Genetically modified food??
By chocoholicx
@chocoholicx (228)
November 13, 2010 5:22pm CST
Hey, I live in England where genetically modified food is banned. But lately I've been think, why? I have not yet heard of any incidents where genetically modified food had harmed people in anyway. I mean in the current climate, wouldn't it be good to introduce genetically modified food so we can increase yield and therefore possibly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I've also heard that in countries like Kenya where the envrionment is very bad, not many crops can grow and the ones that can, don't supply enough nutrients for the farmers. Scientists have now been working to try and develop genetically modified crops that not only provide a balanced diet for the locals, but also grow easily in the climate. Why is this so bad?
What I don't understand is that everyone and every political party that I share views with and that I respect, would all disagree with me in this subject. What is it that I'm missing about genetically modified food that makes people disagree with it so strongly?
8 responses
@wiggles18 (2506)
• Canada
13 Nov 10
It is hard to see the effects genetically modified food has on people.
I think genetically modified food has very little nutrition, and so causes people to not fully develop, be as healthy as they could be, etc. Could also attribute to diseases, such as Cancer, Autism, Alzheimer's etc.
If they can genetically modify some plant to make it unappetizing to certain bugs, isn't that a sign that it probably isn't meant to be eaten?
@RebeccaScarlett (2532)
• Canada
13 Nov 10
You have no evidence to back up any of these statements. And plenty of insects have evolved certain looks to make them unappetizing to birds, even though they are just as tasty and nutritious as ever.
@chocoholicx (228)
•
13 Nov 10
"unappetizing to certain bugs" - really? I did not know this. But if GM food has very little nutrition why is it used so often in America?
But I don't really see that rates of people with Cancer, Autism and Alzheimer's increasing abnormally more in the US than in the UK and we don't eat GM food.
@wiggles18 (2506)
• Canada
13 Nov 10
Of course I do not have any "established evidence", why would the governments fund research that would make people upset with them.
Look at it: The government causes the problem, the government funds certain groups to look into problems, the government doesn't fund groups who want to look into the problems that the government causes.
That is natural selection, with the insects, it occurs in Nature. Making plants able to withstand decomposition is entirely different.
Go try to debunk some other thing.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
13 Nov 10
It is nearly impossible to determine the effects of genetically modified food on humans.
@wiggles18 (2506)
• Canada
13 Nov 10
Any "established evidence", because they want to keep on making the big bucks, regardless of who it harms.
Bribery is a common occurrence when dealing with this sort of thing.
@chocoholicx (228)
•
14 Nov 10
How do you know this - are you assuming that its because of a corrupt system? Or do you have "estabilished evidence"?
@chocoholicx (228)
•
13 Nov 10
Is that why people are against it? 'Cos that's a pretty negative reason, we don't know what effects it has so we have to assume its bad? Also, if we go by this policy all the time, we won't ever be able to introduce new things because we won't know what the effects are. We won't know unless we try and so far there hasn't been any evidence for harm in the US.
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
14 Nov 10
I don't think GM foods have been in use long enough to determine what the effects are going to be. I think it is going to take a generation or two before we really know.
One of the immediate results though is the effects on crops themselves. Many of thee modified crops are patented and you have to actually have permission to grow them. Large commercial growers like Monsanto plant enormous fields of these patented modified cops and often end up cross pollinating the crops of small time farmers. this leaves these farmers finding themselves with the genetically modified cop in their next growing season and they can find themselves in trouble for patent violations. It's a case of the laws not having caught up with technology yet.
@chocoholicx (228)
•
14 Nov 10
I guess the main problem with GM foods is that some big companies may be greedy about it causing more harm for people in poorer countries. But if GM food was controlled by the government wouldn't that be OK?
@soleya (1100)
• Latvia
14 Nov 10
From what I have heard genetically modified food is very harmful for people because it can change your DNA and you can change from inside. I don't know the specifics of this, but I decided for myself that it is not good for me. Everything which is grown or produced without interference of people and science is good for people, all other things are harmful.
@chocoholicx (228)
•
14 Nov 10
I think science has caused harm in some incidents but it has also greatly benifited man kind many times as well. So, I'm not going to assume GM food is harmful although I'm aware it may cause some problems in the future.
@RebeccaScarlett (2532)
• Canada
13 Nov 10
In many cases, it is a religious thing. People think scientists are "playing god."
1: As long as farmers have been breeding one strong chicken to another strong chicken in order to produce strong baby chickens, or one corn plant that produces a lot of corn to another corn plant that flowers earlier to get a bigger yield, we have been eating genetically modified food.
2: If you believe in god, you should believe what is says in the bible; that the animals and plants are man's domain. So, why shouldn't we modify them?
@RebeccaScarlett (2532)
• Canada
14 Nov 10
Well, as you can see from the comments made by another individual, above, many people have been convinced for some reason that GM food is going to give them cancer or autism, which is completely ridiculous. Spraying pesticides can give cancer, (DDT) so when scientists try to make use of natural animal and plant proteins to make food that is pest-resistant, they are trying to AVOID spraying cancerous chemicals on the plants.
It boils down to the fact that many people do not understand what is actually going on with GM foods. Scientists are not magically creating new chemical compounds (something that is impossible) and shoving them into your food, they are simply taking a shortcut. Rather than spend decades breeding successive generations of animals or plants to achieve the results they want, they just combine the DNA in a controlled setting, rather than the wild.
Ignorance causes fear.
@chocoholicx (228)
•
13 Nov 10
I'm guessing you do believe GM food is right then?
I'm agnostic so I don't believe the scientist are "playing god" at all. But I don't think that's why most people round these parts are against GM food either because they aren't really strongly religious. Do you know any another reasons for why they would be against GM food? - Just so I can get the whole picture.
@rovered777 (649)
• United States
14 Nov 10
Genetically modified food has different consistency when compared to traditional foods. Its always better to eat organically made fruits, because no harm can come from it. The spiraling rate of cancers may be due to genetic engineering and new chemical compounds within foods. Who knows how these foods will affect our health 25 years down the road. The genetic coding from these foods produces fruits that sometimes reduce nutrition and fiber. Crops may even contain chemical compounds that are extremely bad for health. These compounds are the affect of byproducts, which result from genetic changes. Even if its better for the manufacturing process, we as individuals should choose wisely, because our health is more important than money.
@Netsbridge (3253)
• United States
24 Nov 10
Chemically grown and processed foods are bad for humans because they are often grown and processed with chemicals that in fact cause several health problems. Cancer, now in its all time high, is known to be caused by several chemicals used in food processing. See:
You and Cancer - http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2797198/you_and_cancer.html
