Student Article High School Science Journal Author: John Wilbur

The Controversy Over Genetically Engineered Foods

July 19, 2007

Tomatoes, corn, squash, papaya, soybeans, potatoes and canola oil. What do they have in common?  All of them have been modified by genetic engineering and have been determined by the FDA to be as safe as conventional foods (Bren 3).  However, their introduction into the market in the1990s sparked a controversy that continues today. Two major concerns are the safety of the foods and the impact on the environment from growing genetically engineered (GE) crops. Consumer and environmental groups contend that GE foods have not been proven safe to eat and the crops are harmful to the environment.  Many scientists and the companies that produce the crop seed claim that this technology increases crop performance, can improve the nutritional value of food, and has a positive impact on the environment. What should we believe?  By learning about this technology and the benefits and risks of GE foods, we can understand some of the issues and make informed decisions about what we eat.

      What is a GE food, exactly?  According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “GE foods are produced from crops whose genetic makeup has been altered through a process called recombinant DNA, or gene splicing, to give the plant a desirable trait” (Bren 1).  In other words, a single gene that has the desirable trait is taken from an organism and transferred to a plant so it now has the desirable trait. Some of these desirable traits are pest and disease resistance and herbicide tolerance. For example, genes that protect against damage from insects have been put into corn and cotton plants.  Genetic modification is not a new concept in plant breeding. GE technology has simply allowed us to refine and speed up the process of improving crop performance. In the future, scientists plan to add vitamins and vaccines to foods and to develop plants that can grow in areas where it is too hot or too dry to grow them, thereby increasing our farmable land.

      Are GE foods safe to eat?  The principal GE crops are corn, soybeans, and cotton. Thousands of food products contain ingredients made from these crops. Corn syrup, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil are commonly used in processed foods. In fact, about 70% of the food we buy at the grocery store contains ingredients made from GE crops.  These include foods that we eat every day--breads, cereals, juices, yogurt with fruit, cookies and soft drinks (Bren 2). The FDA is the agency that is responsible for ensuring that all foods are safe to eat. The FDA compares GE foods to their traditionally grown counterparts, and are subject to the same testing guidelines and evaluations as other plant foods.  The agency contends that GE foods are safe to eat and pose no unique risks to consumers (Bren 4). Some consumer groups question the safety of GE foods due to the lack of studies to determine the long-term health effects on people. While these studies are being conducted, we must be satisfied that these foods meet the safety standards established by the FDA and other worldwide agencies. 

      What is the impact on the environment?  We know that traditional farming practices have had a negative impact on the environment due to the heavy use of pesticides and herbicides and emissions from the operation of farm equipment.  A major benefit of farming with GE crops is the decrease in the use of pesticides and herbicides. Also, farmers use less fuel to operate farm equipment because they don’t need to plow the fields to get rid of weeds or to spray insecticides as often. There is a risk of reducing biodiversity as farmers switch from planting a variety of crops to planting one or two GE crops to produce a higher yield and bigger profit.  There is also a chance that crop traits could be transferred to wild species, and that there could be a decrease in the number of animals that eat weeds and insects, which could in turn affect the entire food chain and further endanger the environment (Genetically 3).  Although it is too soon to tell, it is possible that the positive and negative effects of planting GE crops on the environment will cancel each other out and the environment will be no better or worse off for doing so.

      This is just a starting point—it is important to become fully educated on the subject of GE foods to make informed decisions about what we eat.  The issues are complex, and there are many other concerns and problems, such as political and economic factors, that need to be considered.  We need to find ways to ensure the safety of our food and environment while we improve crop performance and continue to pursue future applications of this technology.  There are no clear-cut answers or solutions—it’s about weighing the benefits against the risks.

       In the meantime, we have the opportunity to increase food production in countries where people face starvation every day.  Many people believe that genetic engineering is a powerful tool that can be used to reduce world hunger. Florence Wambugu, a scientist with the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute said, “It’s in the seed; you don’t have to have other inputs to get the benefits.  Even a grandmother who can’t read or write can still plant the seed.  To many people, when they see transgenic, it looks like a monster.  To us, it is hope” (Lambrecht 292).

Works Cited

Bren, Linda.  “Genetic Engineering: The Future of Foods?” http://www.fda.gov./-fdac/features/2003/603_food.html 3 March 2007.

“Genetically Modified Food.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically__modified__-food 3 March 2007.

Lambrecht, Bill.  Dinner at the New Gene Café.  New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001. 

 
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