Spread and Potential Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetic engineering is a technique that allows to detect, isolate, multiply and transplant specific genes in another living organism. The introduction of genes in another living organism or other species is a process unstable and insecure with side effects and consequences difficult to predict on the recipient genome and interaction with the surrounding environment.

The main proponent are big business owners of patents in the field of GMOs and other stakeholders, including some GMO growers and scientists, as well as international trading partners.

The potential economic interests in relation to GMOs in the field of plant breeding are considerable, the world annual turnover of the seed market has now exceeded 35 billion Euros. Today the world market is dominated by only a handful of large operators. The same multinational companies operating in the food, plant protection chemicals, energy and pharmaceutical industries. This concentration allows a small group of corporations to exercise considerable control over the entire production chain of food and related products, thus putting at risk the freedom of choice, the accessibility of prices, open innovation and diversity genetics.

The development and dissemination of GMOs through these centuries-old-traditions have been called the Green Revolution. The greater use of chemicals in agriculture offers the possibility of a higher gain, but requires a greater dose of herbicides over time, which makes it necessary to look for a more aggressive chemical solution.

However, on the basis of objective evidence one can conclude that genetic engineering is not fundamentally new to these historical applications. The advent of genetic engineering marks a definitive break between the biotechnology of “old” and the “modern” conception.

Among the arguments used more frequently to support the use of GMOs, is the need to fight hunger, to ensure the supply of food to a growing world population and the fight against climate change. The majority of genetically modified varieties currently on the market are grown for forage and feed for livestock, for meat and milk consumed in the Western World, or to produce biofuel or plastics.

The increase in non-food use of edible agricultural products has pushed-up the prices of raw materials and foodstuffs on the world market, which has done nothing but exacerbate food insecurity and poverty in the world. The problems of the global food supply difficulties arise not so much from production to distribution since global production is equivalent to over 150% of global consumption. Consequently this requires a political and economic solution rather than agricultural innovation.