GM food

Former Member

Just wondering really what people thought of it? What are your views?

our lecturer asked us at uni and was surprised everyone was for GM food, but then again we are a bunch of soon-to-be biologists, so maybe we are slightly biased...

Would you mind eating it? Growing it? Or is it just wrong?
Or do you not really care?

Dr Pirate

I'm all for it. Pump me full of chemicals and watch me go!

Former Member

I've no problem with GM foods. I think there is a negative stigma attatched to the word 'GM', perhaps in the same way there is to 'bacteria'. Even though bacteria are essential in the human body for us to survive! It's not all bad.

Unfortunately with GM it is the same irrationallity that causes so much opposition to it. I think its important to be careful, as you don't want something like killer bees mk 2 - but so long as its safe to eat and studied properly I have absolutely no moral objection to it.

Afterall, we've been eating meat which in a sense have been 'genetically modified' through husbandry / selective breeding over the years.

Former Member

ah that's a point though shouldn't be as many chemicals as "normal" plants
all you'll be eating is a tiny bit of different DNA, and well you eat that in virtually every piece of food anyways...

Former Member

ShyBoy wrote: »

Afterall, we've been eating meat which in a sense have been 'genetically modified' through husbandry / selective breeding over the years.

I like your point. and plants too

Former Member

I personally believe that GM foods, alongside processed and manufactured foods, play a big role in the amount of illness and disease in todays society. Whenever possible I try to eat Organic foods.

Mother nature knows best!

Former Member

if they're the cheaper foods I'll buy it.

Dr Pirate

katralla wrote: »

if they're the cheaper foods I'll buy it.

This. Over and over, forever.

Former Member

katralla wrote: »

if they're the cheaper foods I'll buy it.

I agree with this too, although (im a blodge student as well) all the anti-GM bs pisses me off quite a lot, its like people who're anti irradiating canned foods to kill botulism spores. A lot of its just pure fear mongering

Former Member

Dr Pirate wrote: »

This. Over and over, forever.

and over and over A-LAdy

Former Member

hmmm... interesting...

Former Member

ShyBoy wrote: »

Afterall, we've been eating meat which in a sense have been 'genetically modified' through husbandry / selective breeding over the years.

Husbandry is a different kettle of fish.
You are not adding genes that don't belong there.
You cannot cross a bull with a pig ...only a pig with a pig and a bull with a bull.
Genetically modified is different.
Fish genes in wheat?
It couldn't happen except with a test tube.
I think it's very dangerous.
We have screwed the world up ...for the first time in history we hear about saving the world ...saving the whale saving this that and the other.
Yet we are arrogant enough to think we can continue to mess about with a very highly complex system we loseleyb refer to as nature ...a thing we have a small understanding off.
But I do like this guys take on it ...

George Carlin - Saving The Planet ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxuVFzKypU

Former Member

Former Member

morrocan roll wrote: »

a bull with a bull.

Uhhh... I don't think that'll work

strictly speaking, I've not got an issue with GM, my problem is with the aims of most GM (e.g. increasing pesticide resistance, so more pesticides can be sprayed on the product while it's growing) and the increased monoculture that will result from it's use - there will be the augmented apple, and all the trees will be genetically identical.

Former Member

Big Gay wrote: »

Uhhh... I don't think that'll work

strictly speaking, I've not got an issue with GM, my problem is with the aims of most GM (e.g. increasing pesticide resistance, so more pesticides can be sprayed on the product while it's growing) and the increased monoculture that will result from it's use - there will be the augmented apple, and all the trees will be genetically identical.

Oh yeah:D

I thought the idea was to use less pesticides?

Former Member

George Carlin is soooo funny. If only he were alive to do more, how dare he die?

Former Member

With GM crops there is a risk of cross pollination with non GM crops which is bad.

But then again, all the bees are going to die anyway so there won't be any pollination and then no plants. We're all screwed. Poor bees

Former Member

morrocan roll wrote: »

I thought the idea was to use less pesticides?

well, some of the other stuff is for plants to make thier own pesticides - eg tomatoes which produce nicotine. Absolutely to do with reducing pests, nothing to do with hoping people buy more of that variety because they feel better after eating them.

Skive

money_talks wrote: »

Mother nature knows best!

Lets hear you say that after eating wheat infested with ergot.

Former Member

Interested that no-one has mentioned that fact that GM foods come with patent rights.

So, in effect, that means a company can own the rights to our food sources preventing us from growing our own. Capitalism at it's most offensive, bad enough that water supplies are "owned" by for-profit organisations.

At some point it would be nice to think that natural resources where there for the benefit of mankind and not a group of shareholders.

Just a thought. Even if it's a socialist one

Former Member

yeah i think that just because it is herbicide tolerant still means herbicide is used.
that is the least helpful way they modify I think, personally. I'm all up for insect resistance and virus resistance though. And it is a bummer that companies own the rights, but apparently research (long paper for which I can give you a link if you wish) shows that the farmer and consumers benefit more financially than the company producing the seed.

And an interesting case is Golden Rice- surely a success story? Allows greater nutritional content in rice, a staple food in parts of Asia (in this case introducing Vitamin A), where people usually suffer Vitamin A deficiencies.

Former Member

money_talks wrote: »

I personally believe that GM foods, alongside processed and manufactured foods, play a big role in the amount of illness and disease in todays society. Whenever possible I try to eat Organic foods.

Mother nature knows best!

And what are you basing that on exactly? GM foods have just the same amount of nutrients in as regular ones, if not more. The farmes aren't injecting carrots with anthrax you know!

Former Member

Whowhere wrote: »

And what are you basing that on exactly? GM foods have just the same amount of nutrients in as regular ones, if not more. The farmes aren't injecting carrots with anthrax you know!

Food additives ya twonk.

Former Member

I thought the point of GM veg was that you didn't need additives or as many pesticides?