preview

Genetically Modified Foods Ethical Issues

Decent Essays

Introduction
Figure-1 depicts the growth of chickens since 1957 due to the insertion of GM chemicals.
Figure-2 depicts the difference between an organic tomato and a genetically altered tomato. Genetically modified foods (GM foods) are derived from organisms that have been artificially altered in labs in order to achieve specific attractive characteristics that the organism would have not naturally had (AbbyMediaRoots, 2009; Griffins, 2009). A gene is inserted into the organism that would make it more productive, for example, in the agriculture setting. Highly harmful products that are normally used in farming (such as pesticides) may originally have killed the organism in its natural state. Through the genetic modification, the organism …show more content…

One major issue associated with genetically modified foods involves the animal food web. It may be a benefit that GM foods withstand pesticides within the crops, but these pesticides could still harm other organisms that consume it. These
Figure-3 depicts a cartoon …show more content…

GM foods cause implications and raise many ethical issues such as disease, effects on other organisms and the health and safety of humans and the overall environment. Disease is a very big issue regarding GM foods because it could seriously put most of the species at risk and endanger the general biodiversity and ecosystem. By the development of a new disease, scientists would have difficulties finding ways to eliminate or even slow down these diseases, which would be very detrimental (Murnaghan, 2017). Secondly, the growth of GM foods would affect other organisms living around it. These crops have an ability to spread uncontrollably which would damage other crops and cause difficulties in growing them. GM foods are easily spreadable and would eventually become uncontainable (Murnaghan, 2017). Lastly, the health and safety for humans and the environment would be at risk. Water sources can be easily contaminated due to chemicals off the GM foods which would harm organisms that consume water (i.e., animals and humans). GM foods can also easily disturb the food web process and harm the species of the organisms (Murnaghan, 2017). GM foods would be very dangerous and poisonous resulting in organisms having to find new feeding sources (Murnaghan, 2017). GM foods are a very controversial subject whereas there being

Get Access