some people believe that genetically altered crops are not healthy in the long run. There are also doubts about the effects of such highly enhanced and immune crops in the much delicate ecosystem. Genetically altered animals are also thought to bring about similar problems.

Similarly, genetic engineering which has proved revolutionary in the medical sector is also believed by some people to be morally and socially unethical. Altering some organism's genes is thought to be against religious beliefs and values. It is also considered immoral to hybridize some organism for selfish human needs. Most of these arguments are correct and not baseless. There have been many cases of genetically enhanced crops being potentially harmful to the consumers as well as the ecosystem. Also, it is not hard to get to the point of argument that genetic engineering, especially cloning and hybridization are immoral and unethical. However, most of the people that support the ever-increasing applications of genetic engineering argue that something that might free humans from all kinds of sufferings is bound to have some drawbacks. These drawbacks are in fact correctable provided required effort is put in. Therefore, there must not be a stop to the applications of and researches on genetic engineering. It is too great an opportunity for humans to undo their past mistakes of conflicts that have brought poverty, of mismanaged civilization and development that have brought destruction of natural resources and disturbed the delicate ecosystem, and of thoughtless and haphazard technological advancement.

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