What are the concerns over GE food?



Many concerns have been raised over the inadequate testing of the effects of genetic engineering on humans and the environment. Genetic engineering is still an emerging field, and scientists do not know exactly what can result from putting the DNA of one species into another. The introduction of foreign DNA into an organism could trigger (= to cause to happen or exist) other DNA in the plant or animal to mutate (=change or cause to change in form or nature) and change. In addition, researchers do not know if there are any long-term or unintended side effects (=a secondary, typically undesirable effect) from eating GE foods (sometimes called “Frankenfoods” (=food that contains ingredients that have been genetically modified) ). F

Critics of genetic engineering believe that GE foods must be proven safe before they are sold to the public. Specific concerns over genetic engineering include:  

Allergic reactions. There are two concerns regarding allergic (=caused by or relating to an allergy) reactions. The first is with known allergens. For example, if genes from nuts are inserted into other foods, it could cause severe reactions in people with nut allergies. Therefore, there is concern that people with known allergies will not be aware that the genetically engineered food they are eating contains substances to which they are allergic. The second concern is that new allergies might be created, since new combinations of genes and traits have the potential to cause allergic reactions that have never existed before.

Gene mutation. Scientists don’t know if the forced insertion of one gene into another gene could destabilize the entire organism, and encourage mutations (=the changing of the structure of a gene) and abnormalities (=an abnormal feature, characteristic, or occurrence).

Antibiotic resistance. Almost all GE foods contain antibiotic resistance (= устойчивость к антибиотикам, sth that is not affected by antibiotics) marker genes that help producers know whether the new genetic material was transferred to the host plant or animal. GE food could make disease-causing bacteria even more resistant to antibiotics, which could increase the spread of disease throughout the world.

Loss of nutrition. Genetic engineering may change the nutritionalvalue (= питательная ценность) of food. F

Environmental Damage. Insects, birds and wind might carry genetically altered pollen (= пыльца, a fine powdery substance, typically yellow colour) to other fields and forests, pollinating plants (=plants that convey pollen) and randomly creating new species that would carry on the genetic modifications.

Gene pollution cannot be cleaned up. Once released into the environment, genetically engineered organisms cannot be cleaned up or recalled. By virtue of their "superior" genes, they will inevitably run amok (=буйствовать, rampage), overpowering wild species and leading to genetic "bio-invasion (=The rapid expansion of a species into regions where it did not previously exis)".What will happen to wild fish and marine species, for example, when scientists release into the environment carp (карп), salmon (лосось), and trout (форель) that are twice as large, and eat twice as much food, as their wild counterparts (дойники)?

Socioeconomic hazards.The patenting of genetically engineered foods and widespread biotech food production threatens to eliminate farming as it has been practiced for 12,000 years. GE patents such as the Terminator Technology will render seeds infertile (=unable to reproduce) and force hundreds of millions of farmers who now save and share their seeds to purchase evermore expensive GE seeds and chemical inputs from a handful of global biotech/seed monopolies. If the trend is not stopped, the patenting of transgenic plants and food-producing animals will soon lead to universal "bioserfdom (= bio slavery)" in which farmers will lease their plants and animals from biotech conglomerates such as Monsanto and pay royalties (=a sum of money paid to a patentee for the use of a patent) on seeds and offspring. Family and indigenous (=originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native) farmers will be driven off the land and consumers' food choices will be dictated by a cartel of transnational corporations. Rural communities will be devastated. Hundreds of millions of farmers and agricultural workers worldwide will lose their livelihoods (средства к существованию).

Ethical Hazards.The genetic engineering and ‘patenting of animals reduces living beings to the status of manufactured products and will result in much suffering caused by experimentation on live animals. In addition to the cruelty in’herent in such experimentation (the "mistakes" are born with painful deformities, crippled, blind, and so on), these "manufactured" creatures have no greater value to their "creators" than mechanical inventions. A purely reductionist science (= наука, занимающая упрощением/сокращением видов), biotechnology reduces all life to bits of information (genetic code) that can be arranged and rearranged at whim (по прихоти). Currently, hundreds of genetically engineered "freak" animals (= animals with abnormalities) are awaiting patent approval from the federal government. One can only wonder, after the wholesale gene-altering and patenting of animals, will GE "designer babies" be next?

Did You Know?

• Five countries make up 90% of the world’s GE acreage (площаль в акрах): US (69%), Brazil (30%), Argentina (24%), India (11%), Canada (10%).

• More than 93% of soybeans grown in the US in 2011 were bioengineered. F

• Herbicide tolerant GE crops have created weed resistance, causing pesticide use to increase by 70 million pounds between 1996 and 2003.

• According to the biotechnology industry almost 100% of US food and fiber will be genetically engineered within 5-10 years.

The future of GM organisms remains unknown, but it is perfectly clear that for the first time in history, transnational biotechnology corporations are becoming the architects and "owners" of life.

 

6. Provide definitions for the underlined words and word-combinations in Part 2.

7. Answer the following questions.

7) What are the issues of concern for human health? - Allergic reactions, Gene mutation, Antibiotic resistance, Loss of nutrition

8) What are the issues of concern for the environment? - Insects, birds and wind might carry genetically altered pollen to other fields and forests and randomly creating new species that would carry on the genetic modifications, Gene pollution cannot be cleaned up.

