Sunday, 24 November 2013
For and against GM foods
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For
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Against
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Facts
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Without GM
crops European agriculture will not achieve sustainability goals.
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Animals have
become seriously ill or died from GM foods.
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Genetically
Modified Foods Offer Numerous Benefits.
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GM plants
could contribute to an agriculture that is both profitable and advantageous
for the environment in Switzerland.
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An
unexpected poison in a GM food supplement killed 37 persons. The poison was
not discovered because careful search for unexpected harmful substances was
not made.
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U.S. More
Lenient on GM Labeling.
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Africa’s path to self-sufficiency.
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Top
researchers confirm that the results of genetic engineering are
unpredictable. This is why unexpected harmful substances may appear in GM
food.
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FDA Does Not
Test GM Foods.
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For
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Against
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Facts
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Supporters
of this technology maintain that it ensures and sustains food security around
the world as the population increases.
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A lot of
food that we eat today contains genetically modified ingredients and usually
without our knowledge.
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For
thousands of years, farmers have improved their crops by crossbreeding plants
that have good traits.
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Genetic
engineering can be done with plants, animals, or microorganisms.
Historically, farmers bred plants and animals for thousands of years to
produce the desired traits.
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The problem
of food shortages is a political and economic problem.
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Scientists
can take a gene from one living thing and put it directly into another plant
or animal.
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Genetic
engineering allows scientists to speed this process up by moving desired genes
from one plant into another or even from an animal to a plant or vice versa.
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GM Food is
an expensive technology that the farmers of the developing nations would not
be able to afford easily.
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Scientists
say the new techniques have created crops that are pest-proof, disease
resistant and more nutritious.
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What action has been taken to try and prevent the technology developing?
There have been debates and argumeents on this technology to be dicontinued as soon as possible.
Wednesday, 20 November 2013
What are the problems with this technology?
What are
the problems with this technology?
Public reaction to the use of recombinant DNA in genetic
engineering has been mixed. The production of medicines through the use of
genetically altered organisms has generally been welcomed. However, critics of
recombinant DNA fear that the pathogenic, or disease-producing, organisms used
in some recombinant DNA experiments might develop extremely infectious forms
that could cause worldwide epidemics. In an effort to prevent such an
occurrence, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States has
established regulations restricting the types of recombinant DNA experiments
that can be performed using such pathogens. In Canada, recombinant DNA products
are regulated by various government departments, including Agriculture and
Agri-Food Canada, Health Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Environment
Canada.
Animal rights groups have argued that the production of
transgenic animals is harmful to other animals. Genetically engineered fish
raise problems if they interbreed with other fish that have not been
genetically altered. Some experts fear that this process may change the
characteristics of wild fish in unpredictable and possibly undesirable ways. A
related concern is that engineered fish may compete with wild fish for food and
replace wild fish in some areas.
The use of genetically engineered bovine somatotropin (BST)
to increase the milk yield of dairy cows is particularly controversial. Some
critics question the safety of BST for both the cows that are injected with it
and the humans who drink the resulting milk. In the United States, a large
percentage of dairy cows are treated with BST, but in Canada, BST cannot
legally be sold. Scientists at Health Canada rejected the legalization of BST
in 1999 based on evidence that BST causes health problems for cows. In
particular, the Canadian scientists found that BST increases a cow’s likelihood
of developing mastitis, or infection of the udder, and it also makes cows more
susceptible to infertility and lameness. Nevertheless, the scientists consider
the milk obtained from cows injected with BST to be safe for human consumption.
Transgenic plants also present controversial issues.
Allergens can be transferred from one food crop to another through genetic
engineering. In an attempt to increase the nutritional value of soybeans, a
genetic engineering firm experimentally transferred into soybean plants a
Brazil-nut gene that produces a nutritious protein. However, when a study found
that the genetically engineered soybeans caused an allergic reaction in people
sensitive to Brazil nuts, the project was canceled.
