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What are the ethical concerns regarding GMOs in the food industry?
“God (Nature in my view) makes all things good; man meddles with them and they become
evil…" "― Jean-Jacques Rousseau; philosopher, 1770
"An ecosystem, you can always intervene and change something in it, but there's no way of
knowing what all the downstream effects will be …" - Dr. Richard Lewontin, Professor of Genetics,
Harvard University
"The controversy surrounding genetically modified organisms has real importance for society,
there are complex scientific and logical issues to sort through, and the topic is rife with
misinformation and motivated reasoning……" -Dr. Novella, academic neurologist; Yale University
School of Medicine
Remember, the first step in ethical problem solving and policy decision making should first
involve ascertaining the facts. Facts by themselves , however, only tell us what is; they do not
tell us what ought to be.
Resolving an ethical issue also requires an appeal to values. Before tackling the GMO debate,
let's review the five different approaches philosophers have developed to deal with moral
issues.
Study Guide: GMOs and Feeding the World
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After learning the science and obtaining facts, Keep philosophical approaches in mind when
tackling the GMO issues.
1. Utilitarian Approach: What benefits and what harms will each course of
action produce, and which alternative will lead to the best overall
consequences?
2. Rights Approach: What moral rights do the affected parties have, and which
course of action best respects those rights?
3. Fairness or Justice Approach: Which course of action treats everyone the
same, except where there is a morally justifiable reason not to, and does
not show favoritism or discrimination?
4. Common Good Approach: Which course of action advances the common
good?
5. Virtue Approach: Which course of action develops moral virtues?
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So, what is the GMO debate really about?
(1) The GMO Controversy
"GMO critics despise corporate control and greed, and fear the unnatural, while GMO
advocates see this technology as an example of the triumph of human ingenuity and
science"
http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/the-gmo-controversy/
1. Beliefs concerning GMOs tend to be dominated by two opposing narratives: What are they?
GMO critics despise corporate control and greed, and fear the unnatural, while GMO
advocates see this technology as an example of the trump of human ingenuity and science.
2. GMO advocates point out that pretty much all food that is consumed by humans has already
been extensively modified by human activity. (True or False?)
3. What was corn cultivated from? Teosinte, which looks nothing like modern corn
4. Cultivation uses a combination of what two basic processes to create countless varieties of
common plants? Cross-pollination and Artificial selection
5. What is artificial selection? Saving the best plants from one year’s crop to provide the seeds
for the following year
6. What is cross pollination? Creating a hybrid species is an attempt to get the best traits from
closely related species
7. Orange carrots are not the result of a mutation (True or False?)
8. What is mutation breeding? Eposing plants to chemicals or to radiation that increases the
mutation rate
9. How many mutagenic plant varietals were released between 1930 and 2007? 2540
10. What are the two basic types of GMOs? Transgenic and Cisgenic
11. What is the difference between the two types of GMOs? Cisgenic involves inserting genes
from closely related species, ones that could potentially cross breed with the target species.
Transgenic refers to inserting genes from distant species-even from different kingdoms of life
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12. What are the four types of GM plants currently approved for use? Herbicide tolerance,
insecticide production, altered fatty acid composition, and virus resistance.
13. Contamination of genes from other kingdoms occurs, even in nature (True or False?)
14. According to the American Association for the Advancement of science, GM crops are the
most extensively tested crops ever added to our food supply. (True or False?)
15. According to the article, studies comparing GM and non-GM potatoes, soy, rice, corn and
triticale found that the GM and their non-GM counterparts are NOT nutritionally
equivalent.” (True or False?)
16. The National Academies of Science states that “To date, no adverse health effects attributed
to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population.” (True or False?)
17. What does the World Health Organization say about GM foods? GM foods currently traded
on the international market have passes risk assessments in several countries and are not
likely, nor have been shown, to present risks for human health.
18. Plants that are produced through hybridization, which can chaotically mix in hundreds of
genes, and plants resulting from mutagenic breeding do not require the same safety testing
currently required of GMOs. (True or False?)
