IssuesEthical
Issues
The major ethical issue behind the genetic modification of organisms is the concept of tampering with nature. Should humanity take control over nature? Should we be slaves to its existence? Or, does the best solution come in the obtainment of a healthy balance where humanity utilizes nature in a way that is advantageous to both parties? The use of genetically modified organisms is tampering with nature since one is introducing the genes of one organism into that of another. Humanity is creating something that would never occur naturally with their self interests as the driving factor. So, one is faced with the question of which they value more; the beauty and power of nature or genetically modified organisms. It brings humanity back to the age old question of technology vs. nature. We are once again at a common crossroads faced with a decision that could forever transform the earth and all life which calls it home.
An ethical decision about genetically modified food begins with the farmer. The farmer must decide whether or not it is in their best interest to plant genetically modified crops. On the one hand they are easier to maintain due to their increased resistance to pests and decreased need for chemical treatment, also the yield in general is usually higher. On a strictly economic basis the farmer would spend less time and money on maintenance of the filed and would in turn receive a larger yield seemingly making the decision a no-brainer. But the farmer needs to keep in mind his future and his obligation to the maintenance of the environment and ecology of the error. The farmer makes his livelihood from the land and thus he would want to avoid causing any harm to it. Since the impact upon the environment, in the present and future, of GMO’s is largely still a mystery and in some cases they have been harmful the farmer is faced with a conundrum. There are a plethora of other issues that impact the farmers decision such as past crop yield, outside pressures, monetary situation, just to name a few.
The next step in the ethical dilemma of GM food is the decision of businesses and corporations as to whether they will use GM foods in their products. Businesses are faced with the economic decision of whether or not to use genetically modified foods in their products. The businesses are faced with the moral decision of whether or not they want to be associated with GM foods when their impact upon the environment could be detrimental. At the same time the abundance of GM food influences their decision since it usually comes at a cheaper price due to its large supply and the fact that it can be made at a lower cost. Thus most businesses decide to use GM foods because money is the most important factor and this choice will not necessarily end up being detrimental to the environment.
Now the decision should fall in the hands of the consumer. They should be able to decide whether they want to support the growth and use of GM foods or not. But in the current American society this is not the case. This choice is taken out the hands of the consumer due to the fact that products containing GM foods are not labeled. So, the consumer who holds the most power in an economic sense is not given the opportunity to make a conscientious choice concerning the utilization of GM foods. Most of the food currently consumed in the U.S. contains GM foods and the consumer has very little say in changing this matter. Without the knowledge about the contents of their foods consumers are being raped of their power. Consumers outnumber farmers and businesses combined by an enormous margin and thus their impact would be substantial to the future use of GM foods, but currently their hands are tied.
Another ethical conundrum behind the genetic modification of organisms has to do with the academic integrity of those scientist involved in the testing and research of these products. Currently there are extensive amounts of studies being conducted to try and better understand the impact of GMO’s upon the environment and the human body. The thing is that many of the scientists involved in these tests and experiments may have a bias in favor of a certain outcome. It is the ethical and moral obligation of every scientist to partake in experimentation without biases in order to avoid potential manipulations of the experiment and/or results. But as was stated in the New York Times, “Academic Scientists who lack industry ties have become as rare as giant 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.” Such shading of the truth will give GM foods a leg up as the public will be kept blind to the potential hazards these crops may cause. Their continued use would only worsen the problem and the affect upon earth and those whom inhabit it could be catastrophic.
Also to obtain an understanding of the ethical issues involved with the study of biology refer to the following paper which I complied. A Question of Ethics
This site was created as part of the honors course: The Ideal at Monmouth College in Fall 2005