The GMO Debate |
In Module 3 - Lab Exercise you have learned about methods used in gene cloning, and in Module 3 - Process of Science about how scientists evaluate risk. Some people wonder whether cloning new genes into food crops is a risk to the environmental or to our health. Here you will read about some of the different questions people have about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) |
1. The
values debate - is it right for human beings to genetically
alter other organisms? |
For some, the idea of cloning
genes from one organism into another reminds them of old movies where
scientists try to create or change living things and instead unleash
new destructive forces. In fact, many anti-GMO activists in Europe
call genetically-modified food crops, "Frankenfood", because
they liken it to the creation of Frankenstein.
People's worries about genetic
engineering sometimes reflect their suspician of science in general,
especially if they blame scientists for the existence of nuclear weapons,
chemical carcinogens and other destructive forces in the modern world
Finding common ground between
people with radically different views of the role of scientific discovery
is difficult, but it should be recognized that many of us live longer,
healthier lives than people living even 50 or 100 years ago, and that
much of this we owe to scientific innovation.
Regarding genetic modification, is is also important to remember that
human beings have been modifying other organisms since the dawn of
civilization in the form of plant and animal breeding. And that even
prior to gene cloning, plant breeders have been crossing plants that
do not normally interbreed.
What do you think?
1. Is moving genes from one organism
to an unrelated organism OK?
2. Are there examples of genetic
engineering that you are comfortable with and others not?
- How would you feel about being
given insulin that was made in the bacterium E. coli?
- How do you feel about eating
corn that makes a protein toxic to insects, thus requiring fewer
pesticide treatments?
2. The
social consequences debate - Does the creation and use of
genetically engineered food crops favor corporations and western
nations over farmers and developing nations? |
Many people support scientific
discovery and technological innovation, but worry about how governments
and corporations use the new technology. Companies generally patent
their genetically engineered crops and charge more money for its seed.
But many farmers can't afford the higher prices. Furthermore, by patenting
the seed, farmers are not allowed to keep some of their harvest to
use as seed for the next year's crop (a common practice in developing
countries).
The companies respond that genetic
engineering reduces the need for herbicide, pesticide, and insecticide
applications, which benefits everyone's health. And that they have
to charge more to recoup the investment they made in developing the
new products.
What do you think?
How might the needs of the companies
and the farmers be balanced?
Would you be willing to pay more
for food that was genetically engineered is you knew it had less chemical
residue?
Would you be willing to pay more
for food that was neither GMO nor chemically treated?
3. The environmental
risk debate
- What are the risks to human and environmental health from genetically
modified food crops and how can they be predicted, tested, and avoided? |
Some people worry that genetically
modified food crops are being grown and consumed without adequate
testing of the potential negative consequences. For example, some
crops have been engineered to be resistant to herbicides so that farmers
can kill weeds in their fields without killing the engineered crop
plant. What is the risk that the weeds and the GMO crop plant will
interbreed and the weeds become resistant to herbicide? How can this
risk be measured and minimized? Some people also worry that the novel
proteins made by GMO crops may be toxic to humans.
Companies counter that products
are rigorously tested by the developers, the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Department
of Agriculture (USDA) before release. More
details on who regulates what
What do you think?
1. What worries you most about
GMO crop plants?
2. Are you willing to accept
some risk in exchange for the benefits of GMO foods? If so, how much?
To learn more about how scientist
deal with uncertainty, see Module
3 - Process of Science