Analyzing the Evidence About GMOs
As the world population increases, demand for food increases with it. This leads to the creation of artificially modified organisms, GMOs, that can combat the problem of world hunger in a variety of different ways. Having been shown to increase the nutrients of certain foods and be easily accessible, GMOs have been pushed by a variety of different governments and scientists throughout the world. However, there is still large amounts of controversy and debate surrounding this delicate topic, as many are hesitant to fully trust atypical methods of producing food. This leads us to having to look deeper into certain topics regarding the safety of GMOs, and whether science backs them or opposes them.
The Negatives:
GMOs often have an unpleasant reputation, and studies have been shown to back up these claims against genetically modified foods. Certain studies have shown that GMO foods can increase protein allergenicity in people. This is because when GMO crops are mixed with the genes of many other crops, some of which a person may be allergic to, it can lead to a dangerous allergic reaction. Furthermore, the continuous intermixing of various genes from different crops can lead to organic foods and GMO foods to occasionally mix, and therefore lead to the adulteration of organic crops as well.
This is a health concern, as it may lead to people with certain allergies not being able to eat many foods and crops, both organic and GMO. Due to the fear of uncertainty, as crops are not labelled to show what other genes they have been mixed with, people with allergies will not be able to eat with ease.
Furthermore, certain studies and scientists have warned that it is necessary for further testing on the mutagenesis and carcinogenesis of GMO crops. While currently, not much is known about GMOs causing cancer or a variety of diseases, many learned professors and scientists have proclaimed that it may be an aspect of GMOs that not many studies have expanded on. For example, the use of recombinant GH in animals (such as cows or salmon) have been shown to possibly cause cancer. This is an aspect of GMOs that should definitely be further studied, and is a large reason why the general public is so against the growing of GMOs, both animals and crops.