The Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

The Dangers of Genetically Modified Foods Essay Despite the recent surge in media coverage regarding genetically modified foods (GM foods) many Americans are unaware of what these foods are, or the possible benefits and dangers associated with them. Sometimes referred to as agricultural biotechnology; genetic modifying means that the DNA of food has been altered in some way at a cellular level. Scientists have learned that by inserting the genetic information from one organism into another they can create food crops that grow larger, stay fresh longer and are equipped with their own pesticides. GM foods have been a common part of the national diet since the early 90s. As with many scientific advances; e. g. , using chemo therapy to treat cancer, or underwater oil drilling, there have been unexpected, negative side effects. Genetically modified foods are not the super-food they claim to be. Until further research has been done to verify their safety, and prove they do not pose a threat to human health, the environment, and agricultural bio-diversity the use of GM foods should be banned or drastically limited in the United States. Human Health Many opponents to GM foods have raised concerns regarding the vast potential for these crops to cause allergic reactions in humans. A medical investigation done in India in 2005 determined that hundreds of agricultural workers developed allergies after being exposed to genetically modified cotton that contained Bacillus thuringensis (bt) toxins (Saunders, Ho, Cummins, 2007). Bt toxins are common biological pesticides that can be found in products like Roundup; a popular brand of household weed killer. Monsanto, the makers of Roundup, is also currently the world leader in GM food production. Similar research in parts of China and Africa also found a significant increase in the number of allergic reactions reported by agricultural works (Saunders, Ho, Cummins, 2007). The Journal of Hematology Thromboembolic Diseases published the results of study done on rodents that yielded frightening results. It was determined that there was a significant detrimental effect to the liver and kidneys of rats fed a strictly GM maize diet. The negative effects were caused by the mutagenic properties of genetically altered foods and the presence of Bt toxins transferred to and detected in the blood of the animals. The study concluded that before these foods can be considered safe for human consumption there will need to be longer studies completed on the effects of the toxins (Mezzomo, Miranda-Vilela, Freire, Barbosa, Portiho, 2013). Bt toxins, which have also been found in crops of soy and corn, are added to crops in hopes of reducing pests like weeds without the use of external combatants. The Environment The toxins produced by GM crops are not only dangerous to humans; they can be harmful to the environment as well. One pledge listed on Monsanto’s website states â€Å"We will use sound and innovative science and thoughtful and effective stewardship to deliver high-quality products that are beneficial to our customers and to the environment† (Monsanto, 2013). Many people have questioned the truthfulness of this promise. Prior to the wide-spread use of GM crops, there were multiple concerns regarding the over-use of chemical pesticides applied through sprays. Consumers have been told that by genetically altering the foods so they can produce their own pesticides there would be a vast reduction in the need for sprayed chemicals. Recent studies have shown that this is not the case. A 2007 survey of farmers who grew maize, soy, and other pesticide tolerant crops showed an increase of 383 million pounds more pesticide used than they would have required with non-tolerant seeds. The use of herbicides rose 31. 4% from 2007 to 2008 on GM crops. It was shown that as the weeds become increasingly tolerant to common pesticides like Bt toxins there will be increased need for external chemical pesticides (Budinger, 2013). Washington State University researcher, Charles Benbrook, likened the overuse Bt toxins to the overuse of antibiotics to treat common infections and stated that Its very much the same dynamic in play. By genetically altering corn, soybeans, and cotton so they can be sprayed throughout the growing season, farmers are now spraying their fields three times a season. Naturally as the weeds grow more tolerant they pass that trait to next generation, creating what is commonly referred to as a â€Å"super-weed† (Koebler, 2013). Roundup is a glyphosate-based herbicide used in many GM crops. The makers of Roundup have long reported that this is a safe alternative to chemical pesticides. Although this type of herbicide may be more desirable than its purely chemical rivals there are still environmental factors that must be considered. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that glyphosate has been proven to be deadly to earthworms. The decreased number of earthworms has resulted in a significant decrease of the bird populations in many areas where GM crops are grown (USDA, 2013). There has been no ruling against the use of Bt toxins in the United States however the French court has over-ruled Monsanto’s claims that there are no harmful effects to humans or the environment in 2009 (Marshall, 2013). Threats to Agricultural Biodiversity Concerns have also been raised by scientists and environmentalists regarding unintended effects of Bt toxins on non-targeted animals and insects. If the weeds can grow tolerant of the pesticides, it is logical to believe that insect pests may develop a resistance as well. This will cause there to be a spike in the pest insect population causing and imbalance in their relationship to preying animals (John Innes Centre, 2013). The most alarming effects of pesticides are related