GM Foods

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GM Foods

Advantages

  • Disease resistant seeds.
  • Higher yielding crops.
  • Herbicide-tolerant varieties.
  • Scientists in the biotech industry argue that GM development could see the removal of allergens from peanuts, develop fat-free chips, and alter the composition of fruit and vegetables so that they can be used to tackle heart disease or cancer.

Disadvantages

  • Both Greenpeace and the Organic Consumers Association have actively campaigned against GM crops because the long-term effects of these crops have not been tested.
  • It is impossible to know what effects these crops may have on the health of people eating them over a long period.
  • It is believed that the long-term environmental effects could be devastating.
  • If GM crops disperse into the wild and mix with non-GM crops, there is no knowing how this may affect animal and plant life.
  • There have been some arguments that GM crops have not fully been scientifically tested before going into production.

Evaluation

It is clear that although GM crops appear to have many benefits in the short-term, the long-term costs are unknown, and this makes the disadvantages more apparent. GM crops could have seriously detrimental effects on both humans and wildlife is they are not carefully controlled and monitored; however, it is not proven that they will have negative effects either. Therefore, it is difficult to fully assess the costs and benefits of these crops until the long-term effects are proven.

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