Genetically Modified Food For Thought Introduction
As a grant researcher for a large university, I have seen a variety of interesting and exciting projects in need of support. Much of this funding is needed to explore and expand on the benefits that biotechnology brings to medicine, science, and agriculture. It amazes me, however, that so much time and money is still being spent on a growing list of studies (WHO Study Confirms GM Foods are Safe, Canadian Press, 6/23/05) just to prove what responsible researchers and scientists already know. The use of biotechnology itself as a tool to create new medicines or to improve and enhance the nutritional value of food is safe.
Using biotechnology to create new medicines or to improve the nutritional value of food simply uses what is found in nature to address the vital needs we face in our growing and ever-changing world. Biotechnology can improve the quality and diversity of the foods that people around the world purchase and consume almost daily, which can lead to better nutrition and improved health for all humans. Such foods and products have essentially posed no risks to the public’s health and well-being. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) study clearly stated that genetically modified (GM) foods currently available on the international market have “passed risk assessments and are not likely to, nor have been shown to, present risks for human health.”
In my work, I have seen first hand many innovative research projects that clearly demonstrate the benefits of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the exciting potential for our planet that scientists, researchers, and academics want and need to further explore. While certain special interest groups and organizations demand that scientists and researchers slow down the progress, use less effective and outdated tools, and spend millions of dollars on research studies just to reconfirm the safety of biotechnology, new and exciting research in the development of improved treatments for diseases and ways to produce abundant crops of food without using chemicals or efforts to produce such crops in poor soil in a number of countries around the world are left without any type of funding or support.
If the public demanded the same type of confirmation regarding the safety and benefits of other technologies that are commonplace in our world today, we would be living without electricity, vaccines for childhood diseases, or even automobiles; but at least the average person would only be living until the age of 45.
