农大农学专业英语debate 5页

TheAdvantages&DisadvantagesofGeneticallyModifiedFood:BothSidesoftheDebatewrittenby:SonalPanse*editedby:PaulArnold^updated:4⑻2013Thenumberofcountriesgrowinggeneticallymodifiedcropshasincreasedinrecentyearscausingmuchdebateoverthesafetyoftheseproducts.Supportersclaimitwillfeedtheworldandpromotebetterhealthandecologicalwelfare・Whileothersbelievethefoodcontainsriskstohumanhealth.Geneticallymodifiedorganisms(GMO)includecrops,vegetablesandfruitthathavebeencreatedusinggeneticengineeringmethods・Scientistscombinedesirablegenesfromvariousspeciestocreatenewgenetically-alteredcrosseswithenhancednutritional,productiveandecologicalvalue・Thisdiffersfromtraditionalbreedinginthatgenetictransferencebetweenunrelatedspeciesdoesnotoccurbiologicallyinnature・Theprocessofcombininginter-speciesgenes,whichiscalledrecombinantDNAtechnology,doesnothavethechecksandbalancesthatareimposedbynatureintraditionalbreeding.Becauseofthisthereisariskofgeneticinstability.Thismeansthatnoonecanmakeanyaccuratepredictionsaboutthelong-termeffectsofGMOsonhumanbeingsandtheenvironmen匚\nExtensivetestinginthisregardiseitherveryexpensiveorimpractical,andthereisstillagreatdealabouttheprocessthatscientistsdonotunderstand.ThisisthecruxofthematterintheongoingdebateofGMOs.Foodisanemotionaltopic.Itmattersagreatdealtoallofus.Wearewhatweeatafterall.Thesubjectisalsoofvestedinterestforthecorporationsthatmanufacturegeneticallymodifiedseedsandagriculturaltechnologies・Theargumentsareintenseandpassionate.ProponentsClaimThatThereareManyAdvantages:•Cropsaremoreproductiveandhavealargeryield.•Couldpotentiallyoffermorenutritionandflavor(althoughthisisdebated).•Apossibilitythattheycouldeliminateallergy-causingpropertiesinsomefoods.•Inbuiltresistancetopests,weedsanddisease.•Morecapableofthrivinginregionswithpoorsoiloradverseclimates.•Moreenvironmentfriendlyastheyrequirelessherbicidesandpesticides.•Foodsaremoreresistantandstayripeforlongersotheycanbeshippedlongdistancesorkeptonshopshelvesforlongerperiods.•AsmoreGMOcropscanbegrownonrelativelysmallparcelsofland,theyareananswertofeedinggrowingworldpopulations.Corporationsinsistthat:•Geneticallymodifiedfoodsaresafe・Changingafewgeneshereandtheredoesnotmakeacroptoxicordangerous.•Whyshouldn'twealternaturetomeetourneeds?Therearemanynaturalorganismsthathumanbeingshavetransformedtoservetheirpurpose.CriticsCitetheDangersofGMO•Scientistscanchoosewhichgenestomanipulate,buttheydonrtyetknowwhereintheDNAtopreciselyinsertthesegenesandtheyhavenowayof\ncontrollinggeneexpression.Genesdon'tworkinisolation,changingafewcouldchangethewholepicture,withunpredictableresults.•Theuseofgeneticallymodifiedfoodshouldnotbeencouragedwithoutresearchintotherisks.•Notlabelingiswrongandunfairtotheconsumerswhoshouldhavetherighttoknowwhattheyarebuyingsotheycandecideforthemselveswhethertheywanttobuythefoodornot.Evenifhealthsafetyfactorsarenotanissue,somepeoplemighthavemoralorreligiousobjections.TheyshouldnothavetoeatGMOs讦theydonftwantto.•Geneticallymodifiedcropsposearisktofooddiversityastheplantsaremuchmoredominant.•Herbicide-resistantandpesticide-resistantcropscouldgiverisetosuper-weedsandsuper-peststhatwouldneednewer,strongerchemicalstodestroythem.GMOcropscross-pollinatewithnearbynon-GMOplantsandcouldcreateecologicalproblems-IfthisweretohappenwithGMOfoodscontainingvaccines,antibiotics,contraceptivesandsoon,itwouldverywellturnintoahumanhealthnightmare.TheclaimofendingworldhungerwithGMOsisfalse.Worldhungerisnotcausedbyashortageoffoodproduction,butbysheermismanagement,andlackofaccesstofoodbroughtaboutbyvarioussocial,financialandpoliticalcauses.GMOtechnologycompaniespatenttheircropsandalsoengineercropssothatharvestedgraingermsareincapableofdeveloping.ThisisnotempoweringtoimpoverishedThirdWorldfarmers,whocannotsaveseedsforreplantingandhavetobuyexpensiveseedsfromthecompanieseveryyea匚Thenewtechnologyalsointerfereswithtraditionalagriculturalmethodswhichmaybemoresuitedtolocalenvironments.GMOsarenottheanswertoworldhungerandhealth・Insteadweshouldfocusonimprovingorganicagriculturalpracticeswhicharekindertotheearthandhealthierforhumans