Pros and cons of GMOs?

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Genetically modified food, also known as genetically modified (GM) food, comes from plants or animals that have had genes from other plants or animals inserted. Although human beings have modified plants and animals through breeding for many centuries, modern biotechnology makes it possible to directly modify the genetic heritage of living beings, producing much faster results. It also allows for the transfer of genes between organisms that cannot reproduce with each other. Potential benefits include higher crop yields, better nutrition, and better-tasting foods. On the other hand, there are concerns about possible unforeseen adverse health effects, environmental damage and commercial exploitation.

Genetic engineering could eventually bring benefits that are, as of 2012, in the speculative stage. There are also a number of concerns about possible adverse effects which are not yet supported by any concrete evidence; however, evidence may emerge in the future. It’s a relatively new technology that can bring huge benefits, but also has the potential for misuse. The pros and cons of genetically modified foods include the following:
Advantages
Better resistance to pests and diseases

Genetic modification of crops can produce varieties that are more resistant to pests and diseases, reducing losses and reducing dependence on pesticides. For example, a gene that confers resistance to a fungal infection in a wild plant can be inserted into a food plant that lacks this protection. The crop is therefore less susceptible to this disease.

Improved stress tolerance
Genes can also be inserted into crops that give greater tolerance to stress, such as drought, low temperatures or saltiness in the soil. This can broaden their range and open up new areas for food production.
Faster growth

Crops can be modified to grow faster, so they can be grown and harvested in areas with shorter growing seasons. This too may extend the range of a food crop into new areas or perhaps allow for two crops in areas where only one is currently viable.

More nutritious crops
Plants and animals can be engineered to produce greater amounts of essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, helping solve nutritional problems in some parts of the world. They can also be modified to change the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and saturated and unsaturated fats they contain. This could lead to the production of foods specifically designed for a healthy diet for all consumers.

Production of medicines and vaccines by crops
It may be possible to make plants and animals produce useful medicines and even vaccines, so that the prevention and treatment of human disease in some places can be achieved cheaply and efficiently through diet.

Herbicide resistance

Crops can be modified to be resistant to specific herbicides, making it much easier to control nuisance weeds. Farmers can simply apply herbicide to a cultivated field, killing unwanted plants and leaving the food crop unaffected. For example, genetically modified canola, the source of canola oil, is resistant to a chemical widely used to control weeds.
Better tasting foods

Foods can be engineered to taste better, which could encourage people to eat healthier foods that aren’t currently popular due to their taste, such as broccoli and spinach. It may also be possible to insert genes that produce more or different flavors.

AGAINST
Unforeseen side effects
Some of the effects of GM foods on human health can be unpredictable. The many chemical compounds found in foods behave in extremely complex ways in the human body. If the food contains something not normally present in the human diet, it is difficult to say what its effects may be over time. Although genetically modified foods are rigorously tested, there may be some subtle long-term effects that cannot yet be detected.
Problems with the labeling of genetically modified foods
It may not be clear to customers exactly what they are eating when they buy GM foods. Not all countries are required to label foods, or ingredients, as genetically modified, and even where such foods are clearly labeled, people may not take the time to read the information. People with an allergy to a specific ingredient can be unexpectedly affected by a GM food that contains that substance. Vegetarians and vegans may unknowingly eat plant-based foods containing genes that originally came from animals.

Reduced species diversity
Genes introduced to make crops toxic to specific insect pests can kill other beneficial insects, affecting animals further up the food chain. This could lead to a reduction in wildlife diversity in affected areas and possibly even the extinction of vulnerable species.
Ecological damage
It is possible that genes for resistance to insect pests, diseases and herbicides spread to native plants. Pollen from GM crops could be transferred by insects or wind to wild plants, fertilizing them and creating new modified plants. This could lead to herbicide-resistant weeds and the uncontrollable spread of plant species normally kept in check by natural predators and disease. This could harm delicate ecosystems.
Effects on non-GM crops
Pollen from GM crops can also spread to fields containing non-GM crops. This can result in supposedly non-GM foods actually containing material from GM crops. This has happened in at least one well-documented case, resulting in a long-running legal dispute between a farmer and a well-known GM company. Many complex legal issues can arise involving compensation and property. Another problem can be a blurring of the distinction between foods that have been modified and those that have not, creating problems for consumers.
Excessive use of herbicides
Planting herbicide-tolerant crops could encourage farmers to use herbicides more liberally, as they could be applied indiscriminately to crop fields. As a result, the excess could be washed away by the rains to pollute rivers and other waterways. The chemicals can poison fish and other wildlife and plants and could also enter human drinking water.
Benefits may not be available to everyone
The potential to end poverty and malnutrition may not be realized if patent laws and intellectual property rights result in the production of GM foods being monopolized by a small number of private companies. Rights holders to produce GM foods may be reluctant to allow access to technology or genetic material, making developing countries even more dependent on industrialized nations. Commercial interests can trump worthy and potentially achievable goals, limiting benefits to the world as a whole.

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