 

8. Translate into English.

1) Большинство учёных уверены, что генетически модифицированные организмы (ГМО) ― благо, позволяющее побороть на Земле голод и получить высокоэффективные лекарства и вакцины от неизлечимых болезней. – Many scientists believe that genetically modified organisms are able to save the Planet from ‘famine (hunger) and produce highly effective medicines and vac’cines for incurable diseases.

2) Другие ученые считают ГМО бомбой замедленного действия, которая может разорваться в любой момент и привести к самым неожиданным эффектам. – Other scientists state that GMO is the time bomb which may explode at any moment and lead to numerous unpredictable side effects.

3) И традиционная селекция, и генная инженерия создают иные комбинации генов, приводящие к новым свойствам. – Both traditional breeding and genetic engineering bring about various gene combinations which lead to acquiaring new traits and characteristics.

4) Путём манипулирования молекулами ДНК современный человек может произвольно и направленно изменять наследственность окружающего его живого мира ― бактерий, растений, животных и человека. – By means of DNA genes manipulation it becomes possible to change heredity of species: becteria, plants, animals and men.

5) В новом веке человечество победит болезни. Генная инженерия, клонирование ― это большой шаг. Больные органы просто будут заменять. – Mankind will be able to conquer diseasaes in the new century. Genetic engineering and cloning are considered to be a big step towards the problem. Ailing organs will be replaced by new ones.

6) Чтобы понять, в чем причина долголетия, генетики прочитали геном долгожительницы, которая умерла в возрасте 115 лет. – Geneticists read the ‘genome of a long-liver who died at the age of 115 to understand the reason of lon’gevity.

7) Такие манипуляции с человеческим эмбрионом как клонирование человека, использование стволовых клеток, экстракорпоральное оплодотворение должны рассматриваться, прежде всего, с точки зрения этических норм.  – Human cloning, using of stem cells and extracorporal fertilization in the first place should be regarded from the point of ethic standards.

8) Исследователи утверждают, что долгое время наука отрицала. Что коэффициент интеллекта зависит в первую очередь от унаследованных генов, а не от социальных условий. Люди изначально рождаются плохими или хорошими, умными или глупыми. – The researches approve of something that has been denied by the science for many years. IQ of a man does not depend upon the cosial consitions but on the inherited genes. This theory states that when a child is born, he is either good or bad, intelligent or not.

9) Результаты исследований могут представлять опасность, потому что их начнут использовать некоторые политики, утверждающие, что не следует выбрасывать деньги на медицину и образование, так как вся жизнь человека генетически обусловлена. –Research results may become a threat as they may be used by policians who believe that there is no point in wasting money on medicine and education since the life of a man is genetically influenced.

10) Закон «О временном запрете на клонирование человека» допускает клонирование клеток в научных целях и органов для трансплантации.  – The Protocol on the Prohibition of Human Cloning allows to clone cells for scientific purposes including organ transplantation.

11) В будущем родители превратятся в инженеров-архитекторов, а дети в сумку для магазина. Правительству больше не нужно требовать от низших классов снижения рождаемости, необходимо требовать улучшения качества самого ребенка с использованием генной терапии. – In the future parents are sure to become the so-called «architects» while their children will be nothing but a shopping bag. There will be no need for the government to demand of the lower class to discrease the birth rate. It is of great importance to demand the improvement of the child itself using gene therapy.

12) Генетически модифицированные растения (рапс, кукуруза и др.) могут использовться для производства биотоплива. – Genetically modified plants such as rice and corn may be used in biofuel manufacture.

13) Согласно требованим безопасности пищевых продуктов маркировка товаров, изготовленных с использованием ГМ-ингредиентов, является обязательной. –Labelling of GMO products is of great necessity according to food-safety requirements.

14) Все достижения и технологические разработки биотехнологии и биоинженерии могут быть непосредственно и прямо использованы для создания биологического оружия нового поколения. – All achievements and technological innovations in the sphere of biotechnology and bioengineering are directly connected with the creation bioweapons for the new generation.

9. Search the Internet for additional information and discuss the following questions.

1) Are GM crops grown in Russia?

2) Do you believe that companies should have the legal right to patent crop varieties and other forms of life? How could this benefit or harm you?

10. Work in pairs. List as many projected advantages and disadvantages of genetically modified crops and foods as you can think of. Compare your list with other pairs and with the ideas on p. 48.  Which two advantages and which two disadvantages do you think are the most important? Why?

 

GMO Food (report)

Interesting fact about GMO foods:

1. Tomato – is not a vegetable, as many think, but a real fruit! In addition, it is the first plant that was genetically modified by the scientists.

2. Benefits from genetically altered foods include a higher quality product with a lower price. For example, tomatoes, strawberries, pineapples, peppers and bananas have been genetically modified to have longer shelf-life.

3. The advantage GM foods have for people in underdeveloped countries, includes the ability to produce large yield of crops with higher nutrition value in harsh environments.

Rendering


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