GMO

Genetically Modified Foods By Paul Cottrell 3/19/2018
 Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3237531

Introduction
Genetically modified food has benefits and risks. There is a public concern to the actual safety for consuming genetically modified food and how these modified crops can negatively affect the ecosystem. Regulatory bodies in different regions of the world approach genetically modified foods differently, e.g. U.S.A regulation vs. European Union regulation. Proponents for genetically modified food suggest that engineered food is safe and that they are only speeding up the natural selection process, when compared to traditional breeding techniques. This issue also crosses religious boundaries as well, e.g. kosher and halal dietary laws. This essay explores the benefits and risk associated with genetically modified foods, whereby an emphasis was on comparing traditional food, human health, environment safety and government regulation. Benefits Genetically modified food can be engineered to be resistant to insects, water droughts and be fortified with essential vitamins. Engineering these genetically modified foods is a more efficient process compared to the slower process of natural selection or adaptive selection. Genetically modified food can have a more targeted approach in fighting plant diseases, such as golden mosaic virus for pinto beans by using a RNA interference to prevent replication of this virus (Tollefson, 2011). This will increase crop yield of the pinto bean and provided this crop at lower cost to consumers. In the case of genetically modified fish, Coho salmon have been engineered to accelerate maturity via a growth hormone gene (Phillips, 2008). With an accelerated maturity salmon can be harvested for sale at faster rates, which would improve fisheries’ profitability.  With a relaxed regulatory framework that is pro-genetic modification of food, such as in the U.S.A., biotechnology has incentives for research and market development of products. With a more regulatory framework that is pro-safety, such as in the European Union, consumer protection is paramount instead of biotechnology companies. This increased regulatory environment stifles research and development because there is no market incentive for these biotechnology companies. Risks Opponents of genetically modify foods propose that we cannot be certain of the negative externalities of introducing a genetically modified species into the wild, even though the current scientific understanding suggests low risk. Our diets have evolved over a long span of time and introducing genetically modified varieties seems there might be unintended consequences to our digestion or long-term development—especially if such genetically modified foods effects germline cells of the consumer. There is also the cultural paradigm to overcome, such as eating more organically grown foods that stifles genetically modified food marketability. In terms of crops engineered to be resistant to pests and infectious diseases, it is possible that these modified foods provide an environment that evolves viruses and bacteria that become super resistant—leading to a worse situation than before the introduction of the genetically modified species (Ramjoue, 2008). Only with the proper level of regulation and scientific testing can we safeguard from these potential negative externalities to the environment and human health. For example, it is important to not inhibit research and discovery in the field of biotechnology by imposing regulations that is not scientifically based. On the other hand, we need to safeguard the environment and human safety concerns when such scientific understanding is incomplete. In the final analysis we need genetically modified foods to help Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3237531 combat human diseases and to improve agriculture, but we also need the proper discipline of traversing into the unknown when using genetic manipulation.

References
Phillips, T. (2008). Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Transgenic crops and recombinant DNA Technology. Scitable by Nature Education, 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmostransgenic-crops-and-732 Ramjoué, C. (2008). A review of regulatory issues raised by genetically modified organisms in agriculture. CAB International. doi:10.1079/pavsnnr20083096 Tollefson, J. (2011). Brazil cooks up transgenic bean. Nature, 478, 168. doi:10.1038/478168a