The relative benefits vs. risks of widespread
bioengineered crops and other food sources is an often aggressively-debated issue
between scientists, the agricultural industry, and consumers. Genetically
Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are defined by the European Food Safety Authority
as “an organism in which the genetic material has been altered in a way that
does not occur naturally through fertilization and/or natural recombination.
GMOs may be plants, animals or micro-organisms, such as bacteria, parasites and
fungi.” “Genetic Engineering” (GE) is an alternative term used to refer to the
manipulation of these species at the DNA level to produce or promote particular
traits. GE crops are thus “genetically engineered”. There has been public resistance to
the proliferation of GMO food, despite organizations such as the American Medical Association
(AMA) and the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) declaring that
genetically engineered foods do not present any appreciable risks. Nonetheless, a large majority of Americans are
in favor of GMO labeling in food products. While the AMA, AAAS, and other
scientific organizations argue that GMO labeling will inappropriately imply
that GMOs cause harm, consumer advocacy groups contend that people have a right to know
what they are eating.
