Topic > The Potential Harm of Eating Genetically Modified Foods

In his article, The Truth About Genetically Modified Foods, David Freedman attempts to reveal the truth behind the safety of consuming genetically modified foods. It does so first by analyzing the opinion of some of the top molecular biology researchers and scientists, including Robert Goldberg, for whom the crops are safe for consumption and asks why researchers still raise acute questions. His opinion is in line with that of fellow researcher David Zilberman who also considers crops as the key solution to feeding the overpopulated world. In contrast, other researchers such as David Williams, a cell biologist, consider the crops potentially harmful to human health if consumed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay He then goes on to outline some of the benefits associated with using crops. Among the benefits he highlights are reduced food prices and fewer deaths from hunger. Besides the benefits of GM crops there are their limitations and in-depth statistics regarding crop adoption that directly highlight the downside, where Western nations strongly condemn their use while African nations and other developing nations follow the trend . He also looks at the crop adoption situation in Europe, where skepticism is high with calls for the technology to be suspended until it is proven to be absolutely safe. In the following sections of the article, he outlines records of some genetic alterations of plant crops that have been successfully conducted in the past with zero cases of harm to participants. It also includes some futile experiments on the toxic nature of GM crops, perhaps to support the idea, providing an example of recent, highly disproved research conducted by a team of researchers at the University of Caen in France. Research that aimed to establish the toxic nature of GM crops and which, despite giving positive results, was discarded in favor of GM technology. He then concludes by suggesting a way forward for GMO technology, stating the need for extensive testing of GM crops although he takes no clear position on the topic. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In my opinion, I believe that genetically modified crops are not that bad, simply because the modification of some plants is all geared towards human benefit. A good example is the paper tree, although not necessarily intended for human consumption, has helped reduce the number of trees cut down for paper production. Furthermore, genetically modified corn plants have helped feed the hungry in a number of poor countries, significantly reducing the number of starvation victims. However, the main problem with GMOs arises when companies focus more on profit rather than consumer health, a key factor that could lead to the production of toxic crops. For now, as Freedman notes, extensive testing of crops is needed to ensure they are absolutely safe for human consumption, otherwise acute questions regarding their human health will never cease.