Pros And Cons For Food Security

1. Introduction

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines food security as the situation when “all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Since Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) were introduced to the market in 1994, numerous controversies have emerged around advantages and disadvantages of GM technology. The goal of this paper is to examine whether GMOs contribute to promoting food security or exacerbate the problem of global hunger and food insecurity.

2. Understanding GMOs

Not an Extension of Natural Breeding

First of all, GM technology is not an extension

Genetic engineering can be seen as intentional horizontal gene transfer. Reproduction, in contrast, is known as vertical gene transfer, because the genes are passed down through the generations from parent to

However, the GMO proponents, including the largest GM seeds producer Monsanto, often refer to the report “A decade of EU-funded GMO research,” claiming that a vast number of long-term research was held to prove "the safety of GMOs for the environment as well as for animal and human health.” However, this report contains only five published animal feeding studies and none of them examined long-term effects beyond 90 days. Other 45 studies summarized in the document did not refer to the health affects. Therefore, despite the appealing title, this frequently cited report cannot be used as proof that sufficient long-term studies were