Genetically Modified Foods: The Controversies Of Our World

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Genetically modified foods, are one of the great controversies of our days. Some people see in these foods the cure to world hunger, while others fear the unknown health effects. As stated by Dr. Geoffrey Clements, leader of the Natural Law Party, UK. "The genetic modification of food is intrinsically dangerous. It Involves making irreversible changes in a random Manner to a complex level of life which little is known. " The following research will be an analysis of the effects of genetic manipulation from different points of view such as: medical, economic, ethical, social, political and health. Often, proponents of GM crops suggest that there shouldn’t be concern about this issue, since the transgenic substance is degraded during processing …show more content…
And the goal is to put on trial if they are beneficial or harmful for each of the subtopics, using scientific evidence-based research and real facts about the consequences they bring to food manipulation. Genetically modified foods are products that are subject to constant checks and analysis, using rigorous and comprehensive processes that are even higher than traditional foods. "The food safety requirements imposed on any GM food before approval are even greater than those imposed on conventional food. The consulted experts in the field agree that there is no reason to think that genetically modified foods are harmful to the health. The controversy over the safety of transgenic part of the fiction. Today 40 million hectares of genetically modified foods are produced; and there is no specific accusation about it. Other experts in biotechnology also say that they do not offer any danger because the modified plant stem from other "normal" plants and no risk is involved, so the consumption of genetically modified food is totally harmless. Regarding the disclosure of some isolated experiments with …show more content…
Thus, there are public and private agencies on both sides of the Atlantic that exert this kind of surveillance on the modified food. Among the advantages of genetically modified foods, it is stated that the population may eat foods with more vitamins, minerals and proteins, and lower fat content, specific fatty acid production for food or industrial use, more resistant of the attack by viruses, fungi or insects without the need to use chemicals, which saves money and less damage to the environment. Herbicide-resistant crops: so that fields can be maintained by reducing the number and amount of employees and using those products with more desirable environmental characteristics. It can increase the life of fruits and vegetables. Increase production. Decrease the costs of agriculture. Biotechnology can help preserve natural biodiversity. Crops tolerant to drought stress (for example, excessive salt content in the soil). The modified foods are a hope for the Third World: GM foods are questioned by the well-fed Americans, but according to Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, “is the poor countries that need them most.” Statistics on population growth and hunger are troubling. Last year, the world population reached 6,000 million. And UN estimates that by 2050 probably will be around 9,000 million. Almost all of that growth will occur in developing countries. At the same time, the cultivable land per person is shrinking. The UN estimates that about 800