Genetics and labeling
Glowing plants. Self-exterminating mosquitoes. Frankenfish. No one will deny that genetic engineering is a rather strange world. Yet genetically modified organisms are today as commonplace as corn, as everyday as rice. They help farmers increase productivity and reduce the need for pest control chemicals. About 90% of the corn, soybeans, and cotton grown in the United States come from genetic engineering. In America, GMOs are found in approximately 70–80% of processed foods. Scientists and regulatory authorities generally agree that GMO foods pose no greater health and environmental risk than ingredients developed using old breeding methods. So far, only 28 countries grow crops using genetic engineering methods,and in the future they face a global battle. On the front lines there is a struggle for labeling.
Status
Two decades after artificial grains became available to American consumers, US President Barack Obama signed legislation in late July requiring food packaging to contain information about the presence of synthetic ingredients. This requirement overlaps individual state laws, such as the one that went into effect in Vermont on July 1. It instructs food manufacturers to report the presence of GMOs on packaging using text, a symbol, or a code that can be scanned with a smartphone. Critics lashed out at the latter option, calling it discrimination against older and less wealthy people who most likely do not have such a phone. More than 60 countries have applicable labeling requirements, including Japan, Brazil,China and throughout the European Union. The largest GMO developers are also responsible for selling most of the world's commercial seeds. Their list is topped by Monsanto, which accounts for 27% of the total market. In September, an agreement was made to acquire the company by Bayer. The planned merger Dow Chemical and DuPont together have 23 percent of the seed market. Syngenta, which will be taken over by ChemChina, accounts for eight percent.which will be taken over by ChemChina, account for eight percent.which will be taken over by ChemChina, account for eight percent.
Background
Humans have been manipulating the genetics of crops for thousands of years by crossing and selecting plants with desired characteristics. In the past century, breeders have exposed crops to radiation and chemicals that lead to random mutations. Thanks to these and other laboratory methods, fruits and vegetables received new colors, crops developed disease resistance and yielded faster. Most wheat, rice and barley species are descendants of mutant varieties, as well as many vegetables and fruits. Hello Star Ruby grapefruit! In the early 1980s, scientists discovered how to introduce genes from other species to plants. This process in 1994 led to the commercialization of the first GMO, the Flavr Savr tomato. Tomatoes were removed from the market due to their weak taste. In 2015, the first genetically modified meat was approved for mass consumption in the United States. Developed by AquaBounty Technologies, a variety of salmon that grows twice as fast as regular fish for less feed is awaiting GMO labeling directives before it can reach American counters from inland fish farms in Canada and Panama. Genetically modified mosquitoes producing non-viable offspring can potentially help humans fight diseases such as dengue and Zika virus without the use of chemical insecticides.before it can get to American counters from inland fish farms in Canada and Panama. Genetically modified mosquitoes producing non-viable offspring can potentially help humans fight diseases such as dengue and Zika virus without the use of chemical insecticides.before it can get to American counters from inland fish farms in Canada and Panama. Genetically modified mosquitoes producing non-viable offspring can potentially help humans fight diseases such as dengue and Zika virus without the use of chemical insecticides.
Promotional video:
Argumentation
Proponents of GMOs point to a shared scientific opinion that genetically modified organisms pose no greater risk than any other crop. It is reflected in reports and statements by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the American Medical Association, and even the European Commission. There's also no doubt that GMOs are drastically reducing insecticide use, reducing soil erosion, making farms more efficient, and even saving Hawaiian papayas. Yet consumers continue to be distrustful not only of GM foods, but also of their central place in industrial agriculture. Anti-corporate ideology plays a role, and in popular culture, Monsanto emerges in the guise of a villain. Weeds and pests that are willing to fight back by using modified crops are able to genetically adapt, with disastrous consequences: Monsanto's insect-resistant corn is used so widely that the corn beetle begins to develop resistance, and this after several years of decline requires more a larger volume of pesticides. The food industry is divided. The Food Manufacturers Association has spent $ 68 million on an advertising campaign aimed at turning the results of labeling referendums in California and Washington into their favor. The organic food industry, which has quadrupled its annual global sales since 1999 to $ 80 billion,is providing the main financial support to the GMO labeling initiative, expecting more sales growth from terrified buyers.
Reference
The National Academy of Science, Technology and Medicine has published a review of research related to the safety of genetically modified crops.
The USDA published a report on the state of GMOs in the United States in February 2014.
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agrobiotechnology Applications maintains a database of approved GMOs around the world.