.Therearemanymorequestionsaboutgeneticallymodifiedfoodthatcanonlybeansweredthroughtime,researchandexperience.Whatsideoftheargumentdoyoufallon?DisadvantagesofGeneticallyModifiedFoodLastUpdated:Feb04,2014IByEricaKannallPhotoCaptionGeneticallymodifiedcommaycauseproblemsforyouorforthelivestockthateatit.PhotoCreditonly_fabrizio/iStock/GettyImagesGeneticallymodifiedfoods一alsoknownasGMOsorgeneticallyengineeredorganisms~appearongrocerystoreshelvesandrestaurantplatesthroughouttheUnitedStates.Unfortunately,youTeprobablyunawarethatthefoodhasbeen\ngeneticallyalteredbecausenorequirementexiststhatrequiresfoodtobelabeledasgeneticallymodified.Eatinggeneticallymodifiedfoodsmayhavenegativeeffectsonyouroverallhealthandontheenvironment.DefinitionofGeneticallyModifiedGeneticallymodifiedfoodsarebiologicallyalteredfoods.Todothis,scientistsisolateadesiredgenefromoneplant,animalororganismandspliceitintoanother.Bydoingso,scientistsarehopingtoachieveaspecificbenefitsuchasincreasedcropyield,resistancetoherbicidesandpesticides,resistancetodiseaseordroughttolerance・IntheU.S.,morethan88percentofallthesoy,corn,canola,sugarbeetsandcottonplantsgrownherearegeneticallymodified・Alfalfa,papayaandsummersquasharegeneticallyengineered,aswell.Animalproductssuchasmeat,milkandeggsoftencontaingeneticallymodifiedfoods,becausethefoodfedtolivestockarefromcropsthathavebeengeneticallymodified.TheSafetyIsUncertainGeneticallymodifiedfoodsarerelativelynewtothefoodsupply,andpeoplehaveonlybeenconsumingthesefoodssincethemid-1990swhenthefirstgeneticallymodifiedtomatoesappearedingrocerystores.Thereisnolong-termdataonhowgeneticallymodifiedfoodsaffecthumanhealth.Clinicaltrialsdoneonanimalsthatwerefedgeneticallymodifiedcropsareofshortdurationandshowmixedoutcomes.AstudypublishedintheHInternationalJournalofBiologicalSciences1'inDecember2009,notesthatratsfedgeneticallymodifiedcornhadadeclineinliver,kidney,heart,adrenalglandandspleenhealthandfunction.Short-termstudiesinwhichanimalswerefedgeneticallymodifiedfoodsforonly4weeksusuallyshowfewnegativesideeffects.Noresearchhasbeenconductedonthehealthandsafetyforpeoplewhoeatgeneticallymodifiedfoods・ChemicalContaminationThegenesthemselvesinthesebiotechfoodsmayposeahumanhealthrisk,butthechemicalstheplantsaretreatedwithalsohavenegativeconsequences.Soybeans,forexample,aregeneticallyengineeredtowithstandsprayfrompowerfulherbicides,whichkillallweedsandotherplantsinthefarmfield,whileleavingsoyplantsunharmed.Asaresult,thefoodyoueatmaycontaintracesofthesetoxicchemicals.TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencynotesthatsomepesticideshavebeenlinkedtonervoussystemdisturbances,visualandskinirritations,endocrineproblemsandanincreaseincertaincancers.EnvironmentalRamificationsInadditiontoyourhealth,geneticallymodifiedfoodsmayhavenegativesideeffectsontheenvironment.Geneticallymodifiedcropsareoftensprayedwithpowerfulpesticidesandherbicides,andarefertilizedwithchemicalfertilizers-Thesechemicalsthencontaminatetheenvironmentbytravelingthroughtheair;theyleachintotheground,wheretheyendupinfresh-watersources.Weedshavebeguntodevelopa\nresistancetosomeofthesechemicalswhichmeansthatinthefuture,itwillbemoredifficulttocontrolnoxiousplants.Windalsocarriesthepollenfromgeneticallyengineeredcropstoneighboringfarmfieldswhereseedstockisthencross-contaminatedwithgeneticallymodifiedpollen.Overtime,thisleadstoareductioninthebiodiversityofcropstrains.Insectpopulationsmayalsobeharmedbygeneticallymodifiedcropsthatproducepesticides.LabelingIsNotRequiredCurrently,theU.S.FoodandDrugAdministrationdoesnotrequiregeneticallymodifiedfoodstobelabeledassuch.Companiescanvoluntarilylabelfoods,iftheychoose.Thismeansthatyouhavenoideawhethertheproductyoubuycontainsgeneticallymodifiedingredientsornot.Youcanstillselectfoodsthathavenotbeenmodifiedbylookingcloselyatthelabel.Foodsthathavethe"organic”sealorthatstatetheyareTOOpercentorganic,0meansthatthefoodcannotcontaingeneticallymodified.Evenifit*snotorganic,lookforasealstatingthefoodisGMOProjectVerified/1Otherwise,youmaybeconsuminggeneticallymodifiedfoodwithpotentialnegativehealthimplications.