Genetically Modified Organisms (G.M.Os), as the name applies, are plants, animals or microorganisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered through the technology of “Genetic Engineering”, also known as “Recombinant DNA Technology”. The first G.M.O. that was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1982 was the genetically modified bacterium, Escherichia coli, which produces Humulin, the Insulin that type 1 diabetic patients inject, on a daily basis, into the fat under their skin in order to reach their blood circulation and regulate their blood sugar levels.
How Did Genetically Modified Foods Dominate The Marketplace?
When it comes to crops, their genetic material is altered to confer benefits to both, farmers and consumers. The major aim behind the development of G.M. crops is crop protection against diseases caused by insects and viruses that invade plants on one hand; and against herbicides that can harm the desirable plants on the other hand. The latter is achieved by incorporating into the crops, bacterial and viral genes that provide them with special characteristics, so that the crop yields increase and the use of pesticides decreases.
“Genetically Modified Foods” have dominated the marketplace in 1999, and since then the public concerns for the safe intake of G.M. Foods were raised. Yet, only recently the concerns were widened to a new, more basic problem. And the question now is: Did genetic modification really boost crop yields and reduce pesticide use?
The Outcomes of G.M. Crops Introduction
Data from academic and industry research compared the crop yields in Europe which rejected G.M.Os twenty years ago, and United States and Canada which embraced this technology. The results showed that there was no difference in crop yields between Canada and the United States versus European countries such as France and Germany.
Moreover, and when it comes to the use of pesticides, France succeeded in the reduction in the overall use of pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, more than the United States. Data from the United States Geological Survey showed that the utilization of herbicides increased by 21 percent despite the introduction of genetically modified varieties of major crops such as corn, soybean and cotton, while the use of insecticides and fungicides decreased. Yet, it should be mentioned that herbicides are used in much greater amounts compared to insecticides and fungicides.
G.M. Foods Do Not Convey Benefits, Neither to Farmers, Nor to Consumers
Recent opinions on this issue stated that manufacturers of G.M. crops are the only winners in this regard, since the same companies sell both, G.M. crops and pesticides at the same time.
Responding to this point of view, Monsanto, the largest seed manufacturer responded by saying that farmers would never pay for a technology that is not associated with positive outcomes for their businesses. Besides, Monsanto claimed that despite the overall increase in herbicide use, some areas may have either decreased or maintained the use of herbicides in agricultural practices following the introduction of G.M. crops. Nevertheless, numbers show that the sales of Monsanto and Syngenta, the leading pesticide producer, increased by more than sixfold in the past 15 years.
Well, this can be explained by the use of G.M. crops, which made farmers use more herbicides to control weeds, since the G.M. plants are resistant to herbicides. Adding to this, the recent presence of herbicide-resistant weeds, which is mainly a consequence of the excessive use of herbicides, resulted in an increase in the purchase of both, crops and pesticides. The latter did not surprise a lot of scientists, since they believe that this is a normal result to alterations in genetic material. The United States Department of Agriculture showed that herbicide use in soybeans increased by two and a half times in the past 20 years, and in corn it doubled between 2002 and 2010.
The health effects of pesticides grabbed researchers attentions long time ago, where many types are linked with lower I.Q. levels, in addition to increased incidence of developmental disorders, cancers and many other serious health conditions. And the major alarm is that people all over the globe consume G.M. foods, whether they know it or not, from foods imported from the United States and elsewhere.
Relevant Lebanese authorities are recently devoting great attention towards generating and implementing food safety regulations. Fortunately, there exists an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for G.M.Os analysis, which is the only one in the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This laboratory is located at the American University of Science and Technology (AUST), and is accredited to perform screening, identification and quantification of genetic modification. Therefore, we look forward to having novel food safety regulations that will absolutely help in improving the quality of food present in the Lebanese market.
