GMOs: Should we genetically modify our food?

Before we start, what exactly are GM crops?

Humans have been modifying organisms for thousands of years through artificial selection. Artificial selection is the process of selective breeding to produce desired characteristics in animal or plant offspring. Through artificial selection, the majority of crops these days have been genetically modified and now have many desirable genes. For example, bananas and other fruits used to have thick skin and lots of seeds, making them unenjoyable to consume, yet as humans repeatedly artificially selected and bred them, they have developed much thinner skin and smaller seeds.

In the past few decades, many scientific breakthroughs have occurred, including the discovery of DNA. Ever since scientists have been experimenting with changing an organism’s DNA. Through this, they modified the genes of specific plants, allowing them to express desirable traits and characteristics without the need to breed them over thousands of years.

Recently, GMOs have been one of the most controversial areas of science. Many critics and scientists are sceptical about the safety and use of these GM crops, and this concern is not unwarranted. The future of GM crops is ambiguous, and there is still much to learn and understand about Genetical Engineering in general.

However, as further research has proven, the consumption of GM crops is as safe, if not safer, than consuming organic crops. The concerns behind the use and production of GM crops are mainly caused by the lack of knowledge about the process of Genetically Modifying these crops and the unintentional spread of these genetics to plants where they are unwanted (through pollination and reproduction).

The majority of GM crops being used and produced nowadays contain pesticide-resistant genes or genes that create their own pesticides. Even this helps with reducing the use of pesticides and protects the consumers from the chance of pesticide poisoning. The reduction of the use of pesticides also helps prevent climate change and mitigate the carbon footprint of the agricultural sector. Furthermore, scientists continue to venture into the unknown, experimenting with different genes and DNA sequences to create new and discover more desirable characteristics. Here are a few:

1. Plants that could help improve our diets

2. More and a wider variety of nutrients

3. Plants that increase shelf-life

4. Better tasting

5. Plants that can adapt and are more resilient to natural disasters (drought, floods) and climate change

As our knowledge of GM crops grows, scientists and farmers will gradually start to implement and grow these, producing crops with traits and characteristics unimaginable a decade ago. As GM crops become the new normal, they will aid many aspects of human lives, from climate change to our diets, and will lead to a bright and healthy future.