Benefits and Controversies surrounding GM foods

Links:
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml

Benefits
Crops
It enhances the taste and quality, more importantly improved resistance to disease, pests and herbicide. The time needed to grow the GM crops also minimizes as the maturation time reduces. New products can be developed and GM crops could have the increased nutrients with the developed of GM technology. Furthermore, the farmers get higher yields using GM seeds to grow their crops. Consumers can also have more choices such as herbicide-tolerant soybeans and the Flavr Savr tomato which is more resistance to rotting.
Animals
There will be better yields of animal’s meats and its’ secondary products such as eggs and milks. Furthermore, it helps to improve animal health and increase resistance, productivity, hardiness and feed efficiency.
Society
It gain increased food security for the growing populations, because of the extra yields that the GM food provides.
Environment
Environment is protected because herbicide and insecticide does not need to be used. It helps to conserve soil, water, energy and has better natural waste management. Furthermore, it helps to prevent global warming.

Controversies
Safety
It has potential human health impact such as allergens. It has potential environment impact such as unintended transfer of trans-genes through cross-pollination, loss of flora and fauna biodiversity
Product labeling
There will be problem during labeling when the GM crops mixes with non-GM crops as it confounds labeling attempts.
Ethics
There are concerns over the abuse of natural organisms’ intrinsic values and tampering with nature by mixing genes among species. As such, vegetarians and some religious people who do not consume meat may be offended because of the objections to consume animal genes in plants and vice-versa.
Intellectual property
It may not be too good if the developing countries are over dependence on industrialized nations and the domination of world food production by few companies. There is also a problem due to foreign exploitation of natural resources.
Society
New technology may be skewed towards the rich because GM seeds are more expensive than the non-GM seeds. As a result, the rich will become richer while the poor become poorer.

Conclusion
GM foods brings about advantages to farmers, as well as consumers. This is because with the developed of GM foods, there will be higher yielding of crops, resulting in more money earned by the farmers. With the developed of GM techniques, the foods can have more nutrients and better quality. Thus, benefits the consumers.