Week 6 Discussion and Responses - Leadership and Ethics

By: A,R

According to the National Academy of Sciences, a group initiated by the government, genetically modified foods show no evidence, to date, of not being safe for human consumption.  There were no increases in food allergies, obesity, cancer or kidney disease among other things. Overall the findings stated, “no differences have been found that implicate a higher risk to human health and safety from these GE foods than from their non-GE counterparts.” (Fulton, A., McKenna, M., McMillen, T., & Rupp, R., 2016).

Economically, genetic engineering doesn’t produce more crops than the norm, but because of insect resistance of GE food, economic gains are earned through the availability of crops. Conversely, GE food can be more expensive for small farmers due to the cost of the seed.

Have I consumed GE food without knowing it? My assumption is yes. As a consumer of corn and the fact that 92% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered, I’m almost certain I’ve eaten corn that is GE without knowing it.

Reference:

Fulton, A., McKenna, M., McMillen, T., & Rupp, R. Scientists Say GMO Foods Are Safe, Public Skepticism Remains. (2016, May 17). Retrieved From: http://theplate.nationalgeographic.com/2016/05/17/scientists-say-gmo-foods-are-safe-public-skepticism-remains/

Discussion 1 Response:

By: A,W

Genetic engineering is defined as altering the natural makeup of an organism by inserting a gene into a plant to create a new crop (Lawrence& Weber, 2014, page 302). As stated in a CNBC article, some of the top scientist in America agree that genetically modified (GM) crops are safe for humans to eat and there was no evidence of human health risk found from their studies (Barnato, 2016). By studying the cause-and-effects of GMs on the environment, the article mentions there were no harm effects detected. Some of the advantages of certain GM crops are their resistance to herbicide and insects which prevents deterioration or shortage of crops and they can withstand harsh climates. Currently, GMs are very popular in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil (Barnato, 2016). In the U.S., common foods that contain GMs are soy, corn, papaya, zucchini, and yellow squash (Genetically Modified Foods: Helpful or harmful? paragraph 6).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates GMs that are contained in our foods in the same manner as any food developer. The FDA has food developers go through a consultation process to ensure that the food for human or animal consumption is compliant with their regulations before it is distributed commercially. As far as labeling foods, the FDA does not require companies to state the food contains GMs if the GM is not materially different from its traditional counterpart (Acosta, 2014). For example, if the GM made to produce corn is not materially different than corn that does not contains GMs, then the same labeling can be used for both products.

In the early 2000s, venture capitalist invested approximately $750 million into the agriculture industry as GMs began to rise (Lawrence & Weber, 2014, page 302). Top scientist have concluded that GMs are not harmful to humans and our environment. Government agencies, such as the FDA, are regulating the use of GMs in our foods. As research and technology progresses, GMs will continue to be part of our foods just as long as there are no harmful effects. Personally, I eat a lot of corn products so I’m pretty sure I’ve consumed GMs before. Not to say the FDA is perfect, but if this agency doesn’t have an issue with it, then I’m okay with it.  

References:

Acosta, L. (2014, March 01). Restrictions on Genetically Modified Organisms: United States. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from https://www.loc.gov/law/help/restrictions-on-gmos/usa.php

Barnato, K. (2016, May 18). GM foods are safe for humans and the environment, top scientists say. Retrieved June 04, 2017, from http://www.cnbc.com/2016/05/18/gm-foods-are-safe-top-scientists-say.html

Genetically modified foods: Helpful or harmful? (n.d.). Retrieved June 04, 2017, from http://www.piedmont.org/living-better/genetically-modified-foods-helpful-or-harmful

Lawrence, A. T., & Weber, J. (2014). Business and society: stakeholders, ethics, public policy (14th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher.