Genetically Engineered Agriculturalpractices

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Baraa Abdelhafez

Kaplan University

HW 220- 02

3/30/2010

Hello everyone. It is my pleasure to explain to you the pros and cons of genetically engineered practices. First, I need to define the term "genetic engineering”. This term describes This term describes the intentional manipulation of the genetic material of living things in order to obtain some desirable trait not present in the original organism(Whitney & Sizer,2008).

• Scientists throughout history have been persecuted and even put to death by fearful people who accuse them of playing God. However, many of the world’s citizens enjoy a long and healthy life of comfort and convenience due to once- feared scientific advances put to practical use. In addition, genetic side effects are more likely to benefit the environment than to harm it(Whitney&Sizer,2008).

• Genetic engineering promises to provide adequate nutritious food for millions who lack such food today. In addition, farmers implemented genetic engineering into agricultural practices, because they implemented such technology; they did not waste expensive herbicides in second or third applications when the prescribed amount gets the job done the first time(Whitney&Sizer,2008).

• The second advantage of implementing genetic engineering was the fact that farmers who had used this technology were able to reduce the amount of pesticides. In addition, consumers found out that genetic engineered food products such as rice,soybeans,corn, and canola oil provided higher nutritional value. For example, the genetically engineered rice included a higher amount of vitamin A than organic rice. The consumers assumed that the genetically engineered rice was more nutritious, because it improved their children’s eye sight.

• The term of biotechnology describes the science of manipulating biological systems or organisms to modify their products or components or create new products(Whitney & Sizer,2008). American farmers have used biotechnology to modify several food products including rice, corn, rapeseed, and soybean. The statistics showed that six million farmers world wide were planting species representing 62% of the soybeans, 21% of the maize, and 5% of the rapeseed(Schlenker & Long, 2007).

• There are at least thirty eight different crops which have been genetically enginerred and tested in field trails. Animals genes are being added to plants and bacteria genes into specific food crops. Even human genes have been added to salmon, trout, and rice. Moreover, chicken genes have been inserted into potatoes, a fish gene into strawberries; mouse genes into tobacco, and bacteria and virus genes have gone into cucumbers and tomatoes(Dangler,2010).

• I think that all consumers including the senior citizens have the right to know the source of the food products they eat. Food factories have to provide the products’ backgrounds along with the nutritional values of the products.

• Consumers began to question genetically engineered food products after they realized that cancer became the second leading cause of death in the United States(Mackay, Jamal, Lee & Perkin, 2006).

• In the United States, the sale and use of genetically modified seeds are regulated by the FDA. However, when senior citizens knew that milk hormones had caused cancer to hundreds of American people; they began to loose their trust in the laws regulated by the FDA.

• I really agree that the FDA should ban genetically engineered food additives including corn syrup, canola oil, soybean flavors, and cotton seed oils.

• People around the world might have different views on genetically modified food products,

because the genetically engineered rice has been altered to produce beta- carotene(called Golden rice) to fight childhood blindness from vitamin A deficiency so prevalent world wide. In addition,

millions of people around the world welcome the idea of adding nutrients including beta- carotene

and fish oils to food products such as rice, potatoes, pasta(Whitney & Sizer,2008).

• In addition, genetic engineering may be the only hope of saving rain forest and other habitats from destruction by impoverished people desperate for arable land. In other words, through genetic engineering, farmers can make use of previously unproductive lands such as salt- rich soils and arid areas. Therefore, million of farmers around the world believe that biotechnology are more likely to benefit the environment than to harm it(Whitney & Sizer,2008).

• Another example, this time an unintended positive effect of genetic engineering, involved a cancer- causing fungus that sometimes grows on corn. The type of genetically engineered corn produces a plant pesticide lethal to common corn- destroying worms. After several growing seasons, the scientists noted that, along with reduced worm damage to genetically engineered corn, the crops had far less growth of the dangerous fungus than expected(Whitney&Sizer, 2008).

• In general, the genetic modification of food plants has centered on the following three goals:

1. Resistance to disease and insects(such plants enable farmers to reduce their use of both pesticides and herbicides for protection of the environment).

2. Increased tolerance to weather conditions: New genetically engineered plants are now able to survive more extreme environmental conditions.

3- In creased nutritional value. An example of this was adding beta- carotene to the Golden rice.

However, people who questioned the safety of genetically engineered food products had based their arguments on the following concerns:

1. Risk of allergic reaction: for example adding a peanut allergen into a corn plant would make those corn products unsafe for a person allergic to peanuts.

• 2- Potential toxicity to humans: All genetically engineered foods undergo toxicity testing before being approved for sale.

• 3- Potential danger to the environment; plants with specific genes that resist the effects of insects or herbicides may be harmful to helpful insects such as butterflies(Schlenker &Long,2007).

I really hope that the FDA pass laws which require the listing of all genetically engineered additives on food labels. Unfortunately, most of the senior citizens don't know what is inside the food they eat, because food labels don't mention the source of food additives.

• References:• Schlenker, E., & Long, S.(2007). Nutrition and health.(9th

ed.). Essentials of Nutrition & Diet therapy. The food Environment and food Habits: Goals for genetic modification. St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier.(pp.215).

• Whitney, E., & Sizer, F.(2008). Nutrition: The science Of Eating. Genetically Modified Foods: The promise Of Biotechnology. Natorp Boulevard Mason: Cengage Learning.(pp.480-483).

• Dangler.(2010). The Pros and Cons of genetically modified foods. Retrieved on March 30,2010 from www. Kaplan.edu