Opponents of GMOs are confident that most food products contain carcinogens and substances that not only disrupt the functioning of the human body, but also have a detrimental effect on the environment. What are the potential hazards lurking in cobs of corn and tomatoes? What is important to know about GMOs and are there risks if we consume genetically modified foods?
Genetically modified food is completely safe
The Internet is replete with photographs and pictures of rats with tumors or huge potatoes with mutant eyes as a result of genetic engineering. However, scientists have found that modified foods are completely safe to eat. For example, genetic engineering is one of the most studied areas in the agricultural and biological sciences.
A prime example is the GM product, insulin. According to statistics, more than 370 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide.
Diabetes makes people unable to produce enough of the hormone insulin on their own, so they need a synthetic analogue. Insulin, on the other hand, was genetically engineered and scientifically proven to be completely safe for humans. Before scientists could produce the GM hormone, it was extracted from the pancreas of slaughtered animals.
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There is no evidence that GMOs cause cancer
Dr. Kevin Folt, professor at the University of Florida at Gainesville, said: “There is no evidence that genetically engineered foods can cause cancer. Where does this concern come from? Because one study has shown that modified corn causes cancer in rats, but this fact does not apply to humans. So it turns out that the myth has been debunked, but the panic still remains."
Why they hate Monsanto
Perhaps the Monsanto Company is an organization that the whole world hates. But why? Monsanto are producers of finished crops. They are well known for producing a hybrid of the defoliant and herbicide Agent Orange and the insecticide DDT. According to Nina Federoff (professor at King Abdulaziz University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia and Pennsylvania State University), Monsanto has done a lot of good things.
This company and other major agricultural biotechnology organizations have developed reliable crops that are insect and herbicide resistant. This brings tremendous benefits to people, farmers and the environment.
Herbicide use is declining
Genetic engineering has helped create papaya that is resistant to the viral disease of ring spot. There are also specially bred mosquitoes that fight the spread of Dengue fever. And if you love oranges, remember that all orange trees in Florida have been genetically modified.
But how did genetic engineering save the oranges? Until recently, the world was threatened by a shortage of citrus fruits. Florida's orange harvest has been declining at an unrelenting rate, and the state is one of the main suppliers.
According to scientists, since 2005, crops have been susceptible to such a bacterial disease as citrus gardening. The fruits simply ceased to ripen and fell to the ground long before being harvested. The disease has spread throughout the world, killing millions of trees and wreaking havoc on orange orchards. Thanks to GMOs, citrus fruits are still abundant on supermarket shelves.
How modified foods can help the environment
According to PG Economics Limited (an agricultural consulting company), GM crops have helped to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reduce the amount of pesticides used to grow the same amount of traditional crops.
In addition, the company released a report stating that crop biotechnology has also increased the amount of food produced worldwide and has reduced crop waste from insects.
Farmers can now grow more crops without the need to purchase additional land. Their incomes are growing in both developed and developing countries.
This includes golden rice, which can help fight hunger around the world. According to the World Health Organization, more than half of the countries in the world suffer from a deficiency of retinol (vitamin A) in the body. A lack of vitamin leads to the development of blindness, especially in the elderly, pregnant women and young children. Retinol deficiency is especially prevalent in low-income countries.
Golden rice is a genetically modified crop that contains ample amounts of beta-carotene. This product can provide 60% of the RDA.
GMOs banned in Europe
The cultivation of GM crops was prohibited not only in Europe, but also in Russia and Zimbabwe. But this does not mean that most countries consider genetic engineering to be dangerous.
Carel du Marchi Sarvasse, former director of agricultural biotechnology at EuropaBio, said: “The European Commission has funded research involving over 500 independent groups and 130 different projects. Over 25 years of studying this area, the commission concluded that there is no scientific evidence about the dangers of GMOs, as well as the emerging risks for the environment and for food and feed safety, compared to conventional plants and organisms.
Thus, the reason why such cultures are banned is not scientific but political, since the approval process requires a vote. And in Europe there are many opponents of GMOs.”
Author: Alisa Krasnova
