Using GMOs in Agriculture (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Biology): Revision Note

GMOs in Food: Social & Ethical Implications

• The genetic modification of microorganisms for the production of medicines, antibiotics and enzymes causes less controversy than the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for food production

• The use of GMOs in food production has been proposed as a solution to concerns such as:

  • Feeding the increasing world population

  • Decreasing the impact on the environment

• Despite the potential for positive change with the introduction of new GMO crop varieties, there are also concerns around their wider impacts

• Such concerns can be ethical or social:

Ethical implications

• Ethical implications relate to ideas around morality, i.e. whether something is considered to be morally good and right, or morally unacceptable

• Examples of ethical considerations around the use of GM crops include:

  • GM crops may have impacts on human health, e.g.

    • Positive impacts on health:

      • GM crops may relieve hunger in areas of the world where crops don't produce a high yield

      • GM crops may introduce nutrients into the diet of people groups where nutrient deficiencies are common

    • Concerns around health impacts:

      • There is a lack of long-term research on the effects of GMOs on human health; it is possible that long-term consumption may cause health issues that are not yet known

  • Growing GM crops may have environmental implications, and many consider protection of the environment to be an ethical choice

    • Positive environmental considerations:

      • Crops that have genes for insect resistance may reduce the need to spray insecticides, so reducing harm to non-target insect species

      • GM crops may produce a larger yield, reducing the land area required for crop production and allowing farmers to put land aside for habitat protection

    • Negative environmental considerations:

      • Genes for insect resistance may enter wild populations, resulting in new plant varieties that become invasive and reduce biodiversity

      • Herbicides sprayed onto herbicide resistant crops may enter food chains and have toxic effects

      • Target species may evolve resistance to the properties of GM crops, meaning that chemical use may increase in the long term

  • The importance of consumers being able to make informed choices around issues in their lives, e.g.

    • If GM foods are not clearly labelled then consumers may be at risk of consuming GM food without their consent

    • The pollen from GM crops may contaminate nearby non-GM crops that have been certified as organic

Social implications

• The social implications of growing GMOs for food evolve around the effect that GMO crops may have on society as a whole

• Possible social implications include:

  • GM crops may influence economic wealth

    • Positive financial impacts:

      • GM crops may require less resources to produce and so may be cheaper for consumers to buy

      • GM varieties may improve crop yield in countries where environmental conditions make crop production difficult; this may allow for trade with other countries and an improved national economy

    • Negative financial implications:

      • The seeds for GM crops are often produced by large biotech companies and may be expensive to purchase

        • This is also an ethical issue, as it locks poorer farmers and subsistence growers out of the ability to buy crop varieties that could feed their families

      • The plants that grow from GM seeds are often sterile, so farmers need to repurchase seeds every year

  • GM crops may influence the health of society

    • Food supply may be improved, reducing instances of starvation

    • There may be fewer health problems in a society as a result of a reduction in dietary deficiencies; this can reduce pressure on health services