Thursday, October 17, 2013

Benefits And Shortcomings Of Non GMO

By Megan Landry


The abbreviation GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Like their name suggests, non GMO are those produce that are naturally produced and are organic. With genetic modification, one or more genes are removed from DNA of organisms like viruses and bacteria. Genes that are so removed get recombined into the organisms where alteration is desired.

With addition of such new genes, the genetic engineers want them to exhibit growth characteristics similar to those of organisms from where the genes are removed. The safety of GMO has been in question over time, with most organizations and countries questioning how safe they are. This is the reason it is a requirement that foods sold are supposed to be labeled for the sake of informing the buyers what to expect.

Perhaps the biggest concern for people that use organic foods is their costs. On a comparative basis, they are more expensive, something that may be linked to the fact that their production costs are also high. They also tend to take much longer in the farm as compared to those that are genetically modified. Further, they have no preservatives and tend to spoil faster.

As is expected, non GMOs come with many benefits. One of the most important is the fact that they have fewer chemicals. This is unlike the case in conventional farming where sewage sludge and harsh chemical pesticides are used in growth of produce. There usually is also the use of hormones for stimulation of animals to produce more eggs or milk.

The pesticides used on plants or animals are likely to leave residues on them. When such produce are consumed, there is likely to be dangerous effects. On the same note, antibiotics and hormones used used are equally risky. Such can be prevented through the use of organic farming.

With the importance attached to the environment, there is need to protect it against any damages and pollution. That is one of the biggest reasons why the use of non GMO is preferred- it conserves the environment a great deal. There is no much use of chemicals.

There are a number of disadvantages of organic farming as well. First and foremost, there is a challenge of maintaining organic kitchens. This is informed by the fact that the costs of these foods is high, plus there has been increased acceptance of non organic foods, which makes the used by many. Using purely organic foods is tedious, and at times inconveniencing.

The number of companies venturing into production of non GMOs. This in the long run makes it disadvantageous to small business enterprises. This is because over time, there is a requirement that producers and those that sell organic foods need to be certified. The process of certification is both costly and complicated. Small farmers may not afford such.

It has not been determined whether non GMO is more nutritious than GMO. In fact, the two classes of foods are more or less the same in terms of nutritional value. There is still more research on the subject.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment