In this blog post, we look at the pros and cons of whether GMOs can be the key to solving the food crisis or a potential risk to ecosystems.
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, which is commonly translated as “genetically modified organism.” GMO refers to an organism whose productivity and marketability have been improved by inserting some ingredients or removing existing genes by manipulating the organism’s genes. In other words, genetic engineering is a technology that modifies the genes of living organisms to change their existing characteristics, and the history of GMOs has been accompanied by the development of DNA research. After Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA in 1953, a technology was developed in 1971 to selectively cut specific sites of DNA, and a method to join the cut DNA to other DNA appeared in 1973. This led to the mass production of insulin, which was a great help in the treatment of diabetes. Since then, various GMO foods, including rice, corn, and potatoes, have been developed and distributed worldwide. In particular, in the United States, a major producer of grains, the area of GMO grain cultivation reached 70 million hectares as of 2013, and it is said that more than 93% of corn and 99% of soybeans are GMO varieties. As such, GMO foods have already penetrated deep into our lives, with more than 80% of food in the United States containing GMOs. However, the debate over the pros and cons of GMO foods is still fierce.
The biggest concern of anti-GMO food advocates is safety. GMOs are foods that have been genetically engineered to maximize productivity and quality. However, the opponents argue that the technology itself is not yet familiar to us, and that the commercialization of this technology has only been in full swing for 20 to 30 years, so there has not been enough verification of its safety. They present the results of experiments in which animals that consumed GMO food developed diseases or tumors, claiming that GMO food may be harmful to the human body. They also worry that GMO organisms may destroy the natural ecosystem. Just as alien species such as the American alligator and red-eared sliders have disrupted the Korean ecosystem, GMO organisms may also threaten the natural ecosystem. Opponents also accuse the companies that lead the GMO market of selling GMO foods for commercial gain rather than for the good of solving the food crisis, and claim that companies such as Monsanto and DuPont Pioneer are concealing their harmfulness and misleading consumers and farmers.
I think the arguments of the opponents are valid and well-founded. There is some merit to the opponents’ opinion that GMO foods are dangerous and that there is a strong commercial interest behind their global distribution. Nevertheless, I believe that the benefits of GMOs outweigh their negative effects.
The development of GMO crops is basically done by manipulating the DNA of a specific seed to express the desired characteristics. This is mainly done to increase productivity. One of the most common methods is to increase the number and size of fruits. For example, “super rice” is widely used in China, which produces twice as much yield as regular rice because it produces twice as many ears. In addition, the “super corn” developed by Dr. Kim Soon-kwon in the past was more than twice the size of ordinary corn, and it was a crop that contributed to alleviating Korea’s food shortage.
In general agriculture, a large amount of chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers are used, and chemical fertilizers deplete the nutrients in the soil when used repeatedly, causing the land to become barren. Moreover, if pesticides and herbicides are used incorrectly, resistant pests and weeds can develop, creating a vicious cycle in which stronger pesticides must be used. In contrast, using GMO technology to engineer genes that are resistant to pests and weeds can reduce the use of pesticides, herbicides, and herbicides and maintain the health of the ecosystem. If GMO organisms are thoroughly managed, they can prevent the spread of GMO organisms into the natural ecosystem, so they are less likely to spread than pests or weeds. In addition, if the genes are manipulated so that they can grow without fertilizers, soil degradation can be prevented by reducing the use of fertilizers.
Chemical fertilizers may be harmful to the human body, and they claim that they have conducted thorough safety inspections and found no problems. This is also the logic that pro-GMO advocates often cite to counter the concerns of opponents about safety issues. The pro-GMO argument is convincing because we are already using new chemicals that do not exist in nature, and no side effects from GMO crops have been found in humans yet.
The current population is growing at an unprecedented rate, and the problem of food shortages is intensifying. The population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, and 800 million people are still starving. In particular, the economic growth of China and India will lead to an increase in their meat consumption, further increasing demand for grain. At the same time, agricultural land is decreasing due to urbanization and development around the world, and food shortages are expected to become more serious in the future. GMO crops are highly productive and can produce more food in a smaller area, which can help solve food shortages at a lower cost.
Of course, GMO crop development companies will make huge profits, but those profits will also go to farmers who use GMO seeds and to the hungry. In fact, Indonesia has agreed to produce GMO crops and has enacted relevant laws to solve the food crisis, and some countries in Africa and Eastern Europe are making similar efforts. Rather than focusing on the profits of companies through the spread of GMO crops, we need to focus on the positive impact on poor farmers, people suffering from hunger, and our future generations who are concerned about food problems.
In addition to increasing agricultural productivity, GMO crops can have various functionalities. In particular, GMO crops with anticancer ingredients that prevent cancer, the leading cause of death among Koreans, are being developed. For example, there are various functional GMO crops on the market, including rice containing the anticancer ingredient “isoflavone,” tomatoes containing a large amount of the anticancer substance “resveratrol,” and rice with a high content of the antioxidant “anthocyanin.” This not only increases consumer satisfaction, but also helps agriculture grow into a high-value industry, providing new opportunities for farmers.
GMOs can be used not only in food but also in the bioenergy sector. Oil resources are becoming increasingly depleted in modern society, and bioenergy is emerging as a major alternative energy source as we urgently need to develop energy to replace oil. Bioenergy is energy derived from biomass (living organisms), and bioethanol, biodiesel, and biogas are typical examples. GMO crops are suitable as raw materials for bioenergy due to their high productivity, and can be used as a low-cost resource for energy production with less stability concerns.
The safety issue, which is the most emphasized by anti-GMO advocates, is the core of the debate. However, to date, no cases of harm to the human body have been reported during the distribution of GMO foods. The animal experiments presented by the opponents are mainly experiments on animals with different structures, and in many cases, sufficient control of variables has not been achieved. On the other hand, companies that develop GMO seeds conduct more than 75 tests, including toxicity, allergies, and environmental impact, and it takes an average of 136 million dollars and more than 13 years to commercialize GMOs.
As such, I believe that the continued development of GMO crops is necessary. Of course, the safety, commercial viability, and ecosystem disruption issues that opponents are concerned about must be taken into serious consideration. However, the benefits of GMO crops outweigh the disadvantages of these issues, and it would be a shame to give up on developing them. GMO crops can contribute to solving various problems facing humanity, such as food shortages, alternative energy, and cancer treatment. The problems raised by the opponents can be solved in other ways while promoting GMO policies. Therefore, I am in favor of the development and distribution of GMO crops.
