Genetically Modified Foods

1
Genetically Modified Foods
byNoeau Kamakani Steven Keng Philip Titus
2

• Background Information

3
Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)

• Definition food plants that have been
  genetically altered by the addition of foreign
  genes to enhance a desired trait.

4
What Are Genetically Modified Foods (GMFs)?

• Breeding was the traditional way to enhance
  desired traits.
• Conventional plant breeding methods are usually
  too time consuming and not accurate.
• Genetic Engineering can create plants with the
  desired traits faster and more accurate.

5
What Are GMFs (Contd)?

• GMF usually refers to crop plants that are
  created using the latest biological techniques
  specifically for humans or animals.
• Examples The use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
  in corn and other cropsBt Crystal protein genes
  enable plants to defend themselves from insects

6
Advantages of GMF

• Pest Resistance eliminate the use of chemical
  against insect pests and reduce the cost of bring
  crops to market
• Herbicide Tolerance reduce the cost of removing
  weed physically and eliminate the use of
  chemicals that might harm the environment.
• Disease Resistance

7
Advantages of GM Food (Contd)

• Cold Tolerance Planets can survive in extremely
  cold temperatures
• Nutrition In many third world countries, rice
  is the only crop that people can afford.
  Genetically modified rice will contain all kinds
  of nutrition such as vitamin A.

8
Disadvantages of GM Food

• Environment
• Harm to other organisms crops with Bt Toxins
  will kill every insect that they have contact
  with, instead of just insects that actually cause
  harm
• Reduce effectiveness insects might develop
  resistance to these GM crops.

9
Disadvantages of GM Food

• Human
• Allergies Many children have developed
  allergies to peanuts and other foods. There is a
  chance GM food might introduce new allergies.
• Unknown effects

10
Governments Role

• In the U.S., three agencies, EPA, USDA, and FDA,
  regulate and control GM food
• EPA Evaluates GM plants for environmental
  safety.
• USDA Evaluates whether the plant is safe to
  grow. Will the plant becomes dangerous if it
  escapes the farm?
• FDA Evaluates whether the plant is safe to eat.

11
GM Food Label

• The only label on food is GRAS, generally
  recognized as safe.
• Acceptable limit of GM food contamination in
  non-GM food 1

12
Statistics

• 54 of all soybeans in 2000 were genetically
  modified.
• 61 of total cotton crop in 2002 were genetically
  modified.
• GM corn production increased to 25 in 2000.

13

• Starlink Corn Mishapcareful of those tacos
  shells

When things went wrong with GMF, but did not have
to
14
GM Example Corn Mishap

• In 2000, genetically engineered Starlink corn
  accidentally made it into taco shells
• Starlink, a corn that contains a genetically
  engineered plant pesticide, marketed by the
  biotechnology company Aventis is currently deemed
  fit only for animal consumption by the
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

15
GM Example Corn Mishap

• Starlink contains a bacterial gene that poses an
  allergy risk to humans
• Mishap led to a large scale recall, costing
  companies hundreds of millions of dollars
• Brought to light the necessity of an ironclad
  food handling process for GMF

16

• Issues and Stakeholders

17
Professional Issues

• Is it safe for customers?
• Will customers buy it?
• Adulteration
• Countries like Japan will not accept GMF. If it
  mixes with regular food -gt lose sales in Japan
• Are policies needed to prevent mixture?

18
Legal Issues

• Is government regulation needed?
• EPA, FDA, USDA requirements
• International acceptance?
• Eg. Mad cow scare stopped sales to some
  countries.

19
Ethical Issues

• Does GMF put consumers at risk?
• If so, will they be informed of them?
• Can it harm the environment?

20
Stakeholders

• Consumers
• Farmers
• Future generations
• Is GMF good for food supply in the long term?
• Will it lead to an extinction of unmodified
  food?

21
Possible Actions

• Allow genetic modification of food
• Ban genetic modification of food

22

• Ethical Analysis
• Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
  crops and foods?

23
Utilitarian
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• Accelerated growth and greater product yield
• Human health impact
• Allergies insulin
• Traditional farmers will be affected financially
• Unintended harm to humans and environment

24
Rights
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• All have the right to safe and nutritious food in
  adequate supply
• Consumers right to be informed through
  consistent labeling
• Consumers right to choose GM foods
• Other organisms inadvertent effects
• GM foods may overpower non GM foods in the future

25
Fairness / Justice
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• Many international economies will not buy GM
  (i.e. Japan)
• Farmers have the option of producing GMF
• Accessible technology
• Lack of funds
• Consumers have the option of buying GMF

26
Common Good
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• Population is growing and we are at a constant
  demand of food
• Producing large mass quantities of safe food
  would be the common good

27
Virtues
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• FDA, EPA, USDA
• Must be honest, trustworthy, and have integrity
• GM foods containing lt 1 raw material doesnt
  need a label
• Risk of exposing customer to a potential risk
• Not enough long term research
• Compassion of knowing or not knowing if there are
  hazardous risks to GMF

28
Kantian
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• GM producers use consumers as a mean
• Consumers will buy cheaper product
• GM foods are not a universal maxim
• If a maxim is unacceptable as a law of nature,
  then it is ethically wrong to act on that maxim

29

• Conclusion

30
Conclusion
Is it ethical to pursue genetically modified
crops and foods?

• Genetically Modified food has many advantages.
  Yet the approach to GM technology is is not
  ethically sound based on our ethical analysis
• GM foods can be ethical if
• International standardized regulations are
  implemented
• More research and testing is done
• Consumers are informed through consistent
  labeling

31
Citations

• Deborah B. Whitman, Genetically Modified Foods
  Harmful or Helpful?, Cambridge Scientific
  Abstracts, April 2000. http//www.csa.com/hottopi
  cs/gmfood/overview.html
• http//www.biotechknowledge.monsanto.com/biotech/b
  basics.nsf/index.html
• http//www.bt.ucsd.edu/
• http//pirg.org/ge/GE.asp?id24780id3ge
• http//www.organicconsumers.org/wheat/wheat_biotec
  hnology.cfm
• www.foodsubs.com/ Flatbread.html (taco shell
  image)