19. What are the advantages of herbicide resistant plants? They are less labor intensive and
they save money. They also reduce the use of soil tillage, which is bad for the soil and
releases CO2 into the environment
20. What are the disadvantages of herbicide resistant plants? They increase herbicide use,
which gets into environment, and which encourages the development of resistant weeds.
21. What are the advantages of Bt crops? They are pest resistant and they reduce insecticide
spraying
22. What are the disadvantages of Bt crops? Over-reliance on this one strategy results in pest
become resistant to BT
23. According to the article GM crops with insect and herbicide resistance can be useful and
even protect the environment, but they have to be used as part of what type of strategy?
Overall Sustainable strategy
24. What are the three major seed companies? Monsanto, DuPont, and Syngenta
25. What are some of the claims made against Monsanto that, according to the article, are not
true? They do not sue farmers for seeds blowing into their fields. They have only pursued
cases against farmers who deliberately tried to violate their contracts and essentially steal
seed. Monsanto is also not responsible for suicides among Indian farmers.
26. According to the article, the big seed companies have overhyped their own products and
encouraged overreliance on their GMOs as a single solution to farming’s complex issues.
True or False?
27. Why are Monocultures counterproductive? The dilemma is that we are trying to squeeze an
incredible amount of food energy out of limited land. We are pushing plants and the
environment to their limits. The reliance on a single cultivar, is counterproductive because it
is inviting the inevitable blight or pest to destroy the entire crop.
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28. According to the article, Seed companies should be encouraged to not just make one variety
with a favorable trait, but do what? Put that trait into many varieties
29. What are seven benefits listed for GMOS? Golden rice, Increasing the nutritional content of
food, nitrogen fixation, enhancing photosynthesis, drough resistance, pathogen resistance,
cold tolerance.
30. According to the article, Genetic modification is a powerful technology, and its impact will
depend entirely on what? How it is used.
Have we properly examined the facts?
Has the peer reviewed process in science been working?
(2)Seralini GMO study Retracted
"The Seralini study suffers from small sample size, lack of statistical analysis, ambiguous
results, a questionable selection of rat strain which maximizes noise in the data, and dubious
ethical treatment of the animals for possible dramatic effect. At this point anyone referencing
this study as support for their position that GMO has health risks sacrifices their credibility."
http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/seralini-gmo-study-retracted/
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1. The infamous Seralini study (November, 2012) claimed to show that GMO corn caused
what? Cancer
2. According to the article, anyone referencing the Seralini study as support for their position
that GMO has health risks sacrifices what? Credibility
3. What does this study suffer from? Small sample size, lack of statistical analysis, ambiguous
results, a questionable selection of rat strain which maximizes noise in the data, and
dubious ethical treatment of the animals for possible dramatic effect.
What moral rights do affected parties have?
(3 ) Attack of the Killer Tomatoes?
"On one hand, you have the proponents who are talking about the benefits of genetic
engineering in terms of science. On the other, you have people in butterfly costumes."
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/schulman/tomatoes.html
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1. England's Prince of Whales claims that GMOs do what? Take mankind into realms that
belong to God and God alone
2. Where does the Catholic church stand with regard to GMOs? Four square against
tampering with the human genome but ready to give a “prudent yes” to the engineering
of plants and animals
3. Why does the author compare GMOs to microwaves and DDT? A pesticide that was
touted as the key to higher production but that eventually resulted in harm to birds and
fish
4. Has any medical harm resulted to humans as a result of ingesting GMOs? No
5. What is the "Terminator gene" and what is the controversy surrounding it? This
technology allows breeding of plants with seeds that will not reproduce. Companies can
use it to prevent farmers from holding over seeds to grow another crop the following
year.
6. Why are the risks of GMO being defined by those who are frightened? Because of the
previous deceptive practices of the market
7. How long have GMOs been on the market here in the United States without the
consumer knowledge? Almost a decade
8. Under what conditions does the Food and Drug Administration require the labeling of
Genetically modified foods? It contains one of the eight most common food allergens.
9. What might increase the consumer's trust in the use of GMOs? More stringent labeling
10. The United States has the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection
Agency to regulate food safety. Who regulates food safety in Europe? European
Government
11. What disease occurred in Europe that ultimately put the blame on farmers and,
according to the authors, led to a heightened fear of the food industry by Europeans?
Mad Cow Disease
12. What is the consequentialism theory? Those who reject absolutist rhetoric- either
genetic modification equals playing God or genetic modification equals better living
through science- can find themselves in the realm of what philosophers call
“consequentialism.” By this theory, a morally correct decision is made by a cost-benefit
analysis of an action’s consequences.
What benefits and what harms will each course of action produce, and which
alternative will lead to the best overall consequences?
( 4) The Future of Food
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"A common approach to thinking about the ethics of the genetic engineering of food crops and
the appropriate regulatory environment is by evaluating safety and weighing potential risks and
benefits."
***Please note: You may experience difficulties when trying to access this article with the link
below. Please access "The Future of Food" through the "Readings" section in Module #3 in
blackboard.
http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/focusareas/medical/conference/presentations/geneticall
y-modified-foods.
1. what are the most commonly grown GM crops in the US? Soybeans and Corn
2. What was the first GM organism? Flavr Savr Tomato
3. what are the GM benefits for bananas, potatoes, peanuts and tomatoes?
Bananas which ripens slowly and has a prolonged shelf life; potatoes and
peanuts less liable to trigger life-threatening allergic reactions; and tomatoes
that help prevent cancer and osteoporosis.
4. Why did the California Food and Agriculture Department deny Ventria's request
to grow GM rice? After rice growers expressed concern that international
customers would refuse their rice out of fear and contamination.
5. What is INB Biotechnologies developing through the transgenic modification of
petunias? Nontoxic anthrax vaccine
6. Describe four risks of GMOS risks to the environment and wildlife, potential risks
to human health, potential socio-economic effects, the potential risk to public
trust generated in part by industry refusal to label GM foods as such
7. Describe three benefits for GMOs potential benefits to agricultural productivity
through the development of crops more resistant to pests, disease, and severe
weather, decreasing the risk of devastating crop failure, potential benefits to the
environment, potential benefits to human health and wellbeing
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Digger deeper into the science: What is the technology behind the controversy?
Video #1 Genetic Modification (first video posted under "videos" in blackboard)
"The crops we see today are vastly different from those plants that existed at the dawn
of civilization Since the beginning o agriculture farmers and gardeners have altered the
genetic codes of plants and animals even if they were not aware of it at the time. …".
1. Where did the Modified Bacterium approach to gene insertion come from?
Growngul
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2. How does a gene gun work? it uses compressed air to fire a mixture of tiny
particles filled with a 1000 copies of the desired gene into the plant cells.
With available technology , Which course of action advances the common good?
Video #2 The Farmer's perspective: Evolution BT Corn Genes and Bug Genes
85% of the foods we eat come from large farms….Farmers want to know : " Can Monsanto's
genetic technology help get rid of a big pest: the European Corn borer caterpillar?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9xpKx03g9M
1. How specific can farmers get with conventional pesticide spraying techniques?
Spray their fields with an insecticide
2. Why would a farmer turn to GE crops for controlling insects? Crops that made its
own pesticide
3. Is the BT toxin harmful to humans? yes Is it harmful to most other insects? yes
4. What did the Environmental protection agency mandate in order to deal with the
issue of resistant pests? A refuge
5. Who monitors whether or not the farmers are laying aside land for this area of
refuge for insects? EPA
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Farmers have been improving wheat for over 10,000 years….Do the benefits of GE
crops outweigh any risks?
video #3 Public perception of GMO's: The eyes of Nye: Genetically modified
foods
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7qfhgTcqko
1. How long does it take to get a domesticated variety of wheat using cross
breeding 15 years
2. 91 percent of all GE crops planted around the world belong to what corporation?
