Genetically Modified Foods

1. Genetically Modified Foods Group 7 By: Sean Bai, Khushboo Shah, Siddarth Lohan, Adam Kanji, and Priya Dhir

2. To what extent does the use of GM foods affect today’s society and how will it affect future generations?

4. What are GM Foods? • Any crop plants created for human or animal consumption using biological engineering • Genes from different species of plants or animals are taken and placed into a crop in order to enhance the plant (increase its size, sweetness, ability to with stand drought etc) • For example, B.T. genes are genes in bacteria that create a crystal protein lethal to larvae. B.T. genes are found in corn and other crops nowadays so the crops can protect themselves from larvae and be more successful.

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7. Who is Involved • Japan: Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that health testing for GM foods are mandatory • India: Supportive of transgenic plants • Brazil: Lukewarm on the subject. Some states have banned GM foods. Some farmers resort to smuggling GM plant seeds. • Europe: Very much against GM foods. Citizens are disinclined to trust government information, as well as food scarcity has been rampant due to mad cow disease and dioxin-tainted foods. • United States: Leaning towards GM foods. 30,000 different products in grocery stores contain GM foods. • Canada: Accepts GM foods, but labelling is not mandatory. 80 % of Canadians, in the 1999 poll, wanted to have GM foods labelled however.

9. Labelling • Agribusinesses believe that labelling should be voluntary • If consumers show a willingness to buy more labelled products than non-labelled products, than preference will make the company produce the preferred kind • Consumer interest groups demand labelling be mandatory • FDA concluded that GM foods are substantially the same as their non-GM counterparts. Therefore, labelling is not necessary • Labelling is controversial because: • Labelling requires more time and energy. For example, farmers have to separate GM foods and non-GM Foods • The acceptable limit to how much a plant has been genetically modified and how much it has been kept the same is unknown • Education of public about labelling is possibly costly. • 130 countries signed an agreement stating that all exporters must be required to label GM foods, and importing countries have a choice to accept or reject them.

10. Labelling • According to a recent pole, 95% of Canadians would prefer labelling on all GM Foods • Unless the food product contains a health risk, Health Canada feels that there is no need for a label • The cost of labelling all GM products is one reason more foods are not identified as genetically modified. There's also the cost of segregation. This is when non-GM products are kept away from GM ones to avoid contamination. Although it sounds simple, it involves isolated growing, storage, harvesting and transportation • Health Canada has taken the position that GM foods are just as safe as conventional foods. Food must be labelled in Canada if it is pasteurized, irradiated, or contains possible allergens such as peanuts.

11. Pro Labelling • Consumers have a right to know what’s in their food • Mandatory labeling will allow customers to identify and stay clear of food products that may harm them • "At least 22 countries have announced plans to institute some form of mandatory labeling . The United States could follow their lead in handling the logistics of product separation." • For religious or ethical reasons, many Americans want to avoid eating animal products, including animal DNA.

12. Anti Labelling • Labels on GM food imply a warning about health effects, whereas no significant differences between GM and conventional foods have been detected. • Labelling of GM foods to fulfill the desires of some consumers would impose a cost on all consumers. Experience with mandatory labelling in the European Union, Japan, and New Zealand has not resulted in consumer choice. Rather, retailers have eliminated GM products – • The food system necessities (storage, processing, and transportation facilities) could not currently accommodate the need for segregation of GM and non-GM products. • Consumers who want to avoid animal products do not need to worry about GM foods as they do not contain Animal Genes

13. What Has Been Accomplished So Far • EPA conducts risk assessments on pesticides • Growers must have a license • Government regulations used to ensure that farmers are using safety standards • USDA department APHIS (Animal Health and Plant Inspection Service) created criteria: • 1. Is it a noxious weed? • 2. Is the Genetic Material stably integrated? • 3. Does the function of the gene create plant disease? • 4. Is the GM plant toxic to any other organism • 5. Does the new gene create a new strain of viruses • 6. Does the GM Plant contain any traces of human or animal DNA?

