Reference:
AbbyMediaRoots(2009)What is Genetically Modified Food? Retrieved May 5, 2010,
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAP6ZtfP9ZQ&feature=related

Better Health Channel (2008) Genetically modified foods. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/genetically_modified_foods?open

Eloise G. (2010）Support for GM animal medicines. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/genetic-engineering/news/article

Eloise G. (2010）Scientists plan human genes for cows, goats. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/genetic-engineering/news/article

New Zealand Food Safety Authority(n.d.), Genetically Modified Foods: Labelling and Safety. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from  http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/gm-ge/gmfoods.htm

WWF International (n.d) Genetically Modified Food Retrieved May 5, 2010, fromhttp://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/sus_agriculture/gm_food/

U.S. Department of Energy (2008)Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml

What is the risk of the GM products?

Eversince the GM tomato firstly emerged in the market in 1994, the furious controversies have never stopped in the world. The arguments roughly attribute to three main points—the security for the human’s health, the destruction to the nature and the contravention with the ethic. The appearance of GM products is only 15-16 years, and their side-effects are not able to be rapidly revealed in such short period, so we still can not predict their security. But some countries’ scientists have warned people that some GM food can possibly cause the allergy. Moreover, the further concerns about the impact of the GM products are focusing on the issues which will threaten our environment of survival, such as the sharp decrease of the diversity of species, super-weeds and super-insects, and so on. In addition, the traditional ethic is being toppled down because the confines between the breast and the human have been breached by the research of the GM animals, for example, in Asresaerch (NZ)’s project, the genes of human proteins are being transfered into the cows in the trials.

Are the GM products the evil spirits escaped from the Pandora’s Box which one carelessly opened? Who knows? Probably, the answer will be exposed in our next two generations.

If you are keen to learn more about the issues of GM products, I recommand you to see this site.

Who will benefit the most?

There have been hundreds of small outdoor trials of GM crops in the UK but only one company, BASF, is actively growing GM crops at present. From http://www.guardian.co.uk

So far, the most successful area applied the GM technologies appears to be at the crops. It is reported that the GM crops, such as soybeans, corn, cotton, canola, etc. were putted in the United States, Argentina and so on 22 countries by 10.3 million farmers. Because of the competitive prices of GM crops in the international trade, many countries, although do not allow to plant GM crops in their country, still import GM crops to add in the process of food or breed the livestock.

However, why are GM products so acceptable in some countries like the US? But why does the European Union insist on the rejection for them? I think it is because of their obvious advantages as well as the distinct disadvantages.It is known that Uncle Sam establishs a set of stringent rules in food processing and producing for securing his people's health. But surprisingly, such controversial products were almost first accepted and vastly promoted in this super country. The major reasons have two, I suggest, one is the features of GM products, especially GM crops —high productivity, high quality and high adaptability. For instance, because of its herbicide-and-insect resistance, 89% of the planted area in America is GM soybean. GM soy has good appearance and high producing rate of soy oil, and enables to grow on infertile and droughty land. Thus, GM crops will probably become an important means to solve the food shortage coping with the gradually atrocious climate in the world.

The other reason is the patent of GM technology. As the 90% GM seeds in the world are supplied by American company-- Monsanto,(the largest agricultural company in the world). American government perhaps is very clear that grasping the agricultural high-tech is as vital as keeping ahead in the military affairs and the outer space. Assumedly, the patent of GM tech will likely be a new weapon for the US to control the other countries’ economy in the future. If yes, Argentina absolutely was the first instance.

What is GM product and how the gene is modified?



In fact, the GM products are not as horrible as imagined. It is said that scaring comes from lacking of the knowledge. Wanting to know whether GM products can benefit or harm for the human being, we should understand some concepts about it.

Simply, GM can be understood as a process that moving away a part of gene of the creature, which is predicated that is not good for the human’s health or does not adapted the environment very well, from its chain of gene; then embedding another part of gene took from the other specie, which is regarded as possessing the particular property opposite the former one, into this genetic chain. In a word, “GM is a special set of technologies that alter the genetic makeup of organisms such as animals, plants, or bacteria.”(U.S. Department of Energy)
The products used this technology to generate are called GM products. Generally, there are three methods which can help the modified gene invading into the cells of the products: bacteria, stream electricity and gene gun. Consequently, GM products are created.
The key point in this technology is GM can be adopted between no-related spices. As the above case, Asresearch is introducing the genes of human proteins into GM cows and expect to gain the medicinal milk to treat the human’s disease. Furthermore, the GM technology differs from the traditional hybrid breeding since it extremely shortens the time for selecting the excellent species according to the human’s necessary. No doubt, this invention strengthens the opposability of human to the nature.

Even though these Atlantic salmon are roughly the same age, the big one was genetically engineered to grow at twice the rate of normal salmon.
Paul Darrow for The New York Times

Genetically Modified Products

Recently, Genetically Modified (GM) animals caught the media of New Zealand and public’s attention: Agresearch (the largest agriculture research institute in NZ) was reapplying to try more GM experiments on sheep and goats base on its GM cow’s project. This resulted in the intense rejection by most people and many organizations. New Zealanders probably adore the nature and regard such artificial things as “monsters”. However, although there are serious rules to secure the safety of our food, the process of manufacture and the entry of the custom in our country, unfortunately, by the influence of global integration, GM products have sneaked into ingredients in our daily meal. Don’t believe? See this site.