Monsanto
3. Why was Dr.Sarah Hake opposed to lumping transgenic genes into one category?
Because it can be transgenic in just one part of the plant that you don’t eat.
4. According Dr. Steven Jones (wheat breeder) researchers are using technology on
problems that do not need solutions. What does he believe the real cure for
world hunger is ? reducing poverty, increasing infrastructure and straightening
out politics.
5. According to the film, we should do three things with regard to GMOs: (fill in the
blanks)
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a. Farm responsibly
b. Demand labels on our foods
c. Test these foods on a case by case basis
Tackling the Ethical issues:
I. Owning Food
GMO products are usually patented and owned by a corporation. These ownership rights
extend to the next generation of seeds produced by the plants.
This means farmers who use a GMO crop cannot save and store their seeds for future
sowing; the seeds are owned by the corporation and must be purchased again every
year.
GMO seeds may also blow in the wind onto neighboring fields, where they may grow on
an unsuspecting farmer's land. This will not only contaminate the farmer's natural crop
with a GMO crop he did not wish to plant, but it may also force him to defend himself in
an expensive patent-infringement lawsuit.
Monsanto, the leading producer of GMO crops, had filed 90 such lawsuits as of 2005,
according to The Center for Food Safety.
Do companies have the right to patent their products…even if their product is a
living organism?
Can technological innovations be open to poaching?
(5) Monsanto sues farmer for exploiting loophole in GMO licensing
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http://www.popdecay.com/2013/02/19/monsanto-sues-farmer-for-exploiting-loophole-in-
gmo-licensing/15336
1. Why is Monsanto suing this Indiana farmer? For the unauthorized use of its patented
technology, namely the Roundup resistant soybean seeds
2. Monsanto’s opponents argue that the company has tried to use patent law to control
the supply of seeds for what crops? Soybeans
3. According to the article,. Monsanto has attracted a bushel of researchers, universities
and other agribusiness concerns to its side because of something they fear. What is it
they fear? A decision in favor of Bowman would leave their own technological
innovations open to poaching.
Does a GMO farmer have the duty of care to a neighbor that's growing organic
crops not to contaminate them?
(6) Farmers fight landmark oz GMO case
http://www.iol.co.za/business/international/farmers-fight-landmark-oz-gmo-case-
1.1644154
1. This articles describes a landmark case. It is the first time in Australia where one
farmer has sued another for negligence over what? Contamination of organic crops by
genetically modified organisms and will set a precedent for future cases.
II.Controlling Nature and the consequences of disrupting the
ecosystem
Do scientists have the right to Play God?
Genetically modified crops are created by adding the genes of one species to the genes
of another. This is done to create a plant with traits such as herbicide-resistance or pest-
resistance.
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It is not the same as the age-old agricultural tradition of selecting and naturally breeding
plants or animals of the same or similar species in order to encourage certain traits
noted in the parent species.
The GMO "flavor-saver tomato," for example, was thought to be created by injecting
fish (flounder) genes into the DNA of a tomato. (visit the site below)
http://www.davisenterprise.com/forum/letters/no-fish-gene-in-gmo-tomato/
Some people may not be morally comfortable with this level of genetic manipulation or
with the idea of "playing God."
"GMO adoption is growing every year. It's time we had an open discussion about the best
path to take……"
video #4 Are we Playing God?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3AFgJB0vk
1. With regard to GMOs , the author states that he would like to think about the
butterflies, the rich white people and what other group? Suffering and starvation
2. List 5 pros (benefits) for GMOs: drought resistant crops, pathogen resistant crops, high
yield crops, edible vaccines, green production
3. List 6 cons (disadvantages) moral or religious objections, safety of consumption,
outcrossing, environmental consequences, corporatization, mono cropping.
(7)Monsanto Vs. Monarch Butterflies
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What benefits and what harms will each course of action produce, and which alternative will
lead to the best overall consequences?
