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Science
Genetically modified food
(GMO). That is a big topic. Is it good or bad? I
have an opinion, but I am not going to tell you
about my thoughts. I will provide facts in this article,
then you make up your minds.
Background to this
We will focus on plants, otherwise we go into sciencefiction
rather than trying to keep it within reason.
The background for GMO is simple: better crops. If it
is possible to ‘create’ new crops with a resistance to
diseases and with a higher nutritional value, well, that
is not so bad. That is the background.
Let us look at an example: the potato. If we can make
a potato immune to blight (some disease) and less
prone to bruising and make it also better (healthier)
when fried (chips!), then we have achieved something.
GMO is not there to grow weird things or cross a potato
with an elephant. It is rather pedestrian technology,
really.
When did it all start?
GMO is not new. Even when people in Mesopotamian
crossed their wheat crops with some other one’s they
found, well, GMO. They did interfere with nature.
When we ‘design’ a new rose, well, it is also genetic
modification.
Without looking at the actual DNA sequences, scientist
did catalogue the different traits and how they
could let these be inherited. Cross-breeding is not
new.
Where are we now?
Via different scientific methods we can now sequence
the entire DNA of just about anything. Let us look at
the potato again. So we know exactly the string of
DNA. We know what gene is coding for what. Let us
then imagine we have a few types of potatoes. One is
immune to diseases and we have found which gene
is coding for that. Then we take that gene and put it
into a potato which grows faster and bigger. Smart? Is
it any different form trying to cross them in nature? Is
it not just speeding up nature a bit?
But who is doing the actual gene manipulation? In
essence, big industrial groups like BASF, Bayer and
other chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Such
companies design and build a new plant by using an
existing plant as the base platform. Inserting, activating,
de-activating or removing genes are all done in a
laboratory under strict controls. Testing of such a new
plant is extensive.
The catch is that they can then ‘patent’ this new plant.
The cost of development is somehow of course passed
to the growers if they want to use this new plant.
Is it then an economical viable solution? If a farmer
must invest more money into buying seeds but the
seeds will give him a higher yield, yes. It makes sense.
But do we see any GMO foods? Oh yes:
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