Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Food

Increase income for farmers

Increasing productivity of farms

GM food crops are pest-resistant

E.g. Bacillus thuringgiensis(BT) which is a bacterium is inserted into Pest - resistant corn

BT corn suffer less damage from insects

Increase output

GM food crops are resistant to harsh weather

Crops grown can adapt to harsh weather condition

E.g. Flooding, drought, hurricanes

Reduce damge

Increase output

GM food crops stay fresh for longer

farmers can sell products to market further away

farmers can earn more

LDCS benefits from the GM food crops

Increase in Food Supply

High yield GM crop produce double amount of crops than the normal crop

Increase in food supply,lower the price of food

Affordable for LDCs

Reduce malnutrition and starvation

Improves nutritional value

GM food crops can be modified

Higher nutritional values

E.g. Golden Rice

Enriched with beta-carotene to supplement lack of Vitamin A

Deficiency in Vitamin A leads to visual impairment, blindness or even death

Golden Rice increased intake of Vitamin A (esp. in LDCs) to prevent disease

Reduces environmental pollution

less dependent on fertilizers and pesticides

reduce pollution such water pollution

Potential health risks

incorporating foreign genes into plants

may have adverse effect on human health

E.g. allergic reactions

Fear of unknown consequences of consuming unnatural food

E.g. GM peas caused health prolelms in reasearch mice

some countries banned import and cultivation of GM food

Subtopic

Loss of biodiversity

have the potential to harm other organisms

If resistance of GM crops transferred to wild plants

negative effects on insects and other animals which feed on them

causing reduction of biodiversity

pest resistance indirectly destroys them

feeds exclusively on mildweed

Loss of natural species

Gene pollution by GM is irreversible

pollen of resistant crop carried by wind or insect to compatible natural crops

Offspring will become pest resistance

herbicide resistant from GM food passed on to weed

Super weed , herbicide weed , is developed

stronger herbicide has to be used to get rid of them

Fear of dominance in GM crop
production

production and distribution of GM

Controlled by large biotech MNCs companies

GM crops are expensive

Farmers have to always purchase new seeds

Farmer require high capital investment

unprofitable

Small scale farmer and LDC could not afford

Lower the use of GM food