Genetically Modified Organisms

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The safety and economic feasibility of genetically engineered crops and livestock, widely known as genetically modified organisms or GMOs, is an important issue for consumers, agricultural producers and the rest of the agricultural sector. (Herdt)

In Chicago 1999, Both European and American perspectives were presented in a sequence of panels that began by comparing the scientific efforts created from both countries on making GMOs, then they moved on to consumer attitudes.

There are three different fronts: how to deal with vocal consumer resistance, the speed of technological change, and restructuring of the agri-food indusry.

GM foods are evaluated thoroughly by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as the World Health Organization (WHO). (Holst)

FAO and WHO encourage that GM foods are not to be processed with antibiotic genes (Holst)

Plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals. Cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.

Gene Splicing

Taking genes that express a certain trait and insert it to another organism.

An example: Bacterium Bacillus Thuringienesis which creates crystals that are toxic to insect larvae.

Other GMOs work to improve drought tolerance, disease resistance, cold tolerance, increased nutrition, and to grow vaccines inside vegetables. (Vigani)

Allergenicity (Tepfer)

Allergenicity: The cause of an allergic reaction.

Gene Transfer (Tepfer)

Gene Transfer: The passage of genes from GM foods to bacteria or cells of humans.

Raises concerns if genes did transfer and were detrimental to humans.

Most likely to happen in the gastrointestinal tract.

Antibiotic genes are used in the process of making GM foods however, there is a very little probability that the transfer of these antibiotic genes would be passed on. (Holst)

Outcrossing (Tepfer)

Outcrossing: Introducing unrelated genetic materials to a breeding line in order to create more genetic diversity.

For example: Corn that is only meant for feeding and not for human consumption had pieces of its DNA found in your everyday eating corn.

Many researchers believe that it is necessary to improve crops genetically in order to feed a growing world population. (Vigani)

For example, improving the nutritional value of a crop like rice could help fight malnutrition in Third World countries.