GMO Food: Arguments Against Genetically Modified Foods

Arguments against Genetically Modified Foods
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Abstract
Food is fundamental to humans, and its importance is profound with some people able to afford at least a meal a day. Food insecurity is a central issue with the increasing global population, and malnutrition is becoming a global concern. The highest number of the increased population will be in the developing nations, which are the ones experiencing related food deficiencies. In response, suitable solutions such as the development of genetically modified (GMO) foods has been at the core of this development. On the other hand, GMO foods have received significant backlash because of the profound health risks that they pose to consumers. GMO foods have elicited heated debates with opponents and supporters presenting formidable arguments. However, the human body is never an experimental tool and GMO foods ought to be abolished for organic farming. This paper takes an in-depth analysis on the predominance of GMO foods and opinions against them such as its role in the development of cancer and allergic reactions, imbalance in the human body’s nutritional system, cardiac diseases, and sterility.
Table of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc11095845 \h 21.0 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc11095846 \h 42.0 Global Comparisons PAGEREF _Toc11095847 \h 43.0 Arguments against GMO Foods PAGEREF _Toc11095848 \h 53.1 Development of Cancer PAGEREF _Toc11095849 \h 53.2 Allergic Reactions PAGEREF _Toc11095850 \h 63.3 Imbalanced Human Body’s Nutritional System PAGEREF _Toc11095851 \h 73.4 Cardiovascular Disease PAGEREF _Toc11095852 \h 83.5 Infertility PAGEREF _Toc11095853 \h 84.0 Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc11095854 \h 9References PAGEREF _Toc11095855 \h 10
Arguments against Genetically Modified Foods
1.0 Introduction
Food is the most fundamental of all necessities for humans. Its importance is much more profound with some people able to afford three to four meals a day, others a single meal, and some none at all. Food and, in particular, food insecurity becomes a central issue with the increasing global population. Food insecurity and malnutrition is becoming a global concern with at the moment and is soon going to be a greater problem with the world population set to hit an astonishing 9.8 billion from the current 7.8 billion by 2050 (Van Bavel, 2013). The highest number of the increased population will be in the developing nations, which are the ones experiencing related food deficiencies. In response, suitable solutions such as the development of genetically modified (GMO) foods has been at the core of this development. On the other hand, GMO foods have received significant backlash because of the profound health risks that they pose to consumers. GMO foods have elicited heated debates with opponents and supporters presenting formidable arguments. However, in my opinion, the human body is never an experimental tool and GMO foods ought to be abolished for organic farming. The subsequent discussion provides an in-depth analysis on the prevalence of GMO foods and arguments against them such as its role in the development of cancer and allergic reactions, imbalance in the human body’s nutritional system, cardiovascular diseases, and infertility.
2.0 Global Comparisons
The development of GMO food is a course of scientific engineering. Genetic engineering (GE) of crops has been as an effect of the ever-growing world population with the need to grow more and better food becoming central issues. Molecular genetics has helped scientists understand genes and their related traits. GM crop cultivation has been on the rise that is in consideration of the total area of land although that pace has decreased over the years (Akumo, Riedel, & Semtanska, 2013). As a science, GE has received significant development in the European and North American countries where technology has set a tremendous footprint. Because of this technology, cotton, corn, and soybean have been the most extensively cultivated GM crops. Surprisingly, Europe grows less than 0.5% of the globe’s GM crops, as the region is also robust on the establishment of regulations on the same matter. The European Union (EU) was central to the imposed regulations amid the refusal by European consumers to purchase related commodities (Akumo et al., 2013). Therefore, despite the tech originating in these regions, the real-life application has been on the developing countries.
Developing countries suffer from an exponential rise in its population numbers. It is also noteworthy that the highest percentage of the rise in global population according to the numbers mentioned above will be in the developing countries. Their state is worsened by the seasonal changes in which case, citizens here have a season of plenty and that of starvation. When this is the case, the goal becomes to feed the hungry citizens instead of focusing on the GMO regulations. Relevant rules and regulations become dispensable in critical times. This procedure is understandable as the human life is much more important than thoughts based on qualms.
3.0 Arguments against GMO Foods
3.1 Development of Cancer
The greatest setback GMO foods have faced in recent years is their role in kick starting the growth of cancer cells in an otherwise healthy body. This scientific procedure is all about gene splicing meaning that a gene is transferred to another plant to create a new product. Scientists believe that the profound product will be a solution to a specific human predicament. However, the process has been documented to be a cancer-causing procedure. For instance, the use of glufonsinate and bromoxynil, which are herbicide resistant chemicals, in corn, soya, and cotton are known causes of cancer. Similarly, the use of both stilbene group in cattle fattening and injection of bovine growth hormone (rBGH) for the enhancement of milk production initiate the growth of cancer cells. The relative increase in insulin-like growth factor in milk and consequently in “human blood leads to lymphoma, breast, ovarian and uterine, prostate, colon, lung, and pancreatic cancer” (Ozkok, 2015). GMO foods have major significant adverse carcinogenic effects.
Researchers in France conducted experiments to ascertain the truth behind this hypothesis. Rats used in the experiment were fed Monsanto’s GMO corn for their entire lifetime. Otherwise, the rats were exposed to the company’s product Roundup, which is the top-selling weed killer. Later, the animals were found to have developed damaging tumors and more so, they had suffered multiple organ damage (Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2012). The animals contracted severe kidney and liver damages as well as mammary tumors. In the end, most of the animals died prematurely equivalent to 70% of females and 50% of males relative to 20% and 30% in the control group respectively (Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2012). Although these as...