Are Genetically Modified Foods Scary?

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Ireland, between the years 1845 and 1852, experienced a seven-year siege of

mass starvation, disease, and emigration known today as “The Great

Hunger.” During this time, approximately one million people starved to death

and another two million fled for their lives, emigrating to England, America,

Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries. The immediate cause of

the famine was a potato blight, a disease that ravaged potato crops throughout

Europe. The impact was most severe in Ireland because one-third of the

population was dependent on the potato crop for survival. Political, social, and

economic factors only exacerbated the horrendous results of the potato blight

in Ireland.

exacerbated:

Background Ever since the first farmers began to plant and harvest grains more

than 10,000 years ago, humans have been looking for ways to increase agricultural

production. Over the centuries and across the globe, farmers have developed tools

and techniques to boost yields, such as irrigation, crop rotation, fertilizers and

pesticides. Today’s agricultural innovations are more effective than ever—but also

more controversial.

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1. As you read lines 1–28, begin to collect and cite text evidence.

• Underline the effects of the potato blight.

• Circle the claim that is made about preventing “The Great Hunger.”

• Underline desired traits of genetically modified food in lines 18–28.

Science Writing by Palome Reyes

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Recent advances in the field of genetically modified (GM) food could have

prevented the “Great Hunger” by introducing potatoes resistant to the disease

that destroyed Ireland’s potato crop. In the 1990s, Hawaii’s papaya industry

was facing disaster because of the virulent papaya ring spot virus. In this case,

a genetically modified papaya did save the day. Developed and used since 1999,

this genetically modified papaya, which resists the virus, has saved Hawaii’s

papaya industry.

The term “genetically modified food” refers to crop plants created for

human and animal consumption that use the latest molecular biology

techniques to enhance desired traits, such as resistance to disease and

herbicides or increased nutritional content. Traditionally this enhancement

would have been done through plant breeding. But, breeding is time

consuming and often not very accurate. Genetic engineering—actually

isolating and inserting genes with the desirable trait into plants—can create

plants with the desired trait very rapidly and with great accuracy. For example,

plant geneticists can isolate a gene for pest resistance and insert that gene into

another plant. The plant created as a result of the inserted genes will have the

desired trait of being resistant to pests.

As exciting as the promise of GM foods may seem, some people are raising

questions about the safety and long-term effects of such foods. Although most

virulent:

2. Reread lines 18–28. Summarize the information in these lines

to create a one-sentence definition of genetically modified food.

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3. As you read lines 29–57, continue to cite textual evidence

• Underline text that explains doubts about GM food.

• Circle information that is presented as fact.

• In the margin, list one possible advantage of GM foods.

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scientists concur that no harmful effects have yet been associated with

consuming GM crops, the anti-GM-food people resist the idea of big

agricultural and biotech companies (the forces spearheading production of GM

foods) trying to control what goes into the food we eat. These opponents

contend that genetic breeding is radically different from what human beings

have previously done, and that, as a result, we are now consuming products

that have never before been considered food. There is no way of predicting

what long-term effects these plants may have on the human beings and animals

that consume them. Neither is there any way of predicting what effect these

foods might have on other plants or on the environment in general. A widely

publicized study published in the fall of 2012 only added fuel to the controversy

when it noted that rats fed a lifetime diet of GM corn developed tumors,

whereas those fed a non-GM diet did not.

Proponents of GM foods counter that GM plants, with their built-in

protections against disease, pests, herbicides, cold, drought, and floods will

help increase food production worldwide and thereby stem the tide of

worldwide hunger. Furthermore, they argue that, although Americans have

been eating GM food for years, no one has been able to cite a single case of

someone actually getting sick from these foods.

concur:

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It is difficult to ignore the fact that the majority of scientific research thus

far indicates that GM foods pose no threat to consumers. On the other hand,

eating is something that we all do every day. Should the choice about what we

put into our mouths be left up to us or to businesses with financial interests in

GM products? The GM opponents argue that the choice should be ours and

that, at the very least, GM crops should be labeled. In this way consumers

would know what they are eating and could, therefore, choose to take the risk

or not.

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4. Reread lines 50–57. With a small group, discuss

the idea of labeling GM food. Do you think this is a good option to please

both GM opponents and supporters? Explain.

S H O R T R E S P O N S E

Cite Text Evidence Summarize the article in the lines below. First, identify

the central idea and its most important details, and then retell them in your

own words. Review your reading notes, and be sure to cite text evidence from

the article in your response.

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