2008 Woodie Awards
Despite concerns, GE foods can benefit U.S. society
Blake Essig
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: OpEd Page
We Americans like everything bigger, better and faster than the rest. We like our TVs to be 50-inch plasma screens, our athletes to be freight trains, our meals "biggie" sized and our cars to be SUVs. As a red-blooded, freedom fry eating and Chevy driving American, I agree with this sentiment to a degree. We always want more bang for our buck, whether it's a V-12 engine, ultra gory video game or even our food. Genetically engineered food has roots in this idea-being bigger and better than its predecessors. This type of food has become a staple of America's-and the world's-agricultural economy and wellbeing. However, genetically engineered (GE) food has been the subject of extreme scrutiny and the source of ardent debate between the economically and environmentally minded alike.
GE food can be anything from the common raspberry to the unfortunately named rapeseed, and everything in between. Conventionally, foods are altered through a lengthy and sometimes fruitless-pun definitely intended-breeding process. More recently, foods have been engineered with genes from other plants, or even animals, to produce extraordinary, valuable characteristics-just like the gene-defying drugs our professional athletes use to reach new peaks of greatness. Some of these characteristics may include size, pest and herbicide resistance, weather tolerance and even some aspects of taste. For instance, utilizing a specific cold-water fish gene and inserting it into a tomato's genetic code allowed California scientists to create a frost-resistant, gill-less tomato. Or, say weeds are incessantly harassing your innocent rapeseed crops. With genetic engineering, recent strains of rapeseed have become more resistant to certain herbicides that are used to clear the crop of weeds and protect the harvest.
Ever eat a banana with seeds? Didn't think so. Most banana companies have kicked them out of their bananas' gene pools. Genetic modification of food has even been around since the domestication of corn 10,000 years ago via crossbreeding.
GE food can be anything from the common raspberry to the unfortunately named rapeseed, and everything in between. Conventionally, foods are altered through a lengthy and sometimes fruitless-pun definitely intended-breeding process. More recently, foods have been engineered with genes from other plants, or even animals, to produce extraordinary, valuable characteristics-just like the gene-defying drugs our professional athletes use to reach new peaks of greatness. Some of these characteristics may include size, pest and herbicide resistance, weather tolerance and even some aspects of taste. For instance, utilizing a specific cold-water fish gene and inserting it into a tomato's genetic code allowed California scientists to create a frost-resistant, gill-less tomato. Or, say weeds are incessantly harassing your innocent rapeseed crops. With genetic engineering, recent strains of rapeseed have become more resistant to certain herbicides that are used to clear the crop of weeds and protect the harvest.
Ever eat a banana with seeds? Didn't think so. Most banana companies have kicked them out of their bananas' gene pools. Genetic modification of food has even been around since the domestication of corn 10,000 years ago via crossbreeding.
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