GMOs. Genetically Modified Organisms. This is a controversial topic that often makes its way into my research papers. Undeniably, the world is divided on the usage of GMOs: yay… or nay?
So, I’d just like to share my views on this. Here’s something I wrote for my Land and Food Systems 250 presentation:
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When I read “Genes in the Food by Lewontin” I couldn’t help but think about my biology research paper that I wrote. Of course, it was about genetically modified crops that expressed the Bt toxin, and whether it is safer than pesticides or not. The conclusion of my paper was simple: GMOs are not harmful to humans, or at least for now. I realise that I am in the LFS faculty and within this faculty, there is a common resentment toward GMOs… or basically anything that is not organic. But then again, isn’t this faculty supposed to be grounded in science, and GLOBAL in scope? (That’s our faculty’s motto) So, why shouldn’t GMOs be explored through science? Why shouldn’t GMOs be part of our scope?
Anyway, I’m not just an LFS student, I’m also technology fanatic. I believe that technology is the future, and that future includes GMOs. Unfortunately, I feel that fear of potential has overwhelmed the public. People are simply scared of exploring the unknown. For example, just yesterday, I was debating on whether to eat chicken strips or buffalo strips; the only difference was that buffalo strips were spicy… and I’ve never tried them before. Despite the small differences, I still spent a long time deciding, and finally ordered my usual chicken strips – cos I was afraid of the potential of the buffalo strips.
Yeah, GMOs could be toxic to people in the future. But, at the same time, GMOs could beneficial to health and save millions of lives. There’s always going to be a “what if” when we don’t move forward. And I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t move forward. Is the current state of things really that great? I don’t think so.
So why not try to realise the potential of GMOs?
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PS. If you’re interested in reading my biology paper, here’s a download link: GMO Bio Essay