Genetically Modified Food Production
This request is an excellent idea since the vast majority of people in Canada and other regions of the world have started accepting genetically modified (GM) foods. They consider them sustainable, healthy and safe hence ensuring food security. I also support this proposal because organisms continually undergo genetic modification since the beginning of time (Wieczorek & Wright, 2012). Therefore conducting proper research and educating the public on the importance of GM foods can realize much progress in overcoming the natural limitations.
It would be challenging to implement the request because of GM food production because the price of genetically modified seeds is significantly higher compared to the non-GM seeds (Boccia & Sarnacchiaro, 2015). Besides, issues such as reformulation of beverages and foods, segregating ingredients and conducting tests for biotech contents contribute to additional costs of implementation (Boccia & Sarnacchiaro, 2015). I would, however, support the funding of GM foods development because it will result in reduced operating costs in the long-run (Isaac, 2017). For instance, there will be a significant increase in crop yields and a decrease in pesticide use. Therefore the production of high yield and disease-resistant crops will involve the use of fewer inputs, leading to reduced demand on pesticide and fertilizer production (Bonny, 2016). Environmental issues such as greenhouse gas emission and global warming caused by synthetic nitrogen fertilizer use can be significantly reduced through GM food production, hence reduced costs of environmental conservation.
In terms of food security, genetically modified food can play a critical role as far as food security strategies are concerned. GM crops can impact on food security in three possible ways. First, they contribute to increases in food production at local and global levels. Secondly, GM crops could influence food quality and food safety (Isaac, 2017). Lastly, they affect the social and economic situations of farmers, therefore worsening or improving their financial access to food. The thirst aspect is of the essence because the majority of the disadvantaged people in the agricultural sector are the small-scale farmers. The technology today is becoming less expensive and more accessible with researchers producing GM foods at lower costs, hence allowing them to respond to localized and small food production issues.
Regarding the establishment of food sustainability in Canada, GM food production offers a set of tools that improve agricultural adaptation to climate change and reducing its environmental footprint. It is evident that natural resources such as land and water are diminishing; hence the contribution of new technologies such as GM food production should be highly considered. The sustainability issue is defined from different dimensions including ecological, social and economic. Research studies support the aspect of the reduced cost of production when countries such as Canada fully utilize this technology (Isaac, 2017). The income of the producers increases substantially (economic dimension).
Similarly, herbicide and insecticide use reduces (ecological dimension) and social acceptability increases (social dimension) (Isaac, 2017). GM crops are characterized by better resistance to drought, water loggings, salty soil and other external stressors. For example, instance, when considering soy cultivation, the Netherlands and China import over 8 million tons, of which 90% is genetically modified soy. Farmers use the soy as livestock feeds from where dairy products and meat are obtained for local consumption or exports. Canada also needs to develop strategies to improve such initiative to ensure food sustainability.
To conclude, Health Canada has engaged in the assessment of genetically modified food for over twenty years. They reported that of the more than one hundred and forty GM foods authorized for sale in Canada, all are nutritious and safe (Smyth, 2017). No verifiable evidence exists that demonstrates that GM foods are less safe compared to the traditional varieties. They have also not found any study that contradicts the assessment reports. The potential risks, including the introduction of allergenic and toxic compounds, have been identified.
Nevertheless, the safety assessment of the techniques used does not lead to the transfer of allergenic and toxic compounds, together with the desired traits during the introduction of new DNA into an organism. Moreover, any changes in the genetic make-up are not significant enough to alter the levels of anti-nutrients and allergenic compounds that occur naturally in plants consumed as foods (Smyth, 2017). The nutritional benefits could become more apparent with the increased availability of GM crops and traits in the future. Adoption of GM production faces many regulatory constraints that should be addressed (Smyth, 2017). The society should be guided towards this technology for it to utilize and evaluate them for humanity and environmental benefit.
References
Boccia, F., & Sarnacchiaro, P. (2015). Genetically modified foods and consumer perspective. Recent patents on food, nutrition & agriculture, 7(1), 28-34.
Bonny, S. (2016). Genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops, weeds, and herbicides: overview and impact. Environmental management, 57(1), 31-48.
Freedman, D. H. (2013, September 1). The Truth about Genetically Modified Food. Retrieved from Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-truth-about-genetically-modified-food/
Isaac, G. (2017, April 5). The Future of Sustainable Global Food Supply: Is GMO an Option? Retrieved from Berkeley: https://iep.berkeley.edu/content/future-sustainable-global-food-supply-gmo-option
Smyth, S. J. (2017). Canadian regulatory perspectives on genome engineered crops. GM crops & food, 8(1), 35-43.
Smyth, S. J. (2017). Genetically modified crops, regulatory delays, and international trade. Food and Energy Security, 6(2), 78-86.
Wieczorek, A.M. & Wright, M.G. (2012) History of Agricultural Biotechnology: How Crop Development has Evolved. Nature Education Knowledge 3(10): 9