Genetically Modified Products

Controversy surrounds genetically modified products because it deals with more than just the products. It has huge impacts on everyone in the world, farmers, company owners, consumers and even people in the third world countries. Many tend to view modified products in a negative perspective because of the issues surrounding the products and not for what the product is. I for one have always thought genetically modified products were bad or unsafe before we started this assignment. However after completing the assignment I see how ignorant I was to what genetically modified products were. Though I wish to fully support GMOs there are too many potential risks tagging along with it. Despite that, my position on GMOs is positive.
It is hard to state specific problems that stand as real risks because there is no telling what the outcome might be in reality. Any real risk identified is only based on deductions made through theoretical situations. The main three that have been debated on “are tendencies to provoke allergic reaction (allergenicity), gene transfer and outcrossing” (WHO). However the FAO and WHO evaluate the products and found “no allergic effects have been found relative to GM foods currently on the market” (WHO). In regards of gene transfer, the probability of it happening is relatively low though “the use of technology without antibiotic resistance genes has been encouraged by a recent FAO/WHO expert panel” (WHO). Outcrossing is a real risk according to the WHO “as was shown when traces of a maize type which was only approved for feed use appeared in maize products for human consumption in the United States of America”(WHO). Though some countries have accepted different strategies to reduce mixing, including the definite separation between fields with in GM crops and conventional crops are grown (WHO). This proves how GM products may come with real risks but precautions are taken so that it does not occur or reduce the chances of it happening.
Nothing can be said for sure if the benefits outweigh the risks but the benefits do make positive impacts on us or provide us with a solution to problems that conventional crops cannot. The benefits of GM products range from pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, temperature tolerance, drought tolerance/salinity