Genetically modiied organisms: Breadbasket or Pandora’s box? 43of cheese. hree years ater being approved for sale in 1994, the genetically engineered hormone
bovine somatotropin (BST) was given to about 30 percent of dairy cows in the United States to
increase milk production. In 2006, 10.3 million farmers in 22 countries planted 252 million acres
of transgenic crops. he main producers of genetically engineered (GE) crops are the United
States, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, India, China, Paraguay, and South Africa. In the future, the
cultivation of GE crops is expected to increase dramatically in developing countries.
7 At irst glance, the beneits of genetic engineering speak overwhelmingly in its favor, par-
ticularly when one considers that the United Nations predicts that, in 2050, there will be 9.2 to
10.5 billion mouths to feed on a planet with inite agricultural land. Supporters of biotechnology
argue that genetic engineering can ensure an adequate food supply from crops that will mature
earlier, contain more nutrients, resist pesticides and herbicides used to control insects and weeds,
and produce higher yields. Researchers have had less success with animals due to the complexity
of animal genes, the high cost of working with livestock, and the slow rate of animal reproduc-
tion, but genetic engineering has succeeded, for example, in improving the wool production of
merino sheep in Australia. he birth of Dolly, the irst cloned sheep, in 1997 showed that remark-
able progress can be made.
8 he most serious issue surrounding genetically engineered foods is their safety. GE crops are
grown in monocultures and require heavy use of pesticides and herbicides. Despite recommended
safety limits, pesticides and herbicides leave residues on plants harvested and processed for
human consumption. Exposure to organophosphorus, glufosinate ammonium, and glysophate
has been proven to cause neurotoxicity, disruption of the endocrine system, immune system sup-
pression, cancer, and other serious health problems. GE foods themselves have not been around
long enough for their health efects to be thoroughly studied, let alone scientiically determined.
Scientists may be able to turn genes of or to transfer them from one organism to another, but no
one knows exactly how genes interact or what long-term efects these interactions could have. To
date, very few studies have been published on the safety of GE foods, and since tests are con-
ducted by the companies who develop and sell the products, the reliability of their indings is
questionable.
9 In the meantime, governments have done little to regulate GE products and the companies
who develop and market them. Shortly ater BST was approved in the U.S., the Pure Food Cam-
paign and some producers of milk products opposed it as detrimental to human and animal
health, but their protests failed to bring about changes in the law. Food safety comes under the
jurisdiction of the Department of Agriculture and the FDA, who evaluate the inal product rather
than the process that creates it. Since genes are considered to occur naturally and genetic modii-
cation is regarded as an extension of traditional agricultural breeding methods, GE foods are not
subject to the same degree of regulation as either artiicial additives and preservatives or poten-
tially allergenic substances. Despite activist campaigns for stricter controls and labeling laws in
the U.S. and a growing public resistance to GE products, the regulatory system tends to side with
powerful food and pharmaceutical companies. In Europe, on the other hand, public opinion
views genetically engineered organisms with skepticism and caution. In addition to the European
Union’s strict labeling laws, France and ive other European countries proceeded in 2011 to ban
genetically modiied organisms on their soil.
10 Another sensitive issue in the debate is the long-term impact of GE crops on the environ-
ment. Heavy use of herbicides and pesticides leads to the emergence of more resistant weeds and
pests. In addition to being toxic to humans, these chemicals harm or kill birds, insects, butterlies,
bees, and other animals and threaten biodiversity, which is essential to maintaining balance in
nature. Monocultures that employ industrial farming methods result in contamination of soil
and groundwater, as well as depletion of soil nutrients, while large-scale irrigation depletes water
resources.