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The disadvantages of genetically modified foods outweigh the advantages.
Advantages of genetically modified foods
Environmental benefits
Genetically modified foods have high yields. Bawa and Anilakumar (2012) mentioned that biotech cotton can against pest since the Bacillus thuringiensis subsp are edited in the genes of cotton. According to graph 1, the peak of cotton production was 330 kilograms per hectare from 1950 to 2003 in India, but cotton production has risen sharply since 2014 because of the appearance of pest-resistant cotton and its production climbed to 550 kilograms in 2017. This shows that genetic engineering can reduce or inhibit the destruction of crops caused by insects. Hence, the yield of genetically engineered products is higher than natural crops.
Health benefits
Apart from increasing productivity, people can obtain more nutrients from genetically engineered foods. For example, the modified Golden Rice 2 contains high beta carotene contents which can convert into vitamin A in our body when people intake. According to Hefferon (2015), vitamin A is an important element for people because it brings benefits to our vision and immunity system. Hefferon also indicated that there are three million preschoolers who suffer from eye diseases, and even some of them died due to vitamin A deficiency. The Golden Rice is to supplement sufficient vitamin A to reduce diseases caused by lack of vitamin A. As a result, scientists can introduce specific genes into genes of plants that increase the nutritional value of crops through biotechnology. It means the nutrition contents of genetically modified foods is higher than that of organic food.
Disadvantages of genetically modified foods
Harm to the environment
Genetically modified foods violate the law of nature and harm to the environment. There is a considerable genetic variation between offspring during the pollination of species, but the genetic material will be identical when the species is undergoing genetic engineering. Wunderlich and Vechoine (2014) pointed out significant negative impacts that genetically modified foods would increase the risks of occupying a dominant position and reducing variations between species while they pollinate with nature crops. Declining in variation, leading to a decline in biodiversity and decrease the ability of genetically modified foods to adapt to the environment. It means when crop diseases break out, most of the same species are affected and damaged.
Moreover, genetically modified foods would make weeds resistant to herbicides. The effect of herbicides reduces while weed tolerance occurs and thus larger doses of herbicides are needed to inhibit the growth of weeds (Owen & Zelaya, 2005). Nevertheless, weeds grow faster and resistant to herbicides due to overusing herbicides. It causes environmental pollution and destroys the balance of the ecosystem.
Violate morality
Genetically modified foods post a barrier in integrity, including religion and morality. Mixing the genes of different species to create a new substance in which the genomes do not exist in nature through biotechnology. For those people with religions, especially Christians, recombinant DNA technology goes against Gods original intention in the creation and also interferes with gene sequences of species (Pascalev, 2003). Another reason why the religionists would oppose genetically modified foods as uncertain substances added. Hinduism and Buddhism cannot eat meat or products contain transgenic that illustrating many religious builds a relationship between diet and integrity (Pascalev). Therefore, religionists may intake some ingredients that they restricted to eat which against their morals.
Health risks
Genetically modified foods pose risks to the human body which include allergenicity and toxicity. Zhang, Wohlhueter and Zhang (2016) stated that a type of protein named Cry9C, which has the insect-resistant properties, is inserted into the gene of corn, but some consumers experienced an allergic reaction after eating that genetically modified corns. What this means is that people would suffer from allergies after taking those transgenic products, although they do not have any allergic reactions to naturally grown crops in origin. Furthermore, genetically modified substances may not be fully absorbed in the digestive system and toxins may stay in our body that causes intestinal problems (Maghari & Ardekani, 2011).
References
- Bawa, A. S., & Anilakumar, K. R. (2012). Genetically modified foods: Safety, risks and public concerns–a review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 50(6), 1035-1046. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/docview/1439577854?accountid=14548&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
- Guruere, G. P., & Sun, Y. (2012). Measuring the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to Indias cotton yields leap. IFPRI Discussion Paper 01170. Washington, D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute. Retrieved from http://ebrary.ifpri.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15738coll2/id/126840
- Hefferon, K. L. (2015). Nutritionally enhanced food crops; Progress and perspectives. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16(2), 3895-3914. doi: 10.3390/ijms16023895
- Maghari, B. M., & Ardekani, A. M. (2011). Genetically modified foods and social concerns. Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology, 3(3), 109-117. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=0bb53a3b-849c-48ae-a1dd-b86bc06737c4%40pdc-v-sessmgr01
- Owen, M. D., & Zelaya, I. A. (2005). Herbicide-resistant crops and weed resistance to herbicides. Pest Management Science, 61(3), 301311. Retrieved from https://doi-org.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/10.1002/ps.1015
- Pascalev, A. (2003). You are what you eat: Genetically modified foods, integrity, and society. Journal of Agricultural and Environment Ethics, 16(6), 583-594. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/docview/14687816?accountid=14548&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
- Wunderlich, S., & Vecchione, M. (2014). Genetically modified food and its impact on the environment. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 181, 445454. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.eproxy.lib.hku.hk/docview/2258202430?accountid=14548&rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo
- Zhang, C., Wohlhueter, R., & Zhang, H. (2016). Genetically modified foods: A critical review of their promise and problems. Food Science and Human Wellness, 5(3), 116-123. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213453016300295?via%3Dihub
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