In recent years, we have seen a huge rise in interest and concerns regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered crops. We see labels touting organic and non-GMO on all sorts of different products, but what does that truly mean? What exactly are GMOs, are they actually harmful, and how do they affect the food that sustains our population of over seven billion?

GMOs refer to organisms whose genetic material has been edited to produce a result that is not found in nature [2]. These genetic edits can be as simple as removing a specific trait by selectively breeding two organisms, or can be as complex as introducing genes from another species into an organism’s DNA to induce a certain desired trait. 

When it comes to our food, arguably everything that we eat has been genetically modified in one form or another. Farming techniques like cross-breeding and radiation exposure have been practiced for decades [2]. However, the recent controversy over GMO products arises out of the concerns regarding the modification of plant and animal DNA, where changes made to organismal genomes involve introducing foreign genes and sequences [1]. Much of the fear surrounding GMOs is centered around these practices of engineering that yield seeds and plants with traits that are far from endogenous. The most common modifications we see today are herbicide and pesticide resistance, frost tolerance, and increased nutritional value or crop yield [2]. 

The leading concerns over consuming GMOs regard the safety and long term health effects of consumption. However, science tells us that there has been zero evidence of any detrimental effects of consuming genetically modified foods. Over 90% of scientists agree that GMOs are perfectly healthy, yet only a third of American consumers believe the same [5]. For many of us living in the U.S., GMOs don’t make much of a difference but for people in developing countries, GMOs could be the difference between malnutrition and well-nourished. 

Despite the public uneasiness surrounding GMOs, they could be the answer to creating a new, sustainable line of food production that stands to feed our rapidly growing population. Golden rice, a genetically modified version of rice, contains as much vitamin A as a serving of spinach due to its modification to contain beta-carotene, a molecule that can be processed into vitamin A in our bodies [6]. The crop could replace white rice as the common food staple in Asia, and it has been regarded as the solution to widespread vitamin deficiencies throughout Asia and Africa. Studies in Bangladesh and Thailand have found that consuming golden rice contributed to a substantial decrease in vitamin A deficiency, lowering the risk of diseases and death that it imposes [6]. 

As the world’s population continues to grow at unrelenting rates, we as a species face the Malthusian fate of exhausting our food sources and malnutrition. With the widespread use of GMOs, we can engineer safe and sustainable solutions to feed the human species. Additionally, many types of genetically engineered seeds and crops have been modified to survive in the changing conditions due to global warming [4]. In fact, research has found that the use of GMO crops has contributed to a decrease in total herbicide and pesticide usage and lowered greenhouse gas emissions [3]. 

While you are free to choose between GMO and non-GMO in the supermarket, the global conversation of GMOs extends far beyond the choices you make for dinner. GMOs could become a normal part of food consumption for much of the world in coming years, allowing food production to become a solution to climate change rather than a contributor. 

Written By Alice Ma

References:

1. Baker, K. (2018, December 6). Could GMOs Help Create Sustainable Food Systems? Planet Forward. https://www.planetforward.org/idea/gmos-sustainable-food

2. Brody, J. (2018, April 23). Are GMO Foods Safe? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/well/eat/are-gmo-foods-safe.html

3. Conrow, J. (2020, July 27). New Study: GMO Crops Reduce Pesticide Use, Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Cornell Alliance for Science. https://allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/2020/07/new-study-gmo-crops-reduce-pesticide-use-greenhouse-gas-emissions/

4. Gyamfi, I. (2017). The Future of Sustainable Global Food Supply: Is GMO an Option? UC Berkeley: Rausser College of Natural Resources. https://iep.berkeley.edu/content/future-sustainable-global-food-supply-gmo-option

5. Hirsh, S. (2019, November). Are GMOs Sustainable? Green Matters. https://www.greenmatters.com/p/are-gmos-sustainable

6. Kava, R. (2016, September 21). Potential Benefits Of Golden Rice Would Be Greatest For The Poorest. American Council on Science and Health. https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/09/21/potential-benefits-golden-rice-would-be-greatest-poorest-10190