genetically modified food

[Red_Dave]

For or against [and why?]

 

[Kandahar]

Definitely in favor. GM foods are often more disease resistant, often grow in harsher climates, and often produce higher yields. They're an excellent way to feed huge numbers of people cheaply, as the New Rice for Africa program has shown.

In the not-so-distant future, it's very likely that you'll be able to get inoculated from certain diseases by, say, eating a genetically-modified apple.

There are really no rational arguments against GM foods, just hysteria.

 

[Voidwar]

The only food regularly eaten by humans that is not genetically modified is Ocean caught fish and Hunted Game.

Know what Maize looked like before we bred it into Corn ?

It was a foot high and one bite.

Breeding for characteristics we liked is how Man genetically modified food back then. All the common food we eat has already been gentically modified by Humans thru selective breeding.

I am a Chemist and Geneticist, grad. Iowa State, '96.

So, take it from someone who knows, almost all food is already genetically modified.

 

[WI Crippler]

All for it. I need my beef to make me stronger....


Even though I hold no fault for people who are naturalists/survivalists, and want to hunt and or grow their own food.

 

[rathi]

GM food is so diverse its like asking if you are for or against fire. You can save someones life with fire or you can kill them with it, depending on circumstances. Some genetically modified organism are dangerous, some are not. It depends specifically what you change, not the process of how you do it. It all depends on how much you trust the person doing the modifying. For example, if Monsanto modifies something, I wouldn't eat it. However, If I do the changes myself, I would have not problems.

 

[1069]

For or against [and why?]

I read Seeds of Deception a few years ago. A friend who is very anti-GM food lent it to me.
I was not particularly convinced by it, although it's definitely food for thought.
IMO, the verdict on GM foods remains out.

My greater concern right now is the fact that dairy cows are given massive amounts of synthetic hormones to increase milk production, and these hormones may be present in the milk Americans drink. I find it unnerving that children are so large today, compared to the children of other countries or to American children 100 years ago, and I find it disturbing the average age children reach puberty today is around eleven or twelve, when 100 years ago, it was 15 or 16.
I understand that the fact that they are well-nourished and immunized against disease is partially responsible for this younger sexual maturation, but I fear that synthetic hormones present in commercial dairy products might also be partially responsible, and one has to wonder if these hormones create any future risk for breast cancer and other problems.
I also worry about the strong antibiotics routinely given to livestock.

 

[Traveller]

Round-up ready soybeans(GM)may be easy for farmers to grow - but if monsanto is so smart could they leave the Round-up part out? This is all about money -not that there's anything wrong with a little money, but what does the environment think, or doesn't that matter.
Most farmers are totally in denial when it comes to the over-use of pesticides
in our present day agriculture, and genetically modified seed doesn't seem to have changed that. Round-up is one of the most over-used herbicicdes in the world. Let's hope it doesn't become the new DDT of our time.
One could argue that we've been genetically modifying seed for centuries, but there is a big difference between what we're doing today with crops like Round-up ready soybeens and traditional plant breeding( and you know that - voidwar)

 

[Kandahar]

Round-up is one of the most over-used herbicicdes in the world. Let's hope it doesn't become the new DDT of our time.

The ban on DDT was lifted by the World Health Organization last year. DDT will save *millions* of lives from malaria, and should never have been banned in the first place. There is absolutely NO evidence that it has ANY harmful effect on humans...certainly not compared to, say, malaria.

 

[Traveller]

In a risk-managed, weapon sense - DDT is a great weapon against
out-breaks of Malaria.
None-the-less this insecticide was over-used in agriculture. But in some situations it could help, I agree.
Genetically modified cotton doesn't seem like a bad idea considering the amount of pesticide that was needed - but now isn't.
But caution needs to be taken - who controls this and which direction it will all go are serious questions?

 

[Traveller]

In a risk-managed, weapon sense - DDT is a great weapon against
out-breaks of Malaria.
None-the-less this insecticide was over-used in agriculture. But in some situations it could help, I agree.
Genetically modified cotton doesn't seem like a bad idea considering the amount of pesticide that was needed - but now isn't.
But caution needs to be taken - who controls this and which direction it will all go are serious questions?

