Genetically Modified Foods: The Debate

When did GMO become available?
The food was actually available in the early 1990s.

Why did people make GMO?
Scientists aim to product a superior "species" of food, e.g. bigger, sweeter fruits, wheat that is tolerant of herbicides or insects, or tomato that is more resistant to rotting. Many of them have a noble aim: to produce more food to solve the world's hunger problem, or to improve the efficiency of agricultural land to save the environment. However, there are concerns related to potential harm of genetically engineered food to human, the environment and the world. We will explore this big debate below.

You bet!

In 2005, about 222 million acres (900,000 KM2, or double the size of California) are used for GM food cultivation, of which 55% are from US. In terms of harvest, around 60% of the world's GM food comes from US, 20% from Argentina, 5% from Canada, and the rest mostly from the 3 biggest emerging countries: Brazil, China and India.

In terms of crops, the most common genetically engineered food in the US is soybeans (89%), cotton (83%), maize (66%). Most of them are modified to become more herbicide tolerant.

It depends. According to a poll done in 2005, only a small proportion of Americans have knowledge on GM foods. Among them, they oppose animal cloning and support active product regulation, but in general remain supportive of the technology. The fact that GM food isn't required to be labeled, and absence of organized anti-GM-food campaign also contribute to the relatively lack of concern among Americans in this matter.

On the other hand, Britons (and Europeans) have much stronger views, with more than half of the Britons against GM food being available to the market. It may be a result of a controversial study in 1999 suggested that a few strains of GM potatoes might be toxic to laboratory rats, as well as wide-spread food concern since the Mad Chow Disease scare.

Interestingly, if we assume that the developing countries don't care, we are wrong!

In 2002, Zambia, a country suffering from acute famine, refuses to accept GM maize from the UN World Food Program. It was until the famine got so bad three years later that the government changed its mind and started importing GM food again.

Hugo Chavez imposes a ban on GM seeds throughout Venezuela in 2004.

The Hungarian government also disallowed import and planting of GM maize seeds in 2005.

As creative as you want! Animals can be made to mature faster, fruits made to yield faster and bigger, and plants made to yield more of the chemicals useful to humans (e.g. for making vaccines and special raw materials). Sky is your limit!

Given such a potential, it is not surprisingly that some people are marvelled by this invention while others are very worried about its impact to our planet.

On solving food hunger

Lovers: More food can be made efficiently. In particular, crops can be made to grow in harsh agricultural condition, e.g. in some parts of Africa.

Haters: There are enough food for everyone to eat, but currently food is not distributed to the right place. So problem is not quantity, but logistics, distribution and politics.

On solving malnutrition

Lovers: Food can be modified to contain more vitamins and minerals. For example, a new strain of vitamin-A rich rice is being developed, hopefully to alleviate blindness which has been affecting 500,000 persons on an annual basis.

Haters: Food can be consciously made good, but unconsciously made toxic at the same time. There are valid concerns of unforeseen consequences.

On food safety

Haters: There is not enough scientific research to study the potential harm of GM food.

Lovers: There are already more than 100 government research. None of them have conclusive evidence of harm from GM food.

On politics and balance of power

Haters: Since the GM technology is owned by a few biotechnology firms, there is a worry that these firms have too much power in controlling the world food market. Also, the millions of farmers' livelihood will be controlled by these few firms.

Lovers: The reduction of herbicides used and increased efficiency of GM food actually make farming more profitable for individual farmers. Also, a few genetically engineering licenses are given to farmers in poorer regions allowing to save seeds for next year's planting.

On the environment

Lovers: Crops are made to be herbicide-tolerant. Therefore, less herbicides are used which is only positive for the environment.

Haters: It is true, but now that herbicides are so successful in killing the weeds, the animals that live off from crop weeds will be wiped out.

It happens in nature anyway

Lovers: Cross breeding is a natural process of producing new breeds with different genetic characteristics. Sounds the same for genetic engineering, so what's the big deal?

Haters: Cross breeding is a process that goes through thousands of years and is well tested in the environment. However, genetic engineering done in a lab in large quantities is too quick and too large-scale for our vulnerable eco-system.

The debate continues.

While the GM food issue remains controversial, it is the most important that we find out the facts, then give our support or opposing accordingly. I hope you have learned a little bit about genetic modified foods today and please do take a poll below and tell the world what you think!