1.Whatmakesitdifferentfromtraditionalfood?
ThesciencebehindGMfoodiscalledfoodbiotechnology—theuseofmoderngeneticstoimproveplants,animals,andmicroorganismsforfoodproduction.Modernbiotechnologylikewiseemployslivingorganismstomakeormodifyproducts.Butunliketraditionalmethods,modernbiotechnologyallowsformodifyingthegeneticmaterialoforganismsdirectlyandprecisely.Itenablesthetransferofgenesbetweencompletelyunrelatedorganisms,allowingforcombinationsunlikelytooccurbyconventionalmeans.
2.WhataretheadvantagesofGMfood?
OnemajoradvantageofGMfoodisthatcropsgeneticallyengineeredtoresistweedsandbugsenablefarmerstodecreasepesticideandherbicideuse.Ofcourse,superweedsandbugscouldalsobeinadvertentlycreated.Planetarymanagementisverycomplexandseriousbusiness.
3.WhataresomepossibledangersofeatingGMfood?
Researcherswarnthattherearenolong-term,large-scaleteststoprovethesafetyofGMfood.Theypointtoanumberofpotentialdangers:allergicreaction,increasedtoxicity,resistancetoantibiotics,spreadof"superweeds",harmtootherorganismsanddemiseofsafepesticides.
4.Aretheadvantagesgreaterthanthedangers?
Wesupportprudentuseofgeneticallymodifiedfoods.WebelievethatlabelsshouldbeplacedonallGMproducts.Wealsounderstandtherisksinvolved,butbelievethebenefitsfaroutweighthecosts.