What's on your plate? Examining genetic modification.

Having been raised in the developing world, food shortage is a critically important ethical and humanitarian issue and one that I am personally invested in. Food shortage may be less of an issue with production and more of an issue of redistribution (Pollan, 2006). The role of genetic modification and differing agricultural practices such as organic farming, aquaponics, hydroponics, etc. are all important components to this multi-faceted issue. Genetically modified organisms are not the whole answer to the complex problem of food scarcity especially when balancing high yield crops with the extensive pesticide use and expense. In light of the mass suicides in India due in part to GMO and hybrid seeds (Sengupta, 2006), one needs to examine not only the agricultural impact of such technology, but also the environmental and socio-economic issues and consequences as well. Similarly touted as agriculture’s messiah, organic farming is also considered an irresponsible venture. These alternatives may have long-term consequences that we are just beginning to understand such as potential allergencity of genetically modified foods (Goodman et. al., 2011).


Genetic modification is fundamentally a natural process. Cross-pollination, selective-breeding, genetic recombination, and hybridization all occur as natural processes in our biological system. Genetic modification differs in the rate at which these genetic recombinations occur (Weale, 2010). For example, in may take a millennia or more for a plant to develop a certain genetic trait whereas genetic modification allows for it instantaneously. This precious power is coupled with a deep responsibility that may at times be neglected in the eagerness to provide sustenance for our burgeoning world population.



References

Goodman, R.E., Tetteh, A.O. (2011) Suggested Improvements for the Allergenicity Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants Used in Foods. Current Allergy Asthma Report.

Pollan, Michael. (2006) The Omnivore’s Dilleama: A Natural History of Four Meals. Penguin Press: New York.

Sengupta, Someni, (2006) On India’s Farms, a Plague of Suicide. New York Times Accessed April 11, 2011 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/19/world/asia/19india.html

Weale, Albert. (2010) Ethical arguments relevant to the use of GM crops. New Biotechnology, 27, 5.