The greatly polarized debate over genetically modified foods has
labeled the crops as either public health saviors or ecological
time bombs.
Genetically modifying a food by transplanting foreign DNA has
the potential to increase food production and the nutritional value
of the food supply.
On the other hand, some argue that inserting foreign elements
into food has unforeseen consequences that will outweigh these
benefits.
“The biggest problem that I foresee is that this food will
have a negative impact on our ecology as well as on humans,”
said James Barnard, a physiological sciences professor.
Regardless of the ongoing debate, genetically modified foods are
already being produced and sold in supermarkets.
Soybeans and corn are the top two most widely grown genetically
modified crops, with cotton, rapeseed or canola and potatoes
trailing closely behind.
Since genetically modified foods are altered to tolerate and
resist herbicides and pesticides, farmers are able to spray more
chemicals on the crops.
“(The chemicals) get into the environment and into the
food,” Barnard said.
“It drastically alters the animals that live in and around
farming areas … having a negative impact in our ecological
environment.”
Last month, Mendocino County passed Measure H, a ban on all
genetically modified foods in its community.
The measure prohibits raising genetically altered crops and
livestock. This ban does not include organisms created by
traditional breeding methods, such as seedless watermelons and
grapes.
Mendocino County is the first in the United States to outlaw the
growing of genetically altered crops and animals. But similar
actions are starting to emerge across the nation. Last month,
agriculturalists in Vermont called for a moratorium on genetically
engineered crops.
It might be impossible, however, for any agricultural area to
remain completely free of genetically modified plants.
Genetically modified pollen can be carried by wind and insects,
while genetically modified seeds can be transported by birds,
animals and humans.
Through cross-pollination, genetically modified foods will
irreversibly contaminate native plants and trees. This genetic
contamination can potentially create new super-weeds and disrupt
important ecosystems.
“For example, Mexico does not permit any genetic modified
food in any of their country, but our GMOs are shown in their stuff
in Mexico,” Barnard said.
The European Union has also kept its borders closed to altered
foods, and last month, countries across Asia, Africa and most of
Latin America agreed to tighter rules governing the trade of
modified seeds.
Legislature and country borders aside, genetically modified
foods also have implications for human health. Exposure to
compounds foreign to the body have unforeseen long-term
consequences.
On the other hand, supporters of genetically modified foods say
modifying plants and animals will help increase the food supply.
They also point to foods altered to hold more nutrients that will
help people who are undernourished in developing nations.
“Genetic modifications have been around for a while. The
corn that you eat is nothing like what the original corn looked
like,” said Ed McCabe, director of the UCLA Center for
Society, the Individual and Genetics.
“If you look at the growth of population in the 20th
century, it is very important for our techniques to improve
food.”
This exponential growth in population is paralleled by an
increase of malnutrition in third world countries.
According to the World Health Organization, there are more than
100 million vitamin A-deficient children around the world. It is
estimated that 250,000 to 500,000 of these children become blind
every year, and about 50 percent of those die from the
deficiency.
It was proposed in January 2000 that a genetically modified food
could save these lives. “Golden rice” is altered to
contain more vitamin A, giving it a characteristic golden
color.
Currently, the International Rice Research Institute in Los
Baños, Philippines, is conducting tests on golden rice and is
completing the first field and food safety trials.
Another possibility for genetically modified foods is an attempt
to eliminate food allergies.
Peanuts, one of the most allergenic foods, cause potentially
life-threatening reactions in about 2 percent of the population.
Researchers are attempting to alter the peanut’s genome,
removing the elements that cause the allergic reactions.
While the debate is ongoing and protests to genetically modified
foods continue, many scientists feel this is a door that should not
be closed.
“There is a lot of press out there (on modified foods)
that is very negative. This is because of a fear of the
unknown,” McCabe said.
“We definitely need to do the studies. One has to be real
cautious about the negative things because it’s much harder
to argue the positives.”