Concerns Regarding Food Biotechnology: An Ongoing Debate
نویسنده
چکیده
The development of agricultural biotechnology has led to the production of numerous types of genetically modified crops with improved traits. The prevalence of genetically modified food is increasing globally. The Rapid progress in the development of genetically modified food has significantly however increased public concern about food safety in recent years. The appearance of such foods in the global market has lately resulted in debate and scientific discussion. This debate is likely to continue, probably in the broader context of other uses of biotechnology and their consequences for human societies. To date, regulations and policies which mandate the labeling of genetically modified food are strictly adhered to in many countries to allow consumers both right for knowledge and freedom of choice. Nonetheless, several countries have not yet implemented policies that would oblige food producers to label modified food products. Main concerns about the safety of genetically modified food include allergenicity, emergence of antibiotic resistance and out-crossing of wild type crop. On the other hand, genetically modified crops can successfully reduce maturation time and improve quality by increasing tolerance to stress and some plant diseases. In fact many debate and believe that genetically modified food is the solution of world hunger because it increases food security every day and guarantees adequate nutrition. The debate would likely continue in the future but until clear evidence is provided, all concerns can be considered relative and dealt with transparency and objectivity to reveal both the good and evil side of biotechnology.
منابع مشابه
YANN DEVOS, PIETER MAESEELE, DIRK REHEUL, LINDA VAN SPEYBROECK, and DANNY DE WAELE ETHICS IN THE SOCIETAL DEBATE ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS: A (RE)QUEST FOR SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
Via a historical reconstruction, this paper primarily demonstrates how the societal debate on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gradually extended in terms of actors involved and concerns reflected. It is argued that the implementation of recombinant DNA technology out of the laboratory and into civil society entailed a ‘‘complex of concerns.’’ In this complex, distinctions between environm...
متن کاملCalls for Stricter Legislation and Fear in the European Immigrant Community: Reflections of the Public Charge Debate Ongoing in the United States; Comment on “A Crisis of Humanitarianism: Refugees at the Gates of Europe”
In the editorial, “A Crisis of Humanitarianism: Refugees at the Gates of Europe,” Marianna Fotaki elegantly highlights the changing dynamics of governmental policy toward refugees, forced migrants into Europe and the move away from the principles of humanitarianism.1 The perceived threats to economy, securi...
متن کاملKEEPING HUNGER AT BAY Agricultural Biotechnology and Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa
Persistent famine in Sub-Saharan Africa has brought to the African political arena the debate about the potential contributions of modern biotechnology in improving agricultural production and increasing food security. The international debate, which has largely focused on risks and benefits of genetically modified organisms, had been confined to scientific and policy circles between the United...
متن کاملGenetically Modified Foods and Social Concerns
Biotechnology is providing us with a wide range of options for how we can use agricultural and commercial forestry lands. The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops on millions of hectares of lands and their injection into our food chain is a huge global genetic experiment involving all living beings. Considering the fast pace of new advances in production of genetically modified crops,...
متن کاملThe real and perceived risks of genetically modified organisms.
The debate about the various risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been with us for almost a lifetime, ever since a voluntary moratorium on some recombinant DNA research was declared in Asilomar, California, in 1975. Whereas the original concerns centred on the risks of GM technology in general, in recent years it has shifted to GM crops and food. Whenever an application to release...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
عنوان ژورنال:
دوره شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2014