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The creation of genetically modified organisms (GMO) has sparked debate throughout the world. The Supreme Court-appointed expert group has recommended a 10-year embargo on field tests for genetically modified (GM) crops, thereby barring the possibility of their production in the near future. Chengal Reddy, secretary general of the Consortium of Indian Farmers’ Associations, has objected, saying that this goes blatantly against the interests of farmers who depend on GM crops' better yields and less need for pesticides. He found that whether directly or indirectly, genetically modified foods are consumed by about 300 million Americans, 1350 million Chinese, and 280 million Brazilians (qtd. in Bawa and Anilakumar). Clearly, GMO foods are very popular and are consumed by many around the world. The term “GMO” stands for genetically modified organisms. Most individuals who are opposed to eating or growing genetically modified foods are unaware of their many advantages. GMO foods are very beneficial as they are more affordable than regular crops and contain more nutrients than organic food.
Regular unmodified crops cost farmers a lot of money and resources to produce while growing GMO foods allows them to conserve more resources. In 2003, researchers from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) began a study on the yield effects of genetically modified crops. To study the relationship between crop yields of GMO products, the total cost to grow GMO foods, and organic foods, researcher Matin Qaim and university professor David Zilberman studied this data. They discovered that, on average, the technology of genetic modification raises agricultural yields by 21% (qtd. in Klümper and Qaim). These gains are attributable to more effective pest control because GMO foods are more resistant to pests, thus resulting in less crop loss. For this reason, GMO crops have also lowered pesticide costs and the amount of pesticides needed by 39% and 37%, respectively. In addition, farmers that grow GMO foods have profit gains of 69% because they do not need to use so many resources and spend money on pesticides (qtd. in Klümper and Qaim). In other words, genetically modified foods can increase the number of food products that are sold on the market by 21%, and 40% of the resources can be used for other problems instead of for crops. The cost for pesticide prevention and the number of pesticides used decreases because the genetically modified crops can be engineered to tolerate or prevent them. Consequently, the health of crops improve and farmers are also able to make a higher revenue under the same supply. The quantity supplied of a good is directly related to its price; therefore, when farmers are able to supply more crops because less of them wither from pests, the farmers’ earnings will increase. At the same time, consumers can purchase goods at a lower price because there is more food on the market. Clearly, GMO foods assist farmers to increase their income and also benefit consumers by increasing food availability, therefore lowering price. This results in a better affordability for consumers.
An example of how GMO foods contain more nutrients than organic foods can be seen in a study conducted by researcher Fedrica Blando and the Italian Ministry of University and Research. In 2015, the researchers began a study on the health benefits of anthocyanins in genetically modified purple tomatoes. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give fruits and vegetables their colors of red, purple, and blue (Khoo et al.). Anthocyanins are abundant in berries, blackcurrants, grapes, and some tropical fruits (Khoo et al.). The researchers of the genetically modified purple tomatoes took out anthocyanin from mahaleb cherries, blackcurrants, black carrots, and “Sun Black” tomatoes. They purified the samples so that they could have a longer shelf life and so any contamination that could change the precision of the experiment could be avoided. Federica Blando and her colleagues studied the data on the benefits of anthocyanin. They found that anthocyanin provides anti-inflammatory antigens, contains antioxidants, and has favorable cardiovascular protective effects (qtd. in Gonzali and Perata). In other words, anthocyanin provides benefits that can help increase and protect one’s health. Consumers become healthier through the consumption of GMO food because of the many beneficial nutrients they contain. For instance, by putting anthocyanin from a blueberry into a tomato, one can get the best of both goods because they are consuming the nutrients from both foods and gaining the most benefit.
As seen in the aforementioned research, GMO foods have many benefits and we should not let our assumptions about modified goods hinder us from gaining these benefits.
References
Bawa, A. S, and K. R. Anilakumar. “Genetically modified foods: safety, risks and
public concerns—a review.” Journal of Food Science and Technology. vol. 50,
no. 6, 19 Dec. 2012.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791249. Accessed 2 Sep.
2022.
Klümper, Wilhelm, Matin Qaim. “A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically
Modified Crops.” PLOS one. vol. 9, no. 11, 3 Nov. 2013.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4218791. Accessed 4 Sep.
2022.
Gonzali, Silvia, and Pierdomenico Perata. “Anthocyanins from Purple Tomatoes as
Novel Antioxidants to Promote Human Health.” Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. vol. 9, no. 10, 20 Oct. 2020.
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