What is GMO? Is it Healthy or Harmful? Where is it Permissible? My Thoughts about GMO #1

In every area of life (IT, engineering, education, sports, etc.), there are topics whose answers haven’t been fully found for years. For example, in IT people can’t agree on the “best programming language”, in GYM opinions differ on the most effective workout for biceps, every country has its own education system that it claims is “more effective”, and so on. In agriculture, one of the most debated and unresolved topics is GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms).

First, let’s understand what GMO is, look at the different opinions around it, and at the end I’ll share my own thoughts with you.

What is GMO?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. As the name suggests, it means changing the genetics of a plant in a laboratory to help it grow better — in other words, working with its DNA or RNA.

By “better,” what is meant is faster growth, higher resistance to pests, needing less water, or adding certain features that the plant did not originally have. In simple terms, it is replacing or modifying a gene of one plant with a gene from another. When this method is used, plants can grow more efficiently and food security is maintained (depending on who you ask — not everyone agrees).

In fact, GMOs have existed for a very long time. In the past, they were done not with technology but in a more natural way. Today, they are created in laboratories using what are called genetic engineering techniques. This is where the disagreement really begins.

GMOs are mainly used for some products (because many different foods are made from them).

  • Corn (mainly to make it more resistant to pests)
  • Cotton (similarly, to increase resistance to pests)
  • Soy (about 70–80% of the soy produced in the world is GMO; used for animal feed, human food, etc.)

Examples

Before moving on to the next section, I want to show a few examples:

As shown in the image above, the product on the left is genetically modified (GMO), while the one on the right is grown using traditional methods. Here, a gene from another plant was added to a strawberry to make it grow larger. How it tastes, though, we don’t know :))

In this image, the first two apples are GMO, and the last one is non-GMO, meaning natural.

These images can be misleading. With GMO, it’s not only the appearance that can be changed, but also the taste, resistance to pests, bacteria, and more. For example, if a plant is weak against sunlight or easily collects bacteria, it can be strengthened using GMO methods.

Differences of opinion

So, there are two main viewpoints here:

  1. The commonly accepted view in the United States is that if GMOs have passed the regulatory checks, they are accepted, even if not natural.
  2. The commonly accepted view in Europe is that if GMOs have been uncertain about safety, they are restricted or banned, even they are proven harmless.

In other regions, one of these two views is usually accepted. You can even check this website to see which countries allow GMOs and which ban them: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/countries-that-ban-gmos

The thing is, research has been done supporting both viewpoints, and both sound reasonable. While many scientists state that GMOs are harmless, another group of scientists argues that they may cause harm.

GMOs are not allowed in Azerbaijan either :)*

My thoughts

GMO is truly a huge topic. Before writing this blog, my goal was to reach a clear conclusion, but my opinion changed. I decided that every year I will write a new blog sharing my updated thoughts on GMO. That’s why there is a #1 in the title of this post. Hopefully this platform continues, and in a year I’ll be able to write my new views.

At this point, I think that if GMOs are used in moderation, there is no real problem. However, excessive use of technology could lead to issues. So for now, I’m neutral on this topic, like Europe.

Thank you!

References

Share:
Rişad İ.
Rişad İ.

Hi! I’m Rishad Ibrahimov, a student at ADA University majoring in Agricultural Technologies. On this platform, I share blogs and insights related to my field.
Enjoy reading!

Articles: 26
×