My topic is genetically modified organisms/foods and
after I did some research on the subject I came up with many inquiry questions.
The main one would be: why are the bio tech companies/corporations so against the
labeling of products which had been genetically modified?
Firstly, there are the scientists who work for bio
tech corporations. They support the idea of genetically modified foods by
claiming that those are equal to their natural counterparts. Also, these
scientists state that genetically modified products will put an end to the
famine in this world, especially in the developing countries, because the crops
that had been genetically modified give off an increased yield of produce.
GMOs, they say, are created to be more resistant to drought, cold weather and
other extreme climatic conditions. There is no health risk associated with GMOs
and they see no reason in labeling GM foods. These scientists defend the
business of GMOs and are scared that if a law of labeling such product should
be passed, their profits would go down.
Secondly, there are the independent scientists. They
review the techniques of genetic engineering and its effects on public health
and environment. These people are objective and are concerned about decreased
bio diversity as a consequence of the increase in number of GM crops. They talk
about “super weeds” that are created by the presence of GMOs. They are worried
about allergenicity, a possible effect of ingesting GM foods, viral infections,
if the virus utilized for the transfer of genes is reactivates, increased
antibiotic resistance of bacteria. The independent scientists recommend
labeling GM foods because knowing what foods make you prone to allergies is
important for public health.
Thirdly, the last people involved in conversations
about the importance of labeling GM foods, are the consumers or individuals who
advocate for them. They argue that it is their right to make an informed
decision when buying a food product. This is the area where I found the most
interesting articles on the topic. For example, Monsanto, the biotechnology
corporation threatens to sue any state that would pursue passing the law which
requires labeling of GM products.
Thompson,
Janice, and Melinda Manore. “Genetically Modified Organisms: A Blessing or a
Curse”? Nutrition For Life, Second
Edition. San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings, 2010. Print
This
source comes from independent scientists and tries to look at positive and
negative impacts of GMOs. It describes what the pro GMOs claim and what the ones
who are against think about it.
“Our
Right to Know”. Mother Earth News.
00271535, Jun/July 2012, Issue 252. Environment
Complete. Web. 20 Sep 2012
This
article explains the consumer`s concerns about GMOs and talks about the
importance of a law that requires labeling GM products.
A
dialogue between the authors of these articles could sound like this:
Consumer:
What is genetically modified organism and how it is obtained?
Thompson:
I`ll give you an example. You want to make a tomato resist cold temperatures,
so you take a gene from a fish of the North Atlantic Ocean and you insert it in
the tomato`s DNA.
Consumer:
How do you know that would be safe for public health?
Thompson:
We do not have information of the impact on public health yet because bio
engineering of organisms started in 1994, thus it will take a couple
generations for us to learn about the health risks associated with that.
Consumer:
So, considering that there is not enough information on the impact GM products
have on public health, I believe it is my right to know what I am buying and to
avoid any additional health risks by finding on the label if the product was
genetically modified.
Thompson:
This is an existing issue in United States. The bio tech companies are not
required to mention on the label if the product was GM. In most European
countries, the industry of GMOs is highly regulated.
Consumer:
I am sure that such companies, like Monsanto, are more concerned with profits
than with public health safety. They worry that if labeling of such products
will be required, their profits will decrease and they do not want that.
Thompson:
Actually, they claim that if labeling laws are passed, the prices of such
products will go up, which does not make sense in case the profits go down
because that will be another reason for the consumer not to buy a higher priced
product.
Consumer:
They will raise the prices to make up for the profit loss, but in reality they
are saying that they would have to make up for the loss cost.
Thompson:
Whatever claims they might have, the labeling of GMOs remains an issue of great
importance within the US.