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2013/03/25/monsanto-v-monarch-butterflies/
1. According to the article, who is responsible for the declining number of Monach
Butterflies: the farmer or the technology he (or she) is using? Monsanto
2. According to the article "there really isn’t much room for biodiversity in conventional
farming, especially for plants without a clear economic value like the milkweed "(True or
False?)
3. According to the article, a loss of Agricultural Milkweeds is a major contributor to the
decline in the monarch population
Does a consumer have the right to know what they are consuming?
III.Health and Safety of Our Food : Regulation of Labeling
“The burning question for us all then becomes how-and how quickly-can we move healthy,
organic products from a 4.2% market niche, to the dominant force in American food and
farming? The first step is to change our labeling laws…”Organic Consumers
Association 08/02/12
“We are going to force them to label this food. If we have it labeled, then we can organize
people not to buy it.” Center for Food Safety
“Personally, I believe GM foods must be banned entirely, but labeling is the most efficient way
to achieve this.”Mercola.com
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(8) GMO Labeling Not about Right-to-Know but Right-to-Misinform
http://info.azfb.org/blog/bid/375935/GMO-Labeling-Not-about-Right-to-Know-
but-Right-to-Misinform
1. What are the eight issues that exist which support the view that "Identifying food
products with a GMO label is not about right-to-know but about the right-to-
misinform"? All plants and animals and ultimately foods are from genetically modified
organisms, stamping food products with a “GMO” label implies a danger when none
exists, Regulation comes at a cost, it challenges the supply chain to comply, which for
small companies may be prohibitive, its nearly unenforceable, you can still have your
GMO-free food without labeling, Consumers have access to plenty of information;
therefore our ability to know is profound, and The pass along cost to the consumer is a
valid concern.
2. Why is GMO labeling misleading? No real information is being provided
3. If someone is concerned with not consuming GMOs, what alternate label can they look
for?
Which course of action treats everyone the same, except where there is a morally justifiable
reason not to, and does not show favoritism or discrimination?
(9) US Farmers, food interests unite against GMO labeling
"If each state had a different label requirement, our farmers just couldn't adapt to that and
really economically grow safe, affordable food,"
http://www.seeddaily.com/reports/US_farmers_food_interests_unite_against_GMO_labeling_9
99.html
1. According to Ray Gaesser, president of the American Soybean Association, what would
the consequences be to farmers if each state had a different label requirement? Our
farmers just couldn’t adapt to that and really economically grow safe, affordable food.
2. Farmers and Food interest groups suggest that what agency determine labeling
requirements? 30-member Coalition for Safe Affordable food.
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"label claims are misleading, because they falsely imply that the food made without GE
ingredients is somehow safer than or superior to the same product made with GE
ingredients. "
(Focus on the section under "Federal Regulation of GE crops"questions 9-21)
1. How does the government regulate GE crops? (question #10 in article) The U.S.
Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug
Administration would regulate GE crops using existing statutes. It is the responsibility of
those government agencies to make sure GE crops is safe for humans, animals, and the
environment.
3. Who ensure that our food is safe to eat? (#11) FDA
4. What should the government be doing to ensure food safety of GE crops?(#12) Formally
approve that the crop is safe for human and animal consumption.
5. Which agencies regulate the environmental safety of GE crops?(#13) EPA
6. According to the article, (under question #14) What percentage of noncompliance was
seen among farmers in 2009? 30%
7. According to the article, the EPA needs to ensure that farmers comply with refuge
requirements. What are these?
8. What loophole is present in the USDA regulatory system that allows for some GE
varieties to be released into the environment without any regulation?(#15) The
procedure could be used by developers in the future to avoid the time and cost of the
USDA regulation, but at the expense of the federal government’s not being able to
ensure that those crops don’t pose any risk to the environment or agricultural interest
9. What are the primary health concerns of GE crops?(#17) The production of new
allergens or toxins, or unexpectedly increased levels of naturally occurring toxicants or
allergens found it crops.
