Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and pesticides remain a debatable topic in agriculture to this day because of their unclear consequences. Yet I believe that it is hard to predict how the aforementioned elements can impact human health or the environment. For instance, the DNA from other organisms in GMOs can trigger allergic reactions in people (Van Acker et al., 2017). In other words, scientists may choose the DNA of the foods that some individuals may be allergic to, which can be harmful if they eat GMO crops. Besides, GMOs and pesticides can raise carcinogenic substances, which can lead to the development of different cancers (Van Acker et al., 2017). What is more, they negatively impact the environment, specifically insects and plants. The modified DNA can often be toxic to many insects, which leads to a considerable reduction in their numbers and species (Van Acker et al., 2017). Similarly, GMOs and pesticides in the crops harm biodiversity by intoxicating plants and reducing their variety.
Naturally, the benefits of GMOs in agriculture are apparent since they are easier and quicker to produce. However, the impacts that genetically modified crops can have on consumers’ health are not thoroughly researched. As stated, it can lead to severe health issues, such as cancer or birth abnormalities. Thus, I agree that even though using GMOs can be advantageous to the agricultural industry in terms of costs, they can still be dangerous to consumers.
I agree with the stance that my classmate took on the matter. First of all, I feel that GMOs have so much potential, but they are often not used wisely because they are underresearched before their usage. Thus, when scientists can design natural medicaments in the form of crops to boost the consumers’ immune system or treat minor health issues, they poison them, which usually leads to adverse health outcomes.
Reference
Van Acker, R., Rahman, M. M., & Cici, S. Z. H. (2017). Pros and cons of GMO crop farming. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science.