What is Genetic Modification & Engineering?

Genetic engineering is a process whereby genes from one organism are moved into the genome of another organism. In the case of genetically engineered foods, genes from bacteria or other plants or organisms are moved into crop varieties with the assistance of a viral vector. This provides herbicide-tolerance and/or insect resistance to existing domesticated plant varieties. In many cases, biotechnology breaks down natural species boundaries. The genes inserted cannot be removed and thus become released into the environment during the pollination process.

Which Plants are being Genetically Modified?

Soybeans, Cotton, Corn, Rice, Sugar Beets, Canola, and Potatoes are the predominant crop plants being engineered. From 1996-2001 herbicide-tolerant plants (allowing them to withstand the overspray of herbicides) accounted for 77% of genetically modified acreage while the insect-resistant plants accounted for 15%. There are nearly 170 million global acres were planted with genetically engineered seed. To date, the bulk of modifications have been performed to reduce labor costs while no plants have been engineered for enhanced nutrition. Nearly 70% of foods in the United States grocery stores contain byproducts of genetically engineered organisms. Nabisco®, Frito-Lay®, Proctor & Gamble, and Kraft® are just a few of the food processing companies who are using genetically engineered byproducts.

How are Genetically Modified Foods Regulated?

Genetically modified plants are being regulated by a patchwork of three agencies: the EPA, FDA, and the USDA. The FDA considers genetic bioengineering to be a mere extension of traditional agriculture. In 1992, the FDA determined that foods with genetically engineered byproducts were not significantly different than conventionally grown foods. Companies must consult with the FDA but there are no requirements to test the food's safety prior to full-scale marketing.

Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe?

Unless a Life Science company calls the new genetic insertion a "food additive," genetically modified foods are not required to be submitted to pre-market safety testing for substantial equivalence. In 1999, the British Medical Association (BMA) published a report on the impact of genetic modification. The report states the BMA believes more research on issues around allergenicity and possible toxicity needs to be undertaken. In April of 2000, the National Academy of Sciences claimed new allergens may be introduced into foods via genetic engineering; new toxins may be introduced into foods; and existing toxins may reach new levels, or may move into the edible portion of plants. The FDA's own scientists have warned that caution should be taken with the introduction of genetically engineered foods. FDA scientist, Dr. Gerald Guest writes:
In response to your question on how the agency should regulate genetically modified food plants, I and other scientists at the Center for Veterinary Medicine have concluded that there is ample scientific justification to support a pre-market review of these products. As you state in the Notice, the new methods of genetic modification permit the introduction of genes from a wider range of sources than possible by traditional breeding. The FDA will be confronted with new plant constituents that could be of toxicological or environmental concern.

Do Genetically Modified Foods Hurt or Help the Environment?

Genetically modified plants are promoted in part by claiming reductions in the need for synthetic herbicides and pesticides while the plants will not harm the environment. There is some evidence that insecticide use is down, particularly for the cotton crop which is notorious for large amounts of insecticide use, while studies on herbicide use show that levels have remained the same and in some cases have risen.

Perhaps the most poignant risk from genetically modified plants occurs at the environmental level. Newly introduced genes can spread to weedy relatives creating either more persistent weeds or in some cases sending a rare species into extinction. We need our weeds - they are in many cases the traditional relatives of our domesticated plants. They assist us in overcoming crop blight. General hybridization with wild traditional weedy plants has created more aggressive weeds for many of the world's most important crops. Are transgenic crops different? No. We know that gene movement is likely and we know we can lose track of gene movement. It will be even more important to track and contain movement as we introduce the second wave of genetically modified crops to produce pharmaceutical and industrial biochemicals.

Do Genetically Modified Foods Solve the World Hunger Problem?

New varieties of genetically engineered crop plants have consistently shown reduced amounts produced per acre since their introduction.