Introduction
Recently, the idea of venturing into genetically modified crops to enhance food security has raised a hot debate among the public and government stakeholders. Admittedly, some pros genetically modified foods have, such as an increased food supply that is cheaper and has a long shelf life, tastier nutritious food, and fast growth in plants and animals. On the other hand, genetically modified foods have cons, including their ability to cause an allergic or toxic reaction. They can lead to harmful genetic changes and biodiversity loss in cases where other plant types are disregarded.
To adopt genetically modified foods, the stakeholders must evaluate their benefits and the threats they may cause to humans, the environment, and the economy. However, insufficient scientific studies assess the risks of adopting these crops. Genetically modified foods are created to ensure food demand security, yet they can potentially be more harmful than helpful, with risks to human health, the environment, and the economy.
Nutritional Benefits of Genetically Modified Food
The scientific methods such as reproductive cloning and recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology used to grow the products enhance their benefits. For instance, herbicide tolerance is one of the common attributes of genetically modified crops. They resist viruses and insects; thus, they do not require pesticides like the non-genetically modified ones. This aspect makes it easier for farmers to control weeds; thus, they can grow on large scales, increasing the food supply to the market.
Additionally, the crops are tastier and have more nutrients; thus, the consumers do not need to enhance the foods using other products. According to Vega Rodríguez et al. (2022), it is essential to enhance crop nutrients instead of adding supplements to foods to fight malnutrition. Therefore, with genetically modified foods, consumers will get plenty of food supply rich in nutrients; hence, deficiency diseases are likely to reduce dramatically. However, although the pros of genetically modified crops yield more towards food production to secure food demand, the topic of safety for human consumption remains amongst scientists.
Health Threats Posed by Genetically Modified Food
Genetically modified foods are common threats, including their impact on human health. Genetically engineering food is an upcoming practice, and its long-term effects remain undetermined. However, some of the revealed concerns in human health include increased risk of allergies and toxic reactions. For example, if a consumer with a nut allergy consumes soybeans with nut genes, they are likely to have an allergic reaction. In addition, the foods cause kidney diseases and obesity due to their improved nutrients.
Moreover, the foods are said to increase the carcinogenic substances that may cause cancer among consumers. Consequently, when consumers know of the allergic reactions, the chemicals used to grow the crops, and the toxicity of the foods, they tend to choose organic products (Pakseresht et al., 2021). The potential human health risks, long-term effects, and proper labeling are the main concerns of consumers.
Environmental Dangers of Genetically Modified Food
Genetically modified foods have a significant impact on the environment and economy. Although these crops are favorable even to areas with poor soils and are less prone to waste due to their increased shelf life, they pose several environmental concerns. Such issues include the adverse impact on insects and other species and the reduction of other plant types.
Economic Impacts of Genetically Modified Food
On the other hand, introducing genetically modified foods has impacted the economy positively and negatively. Genetically engineered foods have increased market supply, which has enhanced food security since consumers have plenty of nutritious food to choose from. The issue of malnutrition has also been addressed since the crops grown have the essential nutrients.
The long-term effects of these foods, such as human health concerns, cause negative impacts on the economy. Genetically modified foods tend to be cheaper compared to organic ones. This aspect brings controversy among farmers who grow naturally and those who use genetically modified foods (Sendhil et al., 2022). Admittedly, farmers that yield towards using genetic engineering may have an advantage in growing more crops, though it raises issues with consumers being wary of possible adverse effects.
Conclusion
In conclusion, genetic engineering food is a new practice that enhances food security and addresses increasing consumer demands. However, consumers are still concerned about purchasing these products due to their human health risks. The pros of genetically modified foods include increased shelf life, more nutrients, high resistance to viruses and insects, they can be grown even in areas with poor soil, and they have enhanced growth. On the other hand, these foods may adversely impact human health. For instance, they cause allergic reactions; they may cause cancer and have contributed to obesity cases globally.
However, research on their impacts on health is ongoing, making many consumers still purchase organic foods. Moreover, some people find it unethical to use genetically modified crops, and their key concern is the long-term effects of these foods. Consumers’ primary concerns are lack of public awareness, census among scientific studies, and human health risks. Genetically modified food for human consumption remains a significant topic of debate.
References
Pakseresht, A., Edenbrandt, A. K., & Lagerkvist, C. J. (2021). Genetically modified food and consumer risk responsibility: The effect of regulatory design and risk type on cognitive information processing. PloS One, 16(6), 1-21. Web.
Sendhil, R., Nyika, J., Yadav, S., Mackolil, J., Workie, E., Ragupathy, R., & Ramasundaram, P. (2022). Genetically modified foods: Bibliometric analysis on consumer perception and preference. GM Crops & Food, 13(1), 65. Web.
Vega Rodríguez, A., Rodríguez-Oramas, C., Sanjuán Velázquez, E., Hardisson de la Torre, A., Rubio Armendáriz, C., & Carrascosa Iruzubieta, C. (2022). Myths and realities about genetically modified food: A risk-benefit analysis. Applied Sciences (2076-3417), 12(6), 2861. Web.