Genetically Modified Organisms: Food?

Human beings relationship with other living organisms has changed greatly over time.
The development of agrarian society correlated with large growth in population. The
domestication of plants and animals represent the first intentional genetic manipulation of other
organisms for human needs. Though in 1973 two scientists by the name Boyer and Cohen
successfully insert DNA into a specific sequence of a living organism and have that genetic
material passed on to subsequent generations1. This represented a seminal point in biology. For
the first time we now had the power to change genetic make up of organisms that couldnt
sexually reproduce. With this newfound knowledge and power came ultimately questions of
ethical use. Here well look at one area of impact from this research: Food.
There is concern that genetically altering our food on this fundamental level is so
complex that it may be dangerous. The full effects on the environment are as yet not well
known. There are two main concerns on this front. The first is that the recombinant DNA
could spread to other plants in the environment, horizontal gene flow. In this instance you could
end up with the gene preventing damage from herbicides migrating from crop to weed. And
since one of the biggest uses of genetic modification in plants is to make them resistant to pests
you also run the risk of creating pests that are resistant, much in the same way overuse of
antibiotics can create super bugs.
Consumer and environmental advocacy groups have been calling for more regulation and
testing of GM foods. The current standard, substantial equivalency, is to test whether levels of
nutrients, allergens, or toxins are not substantially different than there conventional counterpart;

1973 Genetics and Genomics Timeline Genome News Network 2000-2004

also that there are no new allergens or toxins.2 Some scientists have claimed these test dont go
far enough in establishing safety. Also there are questions of the regulators themselves and
whether or not theyre too close to the biotech industry. As with all regulatory bodies there
seems to be a revolving door between regulators and the companies they are suppose to be
regulating.3 These questions and others have made consumer groups push for the labeling of
GMOs as a go-a-round for what they see as shady practices from industry and government. The
first state to require labeling of food is Vermont.4 This represents what could be the beginning of
labeling throughout the United States.
With the development, sale and eventual failure of the Flavr Savr tomato in the 1980s
GMOs have become an ever-increasing part of American food. Up to four-fifths of processed
foods having genetically modified ingredients.5 Since the introduction of GMOs to the food
supply no adverse health problems have been found.6 The increases in the benefits of GMOs
are not just limited to economic gains. Golden Rice, a strain of rice that has been genetically
modified to produce vitamin A has been developed by the International Rice Research Institute
to combat malnutrition in the developing world. Another benefit of GM crops is in its ability to
reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilizer used. An often-cited success is that of BT corn.
Genes from Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria that creates a natural insecticide, is implanted into
crops making them resistant to certain pests.7 Overall though there has been an effort to remain

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Safety of Genetically Engineered Food UC Davis ANR 2006

Why is a Former Monsanto Vice President Running the FDA Political Blind S (Langer)pot Feb 23 2014
Vermont v science The Economist May 10 -16 2014
Vermont v science The Economist May 10 -16 2014
Genetically modified food controversies Health Wikipedia 2014
Bt Corn: Health and the Environment Colorado State University Sept, 2013
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subdued in touting the benefits, let alone their existence of GMOs in foods because of
substantial public pressure against such technologies.8
As to my opinion it has changed since writing this paper. At first I was suspicious of what
I perceived as large corporations tampering with my food. Though through the course of the
semester and researching this paper that which I feared has lost a lot of its power (David)
(Anonymous) (Wikipedia) (Peairs). I think this is kind of like the liberal version of human
caused climate change denial. They both are deaf to the majority of scientific evidence.9

Works Cited
Wikipedia. Genetically modified food controversies. 27 November 2014. 27 November
2014
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies#Scientific_publi
shing>.
Anonymous. "Vermont v science." The Economist 10-16 May 2014: 25-26.
Carl K. Winter, Lisa K. Gallegos. Safety of Genetically Engineered Food. University of
Califonia. Davis: Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, n.d.
David, M. B. Why Is A Former Monsanto Vice President Running the FDA? 23 February
2014. 27 November 2014 <http://politicalblindspot.com/former-monsanto-vicepresident-running-fda/>.
J. Craig Venter Institute. Genetics and Genomics Timeline. 2000 - 2004 . 27 November
2014 <http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/resources/timeline/1973_Boyer.php>.
Langer, Gary. Poll: Skepticism of Genetically Modified Foods. 19 June 2012. 27 November
2014 <http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97567>.
Peairs, F.B. Bt Corn: Health and the Environment. 1 September 2013. 27 November 2014
<http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/crops/00707.html>.

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Poll: Skepticism of Genetically Modified Foods ABC News June 19 , 2012

Vermont v science The Economist May 10 -16 2014
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