Environmentalists fear that the transgenic plants may
interbreed with weeds, producing weeds with unwanted characteristics, such as resistance
to herbicides. An example of such interbreeding has been demonstrated in
experiments involving transgenic oilseed rape. Environmentalists also argue
that, due to natural selection, insects quickly develop resistance to plants
that have been engineered to incorporate biological pesticides.
Opponents of genetic engineering warn that the use of
genetically modified food crops could result in unforeseen problems. They point
to a 1999 study that found that genetically modified corn produced pollen that
killed monarch butterfly caterpillars in the laboratory. Although the study
results were preliminary, as a precaution the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) established new regulations in January 2000 to reduce potential risks
posed by the corn crop. Among the new rules, the EPA has asked farmers to plant
unmodified corn crops around the edges of genetically engineered corn fields in
order to create a buffer that may prevent toxic pollen from blowing into
butterfly habitats.
Many European and developing nations have voiced concern
about the health and environmental risks associated with imported genetically
modified food crops from the United States and other countries. In early 2000,
130 nations devised the Protocol of Biosafety. Formally approved in June 2003,
the treaty requires exporting nations to notify importers when products contain
genetically modified organisms, including seeds, food crops, cattle, and fruit
trees.
Some critics object to the patenting of genetically altered
organisms because it makes the organisms the property of particular companies.
For example, Costa Rica has enacted laws to prohibit the patenting of genes of
native Costa Rican species by drug companies in other countries. To date, no
laws are in place in the United States and Canada regulating the use of cloning
technology, and some people fear the prospect of human cloning. If this
technology remains unregulated, critics fear that it will provide the ability
to create an “improved” human being with characteristics predetermined
according to a scientist’s particular bias.
answers.yahoo.com
answers.yahoo.com
What foods are affected by this technology?
What foods
are affected by this technology?
Strawberry, Wheat, potato.
What is the science behind genetically modified foods?
What is the science
behind genetically modified foods?
Genetic engineering -- Intentional transfer of genes (DNA)
from one organism to another by an asexual process called transformation or transgenesis.
Monday, 4 November 2013
Seeking for the Truth
Search Engine:
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URL
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Usefulness of Information
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What the site tells us
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What type of organization hosts this site
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Google
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1st Result
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
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Extensive
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It
gives us an overview of what GMF is.
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Wikipedia/encyclopedia
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2nd Result
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www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php
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Informative
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If
they are Helpful or Harmful.
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Government
health organization report
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3rd Result
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www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au › ... › Food and nutrition - Food processing
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Moderate
information
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How
GMF is modified using biotechnology
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A
health organization
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4th Result
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www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/
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Detailed
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This
site has a report on GMF.
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World
health organization
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Search Engine:
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URL
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Usefulness of Information
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What the site tells us
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What type of organization hosts this site
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Yahoo
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1st Result
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
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Extensive
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The
site explains what GMF is.
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Wikipedia/encyclopedia
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2nd Result
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www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-biotech-foods
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Moderate
information
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This
site says that is it safe to consume GMF.
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Food
and health
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3rd Result
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www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions
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Detailed
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This
site gives us a report on GMF.
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World
health organization
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4th Result
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www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002432.htm
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Practical
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Information
about how engineering helps in modifying foods.
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Laboratory
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Search Engine:
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URL
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Usefulness of Information
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What the site tells us
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What type of organization hosts this site
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Bing
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||||
1st Result
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food
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Extensive
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This
site tells us what GMF is.
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Wikipedia/encyclopedia
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2nd Result
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www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php
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Informative
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This
site explains whether GMF is helpful or harmful.
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Government
health organization report
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3rd Result
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_food_controversies
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Extensive
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Environmental
relation with GMF.
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Wikipedia/encyclopedia
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4th Result
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gmo.mercola.com
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Practical
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The
dangers and risks of GMF.
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Hospital
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