Keep Calm | Genetically Modified Crops Are Rendered Safe To Eat
According to a comprehensive new analysis by the advisory group the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, GMO food are safe for consumption for both humans and animals. However, it is somewhat unclear whether the technology has actually increased crop yields.
The report from the influential group comes as the federal government is reviewing how it regulates biotech crops and as big packaged-food companies are starting to label products as being made with genetically engineered ingredients to comply with a new Vermont law.
The report also says that new techniques, like a way to make small genetic changes in plants using genome-editing, are blurring the distinction between genetic engineering and conventional plant breeding, making the existing regulatory system untenable. It calls for a new system that pays more attention to the attributes of the crop, as opposed to the way in which it was created.
Despite its roughly 400 pages, however, the document is not expected to end the highly polarized dispute over biotech crops, which are often called G.M.O.s, for genetically modified organisms. Both sides pointed approvingly to findings that buttressed their viewpoint and criticized those that did
not.The Biotechnology Innovation Organization, which represents companies that sell genetically modified seeds, said it was “pleased” that the study found “that agricultural biotechnology has many demonstrated benefits to farmers, consumers and the environment.’’
The new study is not the first to conclude that GMOs are safe to eat. The long-standing debate on the aptly called “Frankenfood” is expected to continue despite what science reveals in recent and even upcoming studies.
In fact, when the researchers published their findings, some of the criticisms thrown at the new GMO study dipped a little into religion by asking if scientists can play God.
Some of the critics are dedicated to the belief GMOs are an insult to the “natural order of things” and are therefore harmful to human health. Many groups agree that the continuous scrutiny on the genetic engineering of crops may be good, even needed. While reports found that GMO foods aren’t “unhealthy,” for many GMO critics, this doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no negative effects that can arise from it.
GMO supporters believe that advances in genetic engineering help yield better produce. On the other hand, critics stand that these advances result in relying on technology instead of focusing on the creation of sustainable farming techniques.
