GM Food Disputes

Genetically modified (GM) foods are foodstuffs produced from genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have had their genome altered through genetic engineering. GM Foods have been available since the 1990s. The most common modified foods are derived from plants: soybean, corn, canola and cotton seed oil and wheat.

Although the GM food industry is booming, there are controversies surrounding this industry. Controversies surrounding GM foods and crops commonly focus on human and environmental safety, labeling and consumer choice, intellectual property rights, ethics, food security, poverty reduction, and environmental conservation.

Here are some of the Benefits:

From Crops:
1/ Enhanced taste and quality
2/ Reduced maturation time
3/ Increased nutrients, yields, and stress tolerance
4/ Improved resistance to disease, pests, and herbicides
5/ New products and growing techniques

From Animals:
1/ Increased resistance, productivity, hardiness, and feed efficiency
2/ Better yields of meat, eggs, and milk
3/ Improved animal health and diagnostic methods

From Environment:
1/ "Friendly" bioherbicides and bioinsecticides
2/ Conservation of soil, water, and energy
3/ Bioprocessing for forestry products
4/ Better natural waste management
5/ More efficient processing

From Society:
1/ Increased food security for growing populations

Controversies

The Safety:
Potential human health impact: allergens, transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, unknown effects Potential environmental impact: unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination, unknown effects on other organisms (e.g., soil microbes), and loss of flora and fauna biodiversity

Access and Intellectual Property
1/ Domination of world food production by a few companies
2/ Increasing dependence on Industralized nations by developing countries
3/ Biopiracy—foreign exploitation of natural resources

Ethics
1/ Violation of natural organisms' intrinsic values
2/ Tampering with nature by mixing genes among species
3/ Objections to consuming animal genes in plants and vice versa
4/ Stress for animal

Labeling
1/ Not mandatory in some countries (e.g., United States)
2/ Mixing GM crops with non-GM confounds labeling attempts

Society
1/ New advances may be skewed to interests of rich countries