to the recent phenomenon of disappearing bees known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). This, however, is not related to Bt toxins; it is believed to be caused by neonicotinoids, a class of neuro-active insecticides produced by Bayer, the second world leader in GM crop production. A study done by The Harvard School of Public Health was able to recreate CCD by introducing neonicotinoids to four bee colonies. The study showed that bees exposed to high amount of neonicotinoids perished quickly, however the colonies exposed to small amounts over a period of four months also eventually succumbed to CCD. Alex Lu, an associate professor of environmental exposure biology in the Department of Environmental Health led the study and stated â€Å"â€Å"The significance of bees to agriculture cannot be underestimated, and it apparently doesn’t take much of the pesticide to affect the bees. Our experiment included pesticide amounts below what is normally present in the environment† (Chensheng Lu, Kenneth M. Warchol, Richard A. Callahan. 2012). False Promises It is arguable that GM food manufacturers could not anticipate such harmful effects on humans and the environment and therefore we can view their statements regarding health and safety as non-malicious, however, there have also been false claims made by Monsanto that make it extremely difficult for the consumers to have faith in their practices. A Monsanto-trained scientist, Dr. Florence Wambugu, claimed that the sweet potatoes grown on a test farm in Africa showed a higher yield that of the non-modified variety grown on the same farm. This caused many proponents of GM foods to claim that international cultivation of these crops will solve our world hunger problems by creating a sustainable food source. It was later discovered that the claims made by Wambugu were untrue and, in fact, the GM sweet potatoes died out much sooner than the naturally grown counter-part. A similar study done in Uganda has also shown that non-GM sweet potatoes produce higher yield. Multiple unsuccessful studies were done on gm sweet potatoes spanning a 12-year period and costing over $6 million (The Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging at San Jose State University, 2013). The World Bank and four United Nations agencies completed a study in 2008 and concluded that GM crops are not the solution for creating a sustainable food source. The study found that the sustainability of these crops is unreliable and whereas the yield was higher in some areas, it was significantly lower in others. The study also showed that organic and near organic farming had a much higher success rate in Africa where there is an emergent need for more food. (Vazakas, Arvanitoyannis, Baltas, 2007) There has been a limited amount of research done to prove the efficacy and safety of GM foods and despite claims that they are not safe for human consumption, they are becoming increasingly harder for Americans to avoid. Since the introduction of GM food there has been a substantial increase in the number of food allergies reported each year in the United States (Will Genetically Engineered Foods Cause Allergic Reactions?, 2006) . The World Health Organization has concluded that further research and monitoring of public health records will need to done before a conclusive answer can be reached (World Health Organization, 2013). It is imperative that the American people educate themselves on the negative side effects of GM foods and put a halt to the practices of GM food giants like Monsanto and Bayer. References Budinger, M. (2013). Whoops! The Legacy of Genetically Engineered Food. Retrieved from http://arizonaadvancedmedicine.com/articles/genetically_engineered_food. html Chensheng Lu, Kenneth M. Warchol, Richard A. Callahan. In situ replication of honey bee colony collapse disorder. Bulletin of Insectology. 2012. John Innes Centre. (2013, May). Impact of growing GM crops on biodiversity. Retrieved from http://www. jic. ac. uk/corporate/about/publications/gm-debate/gm-impact-on-biodiversity. htm Koebler, J. (2013, June). Herbicide-Resistant Super Weeds Increasingly Plaguing Farmers. Retrieved from http://www. usnews.com/news/articles/2012/10/19/herbicide-resistant-super-weeds-increasingly-plaguing-farmers Marshall, E. (2013). European Ruling Curbs Monsantos Claims on GM Crops. Retrieved from http://news. sciencemag. org/scienceinsider/2010/07/european-ruling-curbs-monsantos. html? rss=1 Mezzomo, B. P. , Miranda-Vilela, A. L. , Freire, I. S. , Barbosa, L. P. , Portiho, F. A. (2013). Hematotoxicity of Bacillus Thuringiensis. Journal of Hematology Thromboembolic Diseases, 1(1), 1-9. Monsanto. (2013). monsanto. com. Retrieved from http://www. monsanto.com/newsviews/Pages/Issues-and-Answers. aspx Saunders, P. , Ho, M. , Cummins, J. (2007, March). GM Food Nightmare Unfolding in the Regulatory Sham. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease. , 19(2), 66-77. The Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging at San Jose State University. (2013). Harvest of Fear. Retrieved from http://www. nufs. sjsu. edu/clariebh/Harvest%20of%20Fear. html USDA. (2013). Draft Environmental Impact Statment November 2009. Retrieved from http://www. aphis. usda. gov/biotechnology/downloads/alfalfa/gealfalfa_deis.pdf Vazakas, T. H. , Arvanitoyannis, I. S. , Baltas, H. (2007, October). The Polotics and Science behind GMO Acceptance. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 47(4), 335-61. Will Genetically Engineered Foods Cause Allergic Reactions? (2006, October 5). American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Retrieved from http://www. asbmb. org/ World Health Organization. (2013). Evaluation of Allergenicity of Genetically Modified Foods. Retrieved from http://www. who. int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/en/ec_jan2001. pdf.