Pros
- Higher crop yields/improve profits for farmers
But..... 1996-1998 yields decreased in some cases, greater amounts of herbicides necessary to fight non-target pests
- Crops that are resistant to disease/pests/herbicides
But.... Creation of “superweeds” seen in Ottawa
- Alleviate world hunger
But.... Increase dependence of developing countries on the developed
o Hinder indigenous agricultural practices
- Increase nutritional value
Cons
- Allergenic affects/asthma
- Affect on local ecosystems
o Bt Corn pollen is lethal to monarch butterfly
o Decrease in Biodiversity
o “Not habitats for life”
- Time magazine stated –“Global Death of Birth”
o Destruction of seed stocks
- Negative impact on soil fertility and composition
o Genetic pollution can alter life in the soil forever
- Disappearance of diversity in food
o Past 50 years 95% of native grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables varieties have disappeared in U.S.
- Lack of proper safeguards and knowledge
o “A year after………a massive spraying………there was not a sound of the song of bird…..What was man doing to…our beautiful world…Who has made the decision that sets in motion….this ever-widening wave of death.” Rachel Carson, Silent Spring
o “A better understanding of the impact and interaction of food with the immune system is required to decipher how and whether conventional and GM foods cause specific health and safety problems” WHO
o Experimental swine piglets were not destroyed but sold.
§ “Slipup is emblematic of a federal regulatory system that is behind thee times when it comes to the next phase of bioengineered food: genetically modified animals.
o Use of drug law to regulate GM animals- “is weak on the environment and it allows zero public participation.”
§ FDA needs to make laws specifically for genetically modified organisms instead of trying to adapt old laws.
- Affect on agriculture
o Can no longer grow organic corn if neighboring field holds GM crops.
o Loss of fields
- Ethical Dilemma
o Intrinsic value of nature
§ “The central problem underlying all of this technology is not just its short-term benefits and long-term drawbacks, but the overall attempt to “control” living nature is based on an erroneous mechanistic view.”
o Scientific Integrity
§ “Academic Scientists who lack industry ties have become as rare as ginat pandas in the wild….lawmakers, bioethics experts and federal regulators are troubled that so many researchers have a financial stake….The fear is that the lure of profit could color scientific integrity, promoting researchers to withhold information about potentially dangerous side-effects.” New York Times
How Far is To Far????
This site was created as part of the honors course: The Ideal at Monmouth College in Fall 2005