Essay Sample on GM Foods: Solving Food Shortage & Disease with DNA Modification

Introduction

Genetically modified foods can be useful in the control of some diseases as the properties causing allergies can be eliminated during the DNA modification process. This shows their consumption is beneficial to the human body as it will minimize the rate of contacting curable diseases as well as allergies. These foods have a shorter growth period compared to the traditional ones hence it is economical to plant them in quick succession and solve food shortage problems. This makes it beneficial to farmers in drought-prone areas as well as the pest-resistant abilities make them economical in the farming industry as one does not need to use pesticides. This scientific thinking has made me and others with similar facts and opinion believe in the benefits of genetically engineered food crops.

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Scientific Background of the Issue

Genetically modified foods are generated from altered plants' or animals' DNA through a genetic engineering process. This process involves the direct manipulation of an organism's genes which is different from the normal plants and animals breeding. Genetic engineering can involve transgenes where a gene from one organism is implanted in another to introduce a desirable trait (Watson & Preedy, 2016). This process can also be done via RNA interference where specific undesired genes in an organism are inactivated in a bid to eliminate the undesired traits. In natural science, genetic engineering has been done via breeding organism selectively. This method involved implanting of a crop's stem into another plant to produce mixed breeding. In animals, different breeds could be crossbred to produce a mixed breed of an animal species. Crossbreeding has been the natural traditional method of combining organisms' genes for some time since time immemorial as science developed to an advanced level where the original genes of organisms could be altered in the laboratory and the organism monitored to its maturity stages.

Impact of the Issue to the Audience

Genetically modified food crops were a scientific response to the world's food crisis and the inconsistent weather and climate in food production. Scientists resulted to find solutions to the impending crisis that would affect humanity in the near future if not addressed. The genetic engineering of food crops involves the addition or removal of specific traits from organisms' genes in a bid to improve on their quality and characteristics in relation to their growth (Smith, 2007). This scientific practice has solved many impending challenges in the agricultural sector. Different genetically engineered crops can now withstand harsh climatic environments to persist and grow to fruition. Some of these crops have the ability to resist pests thus reducing the cost of farming and the production process at large (Watson & Preedy, 2016). Genetically modified foods have an increased shelf life meaning they can last longer before getting spoiled. This is beneficial for a home set up preservation conditions and the business community as their products will have a longer time for processing before getting spoilt.

Evidence Supporting the Issue

Genetically modified crops are created to thrive better in specific conditions. Inactive genes could sleep and end up accidentally switched on while their active counterpart switched off depending on the given conditions (Fagan, 2015). For example, a pathogenic attack on the organisms, or exposing of these crops on severe weather, could activate a sleeper gene inappropriately and it would impact on the surrounding organisms in various ways. This scenario can occur in long-lived organisms such as trees, and end up affecting the surrounding organisms. Allergenic genes can be as a result of accidental transfer of genes from one organism to another. For example, in a farm set up, a gene from an allergic Brazil-nut can be transferred to a transgenic soybean variety, resulting in dangerous reactions on allergic consumers. This impacts human health and scientists should come up with ways to mitigate the challenge. Transfer of antibiotic resistance is a major challenge in the genetically modified food crops industry (Smith, 2007). This is because, there are concerns that, antibiotic resistance genes could confer these genes to antibiotics. Scientists are working on replacing the marker genes with those that avoid medical or environmental hazards. The mixing of genetically modified food products in the food chain has been a challenge in the industry.

Importance of the Issue to Me

I selected the impacts of genetically modified food crops due to their introduction to the food industry in the recent past with insufficient information on their benefits and demerits. I needed to interrogate, the impacts of GM foods compared to normal food. Genetically engineered foods have more nutrients compared to their counterpart traditional foods. This is a proven scientific fact as the nutrients are added during the process of the genes modification in the laboratories. Professionally, genetically modified foods have a better taste compared to their counterparts (Fagan, 2015). Their taste is enhanced as genes of better-tasting crops are mixed with them during their modification process. Genetically modified foods have a shorter growth period compared to the traditional ones hence it is economical to plant them in quick succession and solve food shortage problems (Watson & Preedy, 2016). Some genetically engineered crops can grow in drought-prone areas as well as have pest resistance capabilities. This makes it beneficial to farmers in drought-prone areas as well as the pest-resistant abilities make them economical in the farming industry as one does not need to use pesticides. Based on these benefits and perceived negative consequences, it is important to investigate the topic deeply.

Impact of the Issue on my Knowledge

Initially, I thought genetically engineered crops did not have negative effects, however, I found several during the research. In this regard, my hypothesis was genetically engineered foods have no difference with normal foods. Therefore, it was important to investigate whether GM food is different in any way with normal food. From the analysis, I found that GM foods have negative consequences including human health risks like allergies. These crops have environmental hazards such as unintended harm to other organisms. Pollen from these crops such as corn may fall on the ground affecting monarch butterflies by accelerating their mortality rates. I have, therefore, realized that their consumption may result in developments of diseases that can be immunes to antibiotics as a result of their gene modification. However, there is very little known about the long term effects of these foods, making their consumption a health risk gamble to the user which requires further investigation.

References

Fagan, J., & OverDrive, Inc. (2015). GMO Myths and Truths. St. Louis: Earth Open Source.

Smith, J. M. (2007). Genetic roulette: The documented health risks of genetically engineered foods. Fairfield, Iowa: Yes! Books.

Watson, R. R., & Preedy, V. R. (2016). Genetically modified organisms in food: Production, safety, regulation and public health. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.