1. PPT-14
Green Earth Movement
An E-Newsletter for the cause of Environment, Peace, Harmony and Justice
Remember - “you and I can decide the future”
GENETICAL
LY
MODIFIED
(GM) FOODS
2. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from
organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been
modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g.
through the introduction of a gene from a different
organism. Currently available GM foods stem mostly
from plants, but in the future foods derived from GM
microorganisms or GM animals are likely to be
introduced on the market.
3. Most existing genetically
modified crops have
been developed to
improve yield, through
the introduction of
resistance to plant
diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides.
In the future, genetic modification could be aimed
at altering the nutrient content of food, reducing
its allergenic potential, or improving the efficiency
of food production systems. All GM foods should
be assessed before being allowed on the market.
FAO/WHO Codex guidelines exist for risk
analysis of GM food.
4. While there is broad scientific consensus that
food on the market derived from GM crops
pose no greater risk to human health than
conventional food, critics have objected to GM
foods on several grounds, including safety
issues, ecological concerns, and economic
concerns raised by the fact GM plants (and
potentially animals)
that are food sources
are subject to
intellectual property
law.
5. TWO METHOD OF GENETIC ENGINEERING
1] The Biolistic Method
(or gene-gun method)
The biolistic method--or
gene-gun method--is
most commonly used in
the genetic engineering of plants. Pellets of metal
are coated with the desirable DNA and are fired
at plant cells. The cells take up the DNA and grow
into new plants. This technique has proven quite
effective in plant engineering.
6. 2] AGROBACTRERIUM TUMEFACIENS METHOD
Agrobacterium is well known for its ability to transfer DNA
between itself and plants, and for this reason it has become an
important tool for genetic engineering.
Once satisfactory plants are produced,
sufficient seeds are gathered, and the
companies producing the seed need to
apply for regulatory approval of
field-test the seeds. If these field tests are
successful, the company must seek
regulatory approval for the crop to be marketed. Once that
approval is obtained, the seeds are mass-produced, and sold to
farmers. The farmers produce genetically modified crops, which
also contain the inserted gene and its protein product. The
farmers then sell their crops as commodities into the food supply
market, in countries where such sales are permitted.
7. Why do genetically modified foods exist?
Researchers develop genetically modified foods for the purpose of
creating an advantage to the producer or the consumer of these
products. Such an advantage can be a new product which has
greater overall benefits and can sell at a lower price compared to
its competitors. The original objective for genetically modified food
development was to enhance crop production, such as modifying
a plant to age slower or to be resistant to diseases. Nearly 40% of
the world's food crop is lost every year to insects, fungal diseases
and spoilage. By genetically modifying plants to be less
susceptible to these factors, the overall worldwide crop yield
would dramatically increase.
8. BENEFITS OF GM FOODS
1] Saves the use of toxic chemicals. GM
crops can be made resistant to pests, so
pesticides do not need to be sprayed on
them. This is also better on the
environment!
2] Prevents wasted crops.
If pests cannot eat the crops,
nothing goes to waste.
Therefore, farmers make
more money!
9. 3. It could potentially
solve hunger. Many
people agree that there
is not enough food in the
world to feed everybody.
As Genetically Modified foods increase the
yields of crops, more food is produced by
farmers. Of course, others argue that there is
enough food to feed everyone, but it is
unequally distributed. Others argue the GM
crops do not produce higher yields.
10. 4. We can begin to grow foods in different
conditions. For instance, strawberries can
be genetically engineered to grow in frosts.
Other foods that grow in cold climates could
be engineered to grow in hot climates (such
as Africa where much of the continent does
not have enough food).
11. 5. Some foods can be genetically
modified to contain higher amounts of
important vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A deficiencies
cause blindness. In
Africa, 500,000 go
blind each year. If rice
can be modified to contain more
vitamin A, the amount of people going
blind will decrease.
12. 6. As more research is done the
technology is bound to improve.
Scientists are already considering
genetic modification to make fish,
nuts and plants grow faster.
13. Despite the above benefits of GM foods,
many people refuse to eat genetically
modified foods over concerns that it could
be dangerous to their health. There is still
no detailed study about the long term
effects of eating genetically modified
foods. There are also issues such as
whether scientists should play God and
whether biotechnology companies (the
people that made the GM seeds) should
have control over food supply (they could
choose not to sell the seeds to certain
14. TEN DANGERS OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED
FOODS
1. Resistant Weeds
Food crops grown from
genetically modified seeds can
affect the weeds that grow in
the same area. Weeds can access the modified
genes which make the crops resistant, and after
some years the weeds themselves can become
resistant. This will mean more chemicals needed,
which can affect the safety of the food crops
when consumed. Higher chemicals can mean
food which should not be eaten.
15. 2. Higher Levels Of Plant Estrogens
Glyphosate, which is applied to make crops
resistant to weeds, causes higher plant estrogen
levels. Estrogen affects all mammals, including
humans, and children are very susceptible to
higher estrogen levels, which can be dangerous
and pose long term health risks.
16. 3. Unknown Toxins
Genetically altering seeds and foods can pose
unknown risks of toxins and allergens that have
never been present before. This was seen with
an L-tryptophan supplement produced in 1989.
This supplement caused the death of thirty seven
people and affected more than
fifteen hundred more. The
bacteria used was altered
genetically, resulting in a
new and toxic amino acid
never found in this
supplement before.
