What Are the Pros and Cons of Genetically Engineered Food?

Genetically engineered food, also known as Genetically Modified or GM food, is food that has been altered at the genetic level to produce a better tasting, longer lasting, or more resistant product. Vegetables and other crops are the most common type of genetically engineered food. Corn, for example, has been altered to be naturally insect-resistant, while tomatoes have been modified to slow down the rotting process. Genetically engineered food has its pros and cons, which include:

PROS

• Genetically engineered food is cost effective. Because it is designed to resist pests and prosper under non-optimal conditions, it can also help people in areas where regular crops would not prosper. Large savings in production may lead to financial gain and help fight poverty.
• Genetically engineered food can be naturally pest-resistant and thus reduce the need for additional chemicals, pesticides, and other dangerous additives.
• Genetically engineered food may help reduce world hunger, at least in theory. As new species are altered to grow faster or more effectively, they can be used to feed poor nations or chosen for countries where crops may not normally prosper because of less than desirable environmental conditions. Some companies now claim to be producing crops that can help against certain diseases or provide specific nutrients, such as milk proteins and iron, which would otherwise not be available to some populations.

CONS

• Genetically engineered food is too new for us to know if it may have an effect on the human body. Modifying the essence of a food may also alter the dynamics of it in ways not known. Since many of the alterations include adding chemical properties to the crops, some people fear what effect those same chemicals may have on us.
• Poor countries will not have easy access to genetically engineered food unless directly given to them, which means that the world's richest nations will control the market. This may result in a high dependency on the side of the poor nations, which will in turn lead to a broken economy.