Introduction
The genetically modified organisms usually known by their acronym GMOs represent any body that has had their genes engineered in the laboratory as a means of favoring a particular trait either physiologically or genetically. In the case of livestock and crop farming, this practice has been evident for quite some time. Individual species are selected for the specific purpose of presenting particular characteristics that are more profound than others. These genetic alterations have become more prevalent in the production of foods that are more likely to help sustain the growing populations. Nevertheless, such practices have received considerable attacks as they are identified as affecting various aspects of society regarding political, social, economic and scientific practices. The following paper will provide a brief background on GMOs and the benefits and limitations that have come up since their inception.
Background
The history of genetic engineering is long, but it was not until 1973 that the first genetically modified organism was developed by Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen. The two were able to extract a gene from a bacterium that is resistant to kanamycin and used it to make another bacterium survive in the presence of the antibiotic. This occurrence would serve as a period of numerous inventions where the scientists would develop many genetically modified organisms. In 1974 Rudolf Jaenisch became the first to create a transgenic mouse by introducing foreign genes to the animal’s embryo (Phillips, 2008). However, it would take up to eight years before the transgenic animal could transfer the gene to its offspring. Scientists were able to develop animals with knockout genes and clones in 1984 and 1989 respectively. The genetic engineers Michael Bevan, Richard Flavell and Mary-Dell Chilton, became the first to create a GM plant in 1983.
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This occurrence indicated a significant development in the discipline. The tobacco plant was the first to be modified as it was set up with resistance to Agrobacterium infection. Shortly after, a gene gun was developed that would enable the transformation of other plants that were not susceptible to the disease. China became the first to commercialize transgenic plants in the virus-resistant tobacco in 1992 (Phillips, 2008). However, Genentech which was the first genetic engineering company had successfully developed human insulin in 1978 and were approved to release it in 1982 by the FDA. The Flavr Savr a genetically engineered tomato was released for commercial sale in 1994 becoming the first GM food. It was only until the year 2000 that the genetically altered golden rice enriched with Vitamin a became the first crop with an enhanced nutrient value (Phillips, 2008). By this time, the US had adopted the insect resistant potato among other eight transgenic plants and one flower.
Benefits
On the political front, GMOs were created as a means of eradicating global problems such as a cure for diseases and hunger. In the modern society, the developed countries that have easy access to technology have ensured that countries suffering from famine have adequate access to GM crops like maize that can adequately feed the population of Zambia. In this way, countries establish a productive political association. The GMOs have also played a significant role in the economic sector. Since the mid-1990s, the engineered plants have served as an effective means of growing plants and ensuring conservation. In this case, the soybean which is essential for the production of soybean oil and animal feed was created to be resistant to herbicides. Maize was altered to ensure drought tolerance and insect resistance enabling farmers to increase growth for such crops. The global area of land space used to grow GM crops increased from 17,000 square kilometers to 1.75 million square kilometers over a period of 18 years resulting in public jobs for the agriculture industry (Kumar, 2016).
As previously mentioned, the scientists who altered the genes of organisms identified the need to develop techniques that could provide solutions to global problems. For instance, production of human insulin from bacteria would serve as a significant innovation for the people with diabetes. The developments made in gene therapy would help in eliminating the Ebola virus. The human growth hormone was also developed as a measure of treating dwarfism (Kumar, 2016). However, the most profound effect on genetic engineering organisms has been in the field of science. It is evident that the continued innovations made by scientists around the world that this discipline will provide a significant contribution to the survival of the human beings. Despite the issues surrounding global warming and the drying up of water sources, some plants can grow in such conditions ensuring continued production of food for human survival (Kumar, 2016).
Limitations
There are multitudes of disadvantages that have come up from the development of GMOs. The political voices of farmers have been diminished by the development of powerful corporations like Monsanto that control billions of dollars of GM foods. The power shift has led to increased concerns that such organizations have far too much control in the production of food while consumers and farmers should manage it. This practice has also resulted in high dependence on the GM products particularly in developing countries hence providing massive profits to these biotechnology companies (Krimsky, 2015). The economic front is also immensely affected by the continued production of GMOs. European countries have established strict laws in output and importation of GM products. As a result, the US where there are numerous such corporations have cited massive losses from such practices. The unethical practices of these large biotechnology companies have brought about major controversy resulting in production and distribution of foods (Mufson, 2013).
There are those concerned that genetically modified foods have adverse effects on their health. Scientific research has shown experiments on rats where consumption of genetically GM foods has resulted not only led to diseases but influenced the occurrence of death. These results have called into question the safety of these products and the standards set in approving these products for human consumption (Krimsky, 2015). The scientific industry is the most affected by the production of GM products. A discipline that was once touted as having high levels of professional ethics has been destroyed by the commercialization of the GM products. The establishment of large biotechnology corporations has led to the determination of achieving massive profits and ignoring innovation and safety. In 2013, authorities found an 80-acre land space that was filled with unapproved GM wheat in Oregon (Mufson, 2013). It was depicted that the product was similar to that of Monsanto that had been rejected by 12 different states over a span of ten years.
Conclusion
Despite numerous benefits associated with GMO production, numerous cases have come up resulting in dispute within the society. The controversies mainly surround the biotechnology companies that demonstrate excessive control in the political, economic, social and scientific aspects. The rise of such corporations has reduced the image of biotechnology and genetic engineering to almost a bare minimum. The professionals in this field are depicted as lacking the professional conduct required to ensure a high level of adherence to regulations set by the federal and state governments. Nevertheless, these corporations continue to exert their financial power to control political leaders and diminish the impact that activist groups have in the society.
References
Krimsky, S. (2015). An illusory consensus behind GMO health assessment. Science, Technology, & Human Values , 40(6), 883-914. DOI: 10.1177/0162243915598381.
Kumar, A. (2016). The Future of Genetically Modified Crops: Reflections on the NAS Report. Asian Biotechnology & Development Review , 18(2): 59-67.
Mufson, S. (2013, May 30). Unapproved genetically modified wheat from Monasanto found in Oregon field . The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/unapproved-genetically-modified-wheat-from-monsanto-found-in-oregon-field/2013/05/30/93fe7abe-c95e-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html?utm_term=.d822e652a8dd
Phillips, T. (2008) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Transgenic crops and recombinant DNA technology. Nature Education 1(1):213.