10. Can GM foods cause new allergies? (#18) Yes
11. What are the major environmental risks? (#19) if the crops produce substances that kill
beneficial insects, birds, or other organisms above or below ground. If they grow where
they are not wanted. While most cultivated crops do not survive beyond well-tended
fields, seeds from one year’s crop that are not harvested may grow the following year,
when a different crop may be planted. Another problem might result from mating
between GE crops and their wild relatives.
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(11) Review Article: An overview of the past 10 years of genetically engineered
crop safety research
"The scientific research conducted so far has not detected any significant hazards directly
connected with the use of GE crops; however, the debate is still intense. An improvement in the
efficacy of scientific communication could have a significant impact on the future of agricultural
GE".
http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/wp/wp-
content/uploads/2013/10/Nicolia-20131.pdf
1. From 2002-2012 over 1735 studies were conducted on GE organisms. Interactions of GE
crops with the environment (specifically biodiversity) represented what percentage of these
studies? 68.4%
2. Debates about Biodiversity and the GE food/feed consumption , even if positive , have
frequently been distorted by the media and often used politically and inappropriately. (True
or False?)
3. With all of the scientific literature supporting GMOs, why is there still an intense debate?
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Is genetic modification of food a necessary tool to relieve world hunger?
Is it unethical to deny the benefits of GM food to those who could benefit from it?
IV.World Hunger
(12)Websites: Coalition for safe and affordable food
http://coalitionforsafeaffordablefood.org/
1. Advocates of GMO crops claim the technology holds great promise for alleviating world
hunger. They argue that genetically engineered crops will increase food yields, reduce
food prices and ensure enough food is available. (True or False?)
2. Crops can also be modified for improved nutritional value. This can potentially help poor
countries target particular nutritional deficiencies. (True or False?)
3. The Coalition for safe and affordable food supports a federal legislative solution that will
protect consumers by eliminating confusion and advancing food safety (True or False?)
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Should the United States impose their restrictions on GM products in other
countries?
(13) Meet Mr. Frankenfood
http://www.azfb.org/f/c5443994-d747-43bc-b07e-330e357cd161/meet-mr-
frankinfood
1. Since 1996, Farmers have been forced to purchase GM seeds which are not as resilient
(True or False?)
2. Only 10% of all acres planted with soybean or corn are GM crops (True or False?)
3. According to the article, the biotech derived products that we eat are the most highly
tested and regulated components in what we consume," (True or False?)
4. What is the most common explanation for why consumers do not wish to consume GM
food? “it doesn’t sound like something I should eat”
5. Why does Ben and Jerry's Ice cream not support GMOs? Because it styles itself “an
environmentally friendly, socially progressive brand,” and GM foods don’t fit that image.
6. Food prices for consumers would not be affected if labeling of GMOs were required.
(True or False?)
7. What type of labeling is already in place at the federal level? The organic seal, the
department of agriculture offers organic certification to farmers and food companies
who meet a set of standards.
8. According to the article, how long does it take to build an inch of top soil? 100 years
9. Cotton is the only GM approved crop in India. Why? It’s the only GM crop approved for
planting in India.
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(14) Website: Greenpeace
"While scientific progress on molecular biology has a great potential to increase our
understanding of nature and provide new medical tools, it should not be used as justification
to turn the environment into a giant genetic experiment by commercial interests. The
biodiversity and environmental integrity of the world's food supply is too important to our
survival to be put at risk."
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/problem/genetic-
engineering/
1. What are three statements members of Greenpeace believe with regard to GMOs?
(after clicking on the web site search for "What we believe") GMOS should not be
released into the environment since there is not an adequate scientific
understanding of their impact on the environment and human health. We advocate
immediate interim measures such as clear and straightforward labeling of GE
ingredients and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds from
conventional ones. We also oppose all on plants, animals and humans, as well as
patents on their genes. Biology is not an industrial commodity. We should not force
life forms and our world’s food supply to conform to human economic models.
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Wrapping it up:
You've discovered the science behind GMO technology and collected
data on years of research. You have met the parties involved and
learned of the consequences they face. Now it's up to you: Which
philosophical approach will you use to support your beliefs and debate
the issues?
