Thursday 4 June 2015

GMO and our food

-How would you like your steak?
-Genetically Modified, please.

Will we ever happy to eat genetically modified meat?
My first answer would be "Never"
But what if we look at the Genetic Engineering as a science that actually helps us to be more sustainable?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150309-will-we-ever-eat-gm-meat

In 2012, the AquAdvantage salmon, could become the first GM animal approved for human consumption. US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that the fish is safe to eat and poses no threat to the environment. The approval was on the way, even though it met the opposition of environmental groups, but unfortunately the FDA stalled.

The AquAdvantage Salmon is genetically engineered to grow twice faster than typical farmed salmon, containing a growth-hormone gene from Chinook salmon and DNA from an eel-like species. It could potentially boom the market, reducing the environmental damages of salmon farming, but it is not yet approved to get to the market.

Genetic Engineering can resolve the issue of growing population, and particularly the issue if feeding people. There is a need to produce more food with less land and water resources used, in order to not degrade the environment for future generations.

There is strong resistance however from environmental groups. Whereas, in past few year, the Genetic Engineering industry has advanced greatly in making very precise changes to DNA, altering specific genes without changing other parts of an animal’s DNA

It can be described as the future of selective breeding, considering that genetic engineers are no longer mixing up different species' genes, but selectively adjust DNAs of the same species.

Does that mean the technological era will change pur minds about the GMO? Are they really safe and is that the only solution for future generations?

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