Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms whose genotype has been artificially altered using genetic engineering techniques. The changes were made on purpose, for example, in the case of crops - increasing yields, improving the taste and nutritional value of products, resistance to pests, etc.
In 2015, genetically modified crops accounted for 99% of the U. S. sugar beet crop, 94% of soybeans, 94% of cotton and 92% of feed corn.
In the world, 12% of all arable land is occupied by GM crops.
Since the 1970s, scientists have been studying the potential risks associated with the use of GMOs. To clarify this issue, the American Academies of Science, Technology and Medicine has organized the largest study to date of almost 900 scientific articles published in the last 30 years on the impact of GM crops on the human body and the environment. The analysis of the articles was continued for two years by a committee of 50 scientists, researchers and specialists from agriculture and biotechnology. The document was reviewed by 26 independent experts.
And finally the work is finished: on May 17, the 400-page report was published in the public domain, and all accompanying documents were posted on a specially created website.
According to the results of the study, in hundreds of scientific papers, no signs of a negative effect of products from GM crops on human health were found. Eating GM foods is not associated with cancer, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal disease, kidney disease, autism or allergies. No long-term increase in morbidity has been established after the massive distribution of food from GM crops in the United States and Canada in the 90s.
Moreover, there is some evidence of a positive effect of GMOs on human health due to a decrease in the number of insecticidal poisonings and an increase in vitamin levels in the population of developing countries.
In addition to the impact on health, two other important aspects of the use of GMO crops have been thoroughly analyzed: the impact on the environment and the importance for farms.
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“The use of insect- and herbicide-resistant crops does not reduce the overall diversity of flora and fauna, and insect-resistant crops sometimes increase it,” this is the conclusion of the study regarding the impact of GMOs on the environment.
One of the common fears about GMOs, that artificial genes would infiltrate the wild, has also proven groundless. Although research has shown that this process is possible, no adverse effects from gene transfer have been found.
After all, a study of farm yields and profitability did not reveal any alarming trends either. Corporations sell GM crops to farmers at a premium and are prohibited from growing them on their own because they are protected by patents. But the losses are more than offset by increased yields and other benefits that farms receive.
Scientists cannot find at least some signs of harm from GMOs, but public opinion still negatively perceives genetic engineering. Most of the population in the US, EU, Russia and other countries fear that GMO products pose a health threat. This misconception is actively used by food manufacturers who promote their products labeled "Non-GMO", including table salt and other products that are not related to genetically modified crops. This tagging has become a marketing differentiation tool in the market.
Regulators and legislators also have to listen to public opinion, so the use of GMOs in agriculture is still pretty tightly regulated.
The published report, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects (2016), is unlikely to end the debate between GMO supporters and opponents: "This is an emotional issue, not a scientific issue," says Phil Lempert, food analyst. in a comment for USA Today.
