Transgenic Food

The earlier post I posted talked about how massive food production can harm this society´s health and economy. This one will talk about how it can improve it.

The staples submitted to genetics engineering (GMO´s) are those produced from a genetically modified organism to produce the desired characteristics using molecular genetic techniques such as gene cloning and protein engineering.

GM food is developed and commercialized because of its advantages for the farmers and the consumers of such food. They are cheaper and more resistant to crop plagues by insects of viruses.

Some of the staples that are genetically modified are corn, soy and pumpkin. Animals have been modified also, such as pigs, fish, sheep and even rats for laboratory investigation.

European Corn BorE

The resistance towards insects is achieved by introducing in the plants a gen that produces the toxin of the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (BT). This toxine is actually used as a conventional pesticide in agriculture and it is harmless for humans. It has been proven that GM crops that produce this toxin requires less amounts of pesticides where the risk of plague is higher. Here in Spain, the corn used in our fields is the Corn BT, genetically modified to resist the plague of the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis, which destroys corn crops by burrowing into the stem, causing the plant to fall.

The viral resistance is obtained by the introduction of a gen of the virus that may cause infection to the plant, acting as a vaccine. This reduces the risk of crop extermination and guarantees their performance.

The theoretic discussions have involved a large number of possible risks, but the most important and possible problems are an allergic reaction, gen transference and outcrossing:

-Allergenicity. In order to prevent this to happen, the crops have never been genetically modified with genes that come from staples that cause allergic reactions in humans. Research has proven no risk in the GMO´s that are commercialized.

-Gen transferring. Experts were worried that the genes added to the crop could possibly transfer to the human cells or to the bacteria in our intestines, provoking a threat to human health. This can cause our cells or the bacteria to be inmune towards some antibiotics. Even though the possiblity is low, the use of genes that provoke that immunity is avoided.

-Outcrossing. This consists of the displacement of these genes in normal crops or in wild plants. This could have an indirect effect in the toxicity and security of the food.

There risks are there, but there is a possibility that future GMO´s for crops that will be more resistant towards droughts and have a igher nutritional value. Fish species could also be modified to increase their production and even their weight and size. Animals and plants could also be modified to produce a protein that are indispensable for medicines and vaccines.

There is a huge debate whether this is morally right or not, if it can harm humankind and/or destroy our environment, but for now, the GMO´s are proving their efficiency. Maybe someday this leads us to finish with the hunger in the world.