Genetically Modified Organisms are hazardous for Human health

Junaid Hassan, Rao Bilal, Ahsan Maroof

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

There has been a debate raging about geneticaly modified organisms (GMOs) for a long time now. On one side of the debate is the idea that genetic engineering is progress for humanity, and it is a natural extension of more traditional breeding techniques. The other side believes genetically modified foods are unsafe for human consumption and harmful to the environment. 

Biotech companies claim that genetic modification yields more precise control over artificial selection. Studies funded by the industry consistently demonstrate safety, but only over the short term. For years Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, and other biotech based agricultural companies have told the public that we have nothing to worry about. This will be the technology that will improve food in every conceivable way. Food will be more nutritious, more vigorous, more disease resistant, etc. There are literally thousands of studies demonstrating GMO safety. A pattern has emerged, however. Their glowing, short-term studies are funded or performed by the industry.

As more and more independent scientists complete long-term studies, a very different picture has emerged about the safety of GMOs and their many other drawbacks. When these studies are not funded by industry, the results show us an uncontrollable, uncontainable, and dangerous technology with serious health hazards.Scientists all over the world have suspension about genetically modified thing.

Scientists such as Prof. Ruth Hubbard, Geneticist, Harvard University, USA and 814 other scientists have written an open letter to governments and international forums. These prominent scientists are extremely concerned about the hazards that GMOs pose to biodiversity and food safety. They are "extremely concerned" about the risks GMOs pose to human health and animal health. Experts all over the world are saying it's time to change the way we do agriculture.

These and hundreds of other scientists worldwide are calling for a ban on patents on life. Patents on life forms threaten food security and health around the world. Patents, they argue, have the effect of legally sanctioning biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources. Lifeforms such as organisms, seeds, cell-lines, and genes are discoveries. These discoveries should not belong to corporations but rather they should belong to all of us. These discoveries should not be the kind of discoveries that a person or a corporation should be able to patent.

GM pollen from GM crops can travel miles. It is commonplace for birds, insects, and weather to carry GM pollen and seeds. Animals and natural processes can spread patented genes onto other farms. When this happens, hapless farmers are sued, and contrary to all common sense.

GM crops cross-pollinate with other crops so voraciously that we can't seem to get rid of some unapproved GM varieties. Genetically modified wheat keeps popping up in farmers' fields across the country though it was ordered to be completely destroyed 14 years ago, way back in 2001.

Patents are meant to protect property rights, but the patents on genetically modified foods have been used to take farmers lands away from their rightful owners and to control farmers. Instead of protecting the freedom to own property, these patents are eroding the rights of property owners.

The current techniques that are used to genetically modify foods are unreliable, uncontrollable, and unpredictable. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of unwanted mutations result from genetic engineering. These can result in new allergens or toxins, and even new viruses. This makes sense when you consider that GMO foods are made to either be immune to poison or to create their own poisons, or both. Traditional breeding techniques are simply more controllable and predictable.

These are just some of the reasons that GMO foods should not qualify as inventions

GM crops are neither necessary nor beneficial to agriculture. There have been many failures of genetically modified crops. Now that independent research is being done on GM crops, the picture of a failed technology emerges from the research. Genetically modified crops have produced inferior yields when compared to their unmodified counterparts.GM crops have been shown to have poor disease resistance. 

GM crops engineered to contain BT toxins kill beneficial insects such as bees, lacewings, swallowtails, and monarch butterflies. (Monsanto claims they are concerned about this, but so far greenwashing has been their only response).

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•           Glufosinate causes birth defects in mammals.
• ·         Fruit abortion (a failure of fruit production).
• ·                   Glyphosate has been linked to cancer.
• ·                 Poor financial returns for farmers.
• ·              GMOs violate farmers rights.

When genetically modifying our food, the biotech industry would have the public believe that they are improving upon life, and doing it sustainably. We are told that the benefits outweigh any risks, or even less believable, that genetic engineering is a risk-free technology.

When put into practice, the benefits accrue to Big Agriculture while the costs are paid for by the consumer and society in the form of higher prices, toxic food, and environmental degradation.

The cost of genetically modifying food is also paid by farmers. They face the threat of GMO contamination, pesticide runoff, soil degradation, and higher seed prices. The same crops that become genetically modified become more expensive, in all of their varieties GM and Non GM. In a successful attempt to manipulate the market, biotech corporations have been buying seed companies for some time. This enables biotech companies to make non-genetically modified seeds more expensive, and harder to obtain after they genetically modify a particular crop such as corn.

 The Importance of GMO cannot be ignorable for the human safety and food production. Companies using the GMO for the products manufacturing should be responsible for human health issues. The use of GMO should be minimum according the security issues.