 

[nes]

Sigh...

DDT Ban Takes Effect | EPA History | US EPA

The decline was attributed to a number of factors including increased insect resistance, development of more effective alternative pesticides, growing public and user concern over adverse environmental side effects--and governmental restriction on DDT use since 1969.

As for genetically modified food I don't care to much, I hope you know that most GM plants out there won't grow naturally since the seeds are inferior (won't sprout) to other seeds during germination.

 

[FallingPianos]

I have no moral opposition to it, though I think it should be done carefully. my main concern is with the safety of eating genetically modified foods, and with ecological concerns.

 

[Edify_Always_In_All_Ways]

No question- for. Despite possible risks now, with time to research and track it's effects, GM food will quickly be made safe for everyone- not to mention that, with the population as it is right now, we are going to need it soon.

Personally, I believe genetic engineering will be what the railroad was tothe 19th century and what the computer wasto the 20th- the technology that will improve life the most and open up opportunities for our entire civilization to advance.

 

[Australianlibertarian]

Farmers have been using genetic engineering for thousands of years. This is what cross breeding is. Infact any form of sexual reproduction is by definition genetic engineering, because you are recombining genes. The difference in todays world is that we have the tools to create specific genetic traits. The wheat, barley, or maize that we see today is a culmination of very haphazard breeding by farmers. We now have the power to create plants with specific requirements.

The major failing of GM products in the last decade is due to the vast ignorance of the general public, and their environmentalist meme, which obsesses with environmental purity. This meme does not reflect reality, and is a very good example of why government should not be influenced by populism. The general public should have had never been involved in the GM debate, because they now F%*k all about it. Period. People get very immotive about food, but that doesn't mean that a person's argument is any more rational, and therefore legitimate.

Lastly by definition no food can be made safe for everyone, because you will always have people that are alergic to something. In reality you can only make a product safe for the vast majority.

 

[Traveller]

farmers have been growing GM seeds for decades! - not as they are defined today. I guess we could say that all organic life is genetically modified than - including human life - if thats your logic.
I'm not against this any more than I'm against seeding life on Mars -which NASA is planning.
But who controlls it all? --and who profits - this concerns me somewhat.

 

[Voidwar]

One could argue that we've been genetically modifying seed for centuries, but there is a big difference between what we're doing today with crops like Round-up ready soybeens and traditional plant breeding( and you know that - voidwar)

The only difference is speed. The "what" we are doing is exactly the same.

Selectively breeding blight resistant potatoes because all other strains die is the same thing only slower and sloppier.

 

[Traveller]

The transfer of genes from one species to another (or from an animal to a plant, for example) is not something that we would expect to happen under normal evolutionary process.
Crops grown under organic management have higher mineral values than conventionally grown crops whether they are GM or not. Even though there are 1000 acre organic farms, most farmers are not up for the job.
Many old-fashion varieties of crops(but not all) are more resistent than GM.
GM forces farmers to use specific herbicides over and over again - not a good idea - although in some cases GM does reduce the use of insecticide and fungicide. GM is meant for big-time industrial management - it does not mean better health for people or the environment - and probably adds directly or indirectly to our body count of toxic materials - due to the system of food production/delivery it is meant to enhance.

 

[rathi]

GM forces farmers to use specific herbicides over and over again - not a good idea - although in some cases GM does reduce the use of insecticide and fungicide. GM is meant for big-time industrial management - it does not mean better health for people or the environment - and probably adds directly or indirectly to our body count of toxic materials - due to the system of food production/delivery it is meant to enhance.

You are laying blame on the wrong thing. GM is nothing more than a new way to change crops. Its use is determined by those who modify the seeds. The problems with GM today stem from the fact that Monsanto is a really evil company. You are blaming the tool for its owners actions.

 

[Traveller]

To some degree you are right rathi - I am blaming the tool on the owners actions - and thats exactly my point - who controls this - playing God !
But there are other considerations - should GM soybeans be permitted to produce - pollen - for example. One fear is that the foreign genes may breed with their own species and creat life forms we didn't expect - do we have the understanding and wisdom needed to handle this technology?