14. “The bigger, thebetter”

15. Advantages of GM Foods • Pest Resistance • Herbicide Tolerance • Disease Resistance • Drought Tolerance • Cold Tolerance • Nutrition • Pharmaceuticals • Phytomediation • Enhanced taste and quality • Reduced maturation time

17. Disadvantages of GM Foods • Environmental Hazards • Economical Issues • Human Health Risks • Causes humans to possibly become more allergic to GM goods • Unknown effects on human health

18. Environmental Implications Positive • Friendly bioherbicides/inseticides exist • Conservation of soil, water and energy • Bioprocessing of forestry products • Better natural waste management • More effective processing Negative • Unintended harm to other organisms • Reduced effectiveness of pesticides • Gene transfers of non-target species • Loss of biodiversity

19. Economic Implications • Lengthy and costly process • Patent infringement of products. • Prices of seeds will be too high for third world countries • Widening the gap between the rich and the poor • Patent enforcement will be difficult. • For example, in order to stop infringement, scientists can engineer seeds so that they can only last for one season. The problem with this is that farmers in third world countries cannot afford this. • Decisions may be skewed towards the favour of the rich. • Biopiracy, or foreign exploitation of natural resources

20. Moral, Ethical, and Social Implications • Consumers should have a right to know what goes in their food. However, this might prove to be costly • Most of the laws have been suggested by food companies, rather than consumers • Labelling may cause consumers to fear GM foods as a warning signs. • Thus, if labelling was to be mandatory, it is unknown what it would say. • GM foods will definitely cause food security for growing populations • Causes violation of natural organisms intrinsic values • Tampering with nature may be offensive to some groups • Objections to consuming animal genes within plants

21. Answering the Question In today’s society we have progressed largely by finding a potential solution to the hunger problems of the human race, especially, at a time when we are populating exponentially. Genetically modified foods are advantageous because they assist plants to grow faster, last longer, with stand harsh natural conditions, be larger in size, more appealing in colour, sweeter in taste. However, many additions of genes imposed on plants are unnecessary and solely based on desires rather than needs. Because the advancements in the process of producing genetically modified foods are not yet sound, it is safer to reduce the production of genetically modified foods as much as possible. Needless to say, genetically modified foods serve a large convenience because they can be designed in the shape of rectangles in order to be conveniently packed in boxed, it also allows one to have a large certainty of the quality of the crops they purchase at their grocers because the crops will look like their ideal design and taste great.

22. Answering the Question (continued) It is also great for today’s store owners, because certain genes can reduce maturation time so they can have a longer shelf life than an organic crop, and that would save a lot of money and reduce waste. Needless to say, the long term effects on human health due to genetically modified foods can not be determined. However, if the production of genetically modified foods continues to increase it might carry something that evoked allergic reactions as the soya, with a Brazil nut gene, inserted in it did. Moreover, continuations of genetically modified food production pose a financial threat for many, because it is expensive. Additionally, it is not great for the biodiversity that currently exists because when inserting an additional gene, non targeted life can be impacted. Genetically modified foods simply disturb the norm and interfere, causing an alternation in the biodiversity, and that is dangerous because an area with no biodiversity can be wept out by a single disease or natural occurrences, leaving everyone in starvation. Therefore, it appears to be convenient at the moment; however, it is harmful for the environment and will surely have a negative impact in the near future.

23. Bibliography • Byrne, P. 2007. Labelling of Genetically Engineered Foods. University of Colorado. Available from : http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09371.html • Chaudry, Arshad. 2004. Genetically Modified Foods. The Science Creative Quarterly [Internet]. [cited 2009 December 13]. Available from: http://www.scq.ubc.ca/genetically-modified-foods/ • Genetically Modified Foods: a primer [Internet]. [updated 2004 May 11] Canada: CBC News Online; [cited 2009 December 13]. Available from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/genetics_modification/#top • Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms [Internet]. [updated 2009] US Department of Energy; [cited 2009 December 13]. Available from: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml • GM Foods: Perception vs. Reality [Internet]. [updated 2004 August 19] Reed Business Information, Ltd: Food Magazine; [cited 2009 December 13]. Available from: http://find.galegroup.com/gps/start.do?prodId=IPS&userGroupName=ko_k12hs_d48

24. Bibliography (Continued) • Howard, Beth. 2009. How safe is the food you eat? Some European countries have effectively banned new genetically modified food, yet in America, 70 to 75 percent of processed foods contain biotech ingredients. Beth Howard asks: How dangerous are they? Harper’s Bazaar: 144(2) • Stock, Peter. 2002. It’s Official: GM Foods ‘Safe’: A Committee of Top Canadian Scientists Also Says that Labelling is Not Needed. The Report: United Wester Communications: 21-22. • Whitman, Deborah B. 2000. Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? Proquest [Internet]. [cited 2009 December 13] Available from: http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php