For years we've had to be concerned or worried about the growing use of additives in the foods we eat. Preservatives, taste and growth enhancers, and pesticides are widely used in the production of food. Sometimes it is proven that a certain widely used chemical is unhealthy but it is too late for some.There is an everlasting effort by corporations competing for our money. This leads to research and innovations in the way food is grown and manufactured.
One such innovation of more recent years is GMO: Genetically modified organism.
GMO is making dramatic changes in the way food is grown, much of which is unknown by the general public.
Globalization101.org provides some insight on the topic.
GMOs: Different Schools of Thought
Highly Dangerous: Tinkering with Nature
Opponents of GMOs make three main arguments against their production. First, they argue that GM foods might be unhealthy. While they have not been linked with harmful effects yet, GM foods are relatively new and should not be available for human consumption they say, until additional research proves beyond a doubt that they are harmless.
A handbook prepared by the Consumer's Choice Council (CCC), a non-governmental consumer advocacy group, asserts that, "as a result of altered regulatory functions, GMOs may exhibit increased allergenic tendencies, toxicity, or altered nutritional value.…These risks are compounded when a GMO product is released into an uncontrolled environment. The interaction of GMOs with other complex biological systems, such as the human body or natural ecosystems, cannot, in many cases, be anticipated or fully tested before commercial release."
The second major objection to GMOs is that they can endanger biodiversity. Genetic mutations are a natural part of life. Some people worry that creating certain species to emphasize particular traits undermines the natural, mutation-driven evolutionary process.
Read more on this topical subject including The U.S. and EU: Different Approaches, The Debate over Labeling, and Questions for Discussion: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Globalization101.org.
Article source (Visited on 27 November 2008). Globalization101.org is an Internet resource offered by the Levin Institute to promote a greater understanding of globalization.
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