17. 4. Risk Of Negative Interactions
With genetically modified
foods, there is always a risk
of interactions or reactions
that have never been seen. This can be an
interaction between two different foods with
modified genes or between the genes in the
food and certain medications. There is not
enough evidence because these crops and
foods have not been in use long enough,
and new varieties are frequently being
18. 5. No Long Term Research
Genetically modified foods have
not had long term research done,
and very little short term
information. The government approved the use of
these foods in the food chain under the
assumption that the risks were the same as the
unmodified plants, and this was a big mistake.
The genetic modification done on the plants can
have a dramatic effect on the risks and safety
concerns, and there is no long term risk
information available to determine if these foods
have long term risks.
19. 6. Genetically Modified Food Is Not
Labeled:
One of the biggest dangers with genetically
modified foods is that there is no labeling
requirements. These foods make up one
fourth of the food supply in the United
States, and is in more foods than you may
think. Without labeling it is
impossible to know which
foods have higher risks so
that you can avoid them
and protect the health of your family.
20. 7. Unknown Genetic Effect On Humans
There is no way to tell if
Genetically modified foods can
have an effect on the genetics
of people. At first it was
believed by scientists and
researchers that the modified genes were
destroyed during the digestion process, but
recently modified food genes have been
found in the brains of some infant mice. This
can be very dangerous in infants and
children, and poses unknown risks for
21. 8. Higher Fat Content In Some Foods
When genetically modified food crops are
fed to animals, the result can be
unexpected. When genetically altered
soybeans were used as part of the diet for
dairy cows, the resulting milk had higher
percentages of fat in it. This factor shows
that the genetically modified foods should
not be considered
just as safe as the
traditional food.
22. 9. Insect Resistance
Foods which are genetically
altered to minimize the
need for pesticides can
actually cause an increase in chemical
use over time and produce insects
which become resistant to commonly
used pesticides. This can create insect
problems that can threaten the food
supply and result in food shortages.
23. 10. The Little Information Currently Available Is
Skewed
The small amount of information
available about genetically
modified foods is skewed and not
accurate at times. When the
application for Roundup Ready genetically
modified soybeans was completed for market
approval of the soybeans, the information in the
application was based on the safety level and
compound concentration levels of traditional
soybeans and not from testing on the genetically
modified version.
24. In India, GM Crops Come at a High Price
Bt cotton is currently India’s only genetically
modified crop, but it accounts for 95 percent of all
cotton farming in the country.
The seeds can cost
anywhere between 700 to
2,000 rupees ($38) per
packet, or about three to
eight times the cost of
conventional seeds.
Let’s conclude with one quote each - for,
against and neutral on G. M. Foods/Crops
25. FOR
GM technology is the only technology to be
regulated from its inception, before any mishaps
had occurred. Researchers who developed the
technology set up a series of voluntary
regulations in 1974 which have generally become
officially incorporated by governments throughout
the world. GM crops have been extensively
tested in hundreds of thousands of field tests.
Foods from these crops have to pass much more
rigorous regulations than from conventionally
bred crops.
26. AGAINST
"GM crops are not the solution to feeding
the world. As a farmer, I am an
environmental manager and do not see the
need to start tinkering with nature when the
outcome could have very serious long-term
risks… We have pushed the land to the limit
and GM is supposed to be the solution. This
isn't true."
Henry Birkbeck, one of Norfolk's biggest
landowners, farming 8,500 acres
27. NEUTRAL
To generalise and declare 'all GM is bad' or 'all GM is
good' for the environment as a result of these [farm
scale evaluation] experiments is a gross over-
simplification, but statements from both sides in the
GM propaganda war have claimed 'victory' based on
these findings. Rather than closing the case for or
against GM crops, these results should drive society to
ask more questions, not just about GM crops, but
about agriculture more generally. They should be used
as a catalyst for a debate about the future of modern
agriculture.
Lord May of Oxford, President of the Royal Society,
the UK national academy of sciences.
28. This educational PowerPoint Presentation (editable) is
prepared by GEM Team (courtesy: internet).
For other similar GEM PowerPoint Presentations on
various environmental issues see next slide.
These PPTs may be downloaded from our website
www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in
The GEM PPTs can be creatively used for various
groups like school/college students, NGOs,
government officials, Church groups, SCC groups,
housing society members and so on.
29. 1. Twenty Simple Tips
2. Solar Energy
3. Junk Food
4. Plastic – a boon or bane?
5. Green Passion
6. Zero Garbage
7. Soft drink – A Health Hazard
8. Waste to energy
9. Rain Water Harvesting
10. Eco-friendly Religions
11. Happy Green Diwali
12. Climate Change
13. The future of Biodiversity
14. Genetically Modified Foods
15. Waste Water Treatment
16. Body, Organ, Tissue Donation
17. Organic Farming
18. Waste to cooking gas
19. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
20. Protect Mangroves
21. Say NO to Bottled water
22. Save Lakes and Ponds
23. Forests are green lungs
24. Coal Mining and Ecology
25. Sin of Food Waste
26. Climate change and Poverty
27. Stop Water Pollution
28. Carbon Footprints
29. Parks and Open Spaces
30. Rising Sea Levels
31. Laudato Si – Pope’s Encyclical
32. Air Pollution
33. Life Style Changes
34. Laudato Si – Fr Gerard
35. Water Pollution
36. Sand Mining
37. Kids Eco Clubs
38. Water Disaster
30. For Free GEM E-Newsletters visit –
www.infantjesusjogeshwari.in. Go to GEM
section,
click GEM E-NEWSLETTERS
