GMO: Good or bad? You choose.

(Pic credit: Vladimir Kudinov)

The sound of pounding and unconstrained shouts echoed for miles away as the rampage carried on. A group of 300 – 400 protesters furiously broke down the fences to a field trial of Genetically Modified Rice, trampling and wrecking the young rice plants.

Developers named this unique plant as “Golden Rice” for its distinguishable yellow tint. The plant is a type of GMO that is being developed by a non-profit group called The International Rice Research Institute.

(Pic credit: Producegoldenrice.org)

Golden Rice is specifically manufactured to contain increased levels of Vitamin A to combat the deficiency of this nutrient in rural countries like Philippines and India. According to The New York Times, the lack of this crucial vitamin causes blindness in 25 000 – 50 000 children annually.

In spite of this, an increasing amount of individuals are forming a misconception against GMO products. Fearing that these are a type of “Frankenfood” which are fabricated from a laboratory.

But why should we care?

The Genetically Modified Advisory Committee declared on their website that in Singapore, 90% of food products are imported from different parts around the world. The soar of genetically modified crops implies that the dishes we consume are most likely to contain genetically modified components.

Michael D. Puarugganan, a professor of Genomics and Biology and the Dean for Science at New York University stated on The New York Times, “The genes they inserted to make the vitamin are not some weird manufactured material, but are also found in squash, carrots and melons”.

Unbeknownst to some of us, food enhancements through the use of selective breeding have been in practice for thousands of years. Simpler forms of genetic modification that we can find in the daily market are seedless grapes and sweet corn.

(Pic credit: Jordan McQueen)

What are the possible outcomes of GMO that fuel the opposing views of its production?

The WHO website validates that the primary issue is preventing naturally existing population of plants to mix with genetically modified crops. For example, crops that are built to withstand herbicides could breed with each other to transfer their genes to weeds, rendering the herbicides useless.

It is also important to recognise that once farmers start to cultivate genetically bodied crops, the production of natural varieties could eventually come to a halt.

(Pic credits: Melody Sy)

Another cause of concern is allergy reactions. We could be one of the 50% of Singaporeans who falls into the category of having allergies from certain food items such as eggs, wheat, nut or dairy products. The protein products of introduced genes may unintentionally spark an allergy reaction to such individuals.

Online articles from the National Geographic website stated that no refutable studies have yet to prove the health risks from GMO products. The several “experiments” that conclude the negative effects of GMO are often biased and illegitimate. As we can see from this article thus far, the evidence that shows the positive effects of genetic modification are overwhelming. Yet the Anti GMO movement triggered a sense of unease amongst the general public, fearing that the consequences of GMO would only appear in generations to come.

(Pic credit: Sonja Langford)

Sheldon Krimsky, Head of Council Responsible For Genetics wrote on his book, The GMO Deception, that studies “has to have a balancing act that weighs the benefits of GMO against the risks, that is driven by science and not political pressure or profits”.

Ultimately, it is your own choice to pick your stand on the controversial topic of GMO. But here is a food for thought - what are the other alternatives we can undertake in order to sustain our growing planet?