Question

As a nutrition and food specialist, your friend approaches you and asks: “What do you think of GMO foods?” How would you respond? Discuss aspects related to GMO benefits and safety for humans and the environment.

Answer 1

Foods that are produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using genetic engineering methods are the genetically modified foods (GM foods) or genetically engineered foods (GE foods). These foods are produced from the GM organisms (GMOs) such as from modified plants, animals, or microorganisms, and most of these currently available GMO foods poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food.  

The modified crops engineered for the resistance to herbicides, and pathogens, tolerance to abiotic stresses, early maturity, and for the better nutrient profiles.  

The benefits of GMO includes,

• More tastier food.
• Nutritious food.
• Increased supply of food.
• Disease- and drought-resistant crop plants that require fewer environmental resources: water and fertilizer.
• Less use of pesticides.
• Reduced cost.
• Longer shelf life.
• Faster growing organisms.

The significant environmental benefits of GM crops is the dramatic reduction in herbicide, and pesticide use, and the size of these reduction varying between crops and the introduced trait. Most of the modified crops had lots of economic, and environmental uses, and are safe for use.