作文GM Food.docx

1、作文GM Food Although genetically modified foods have many advantages, there are also many studies showing that genetically modified foods have many flaws. In December 22, 2009, the Supreme Council of the French biotechnology (法国生物技术最高委员会) declared that cultivation of genetically modified maize is more

2、 harm than good .In the end of 2009, the U.S. Department of Health（美国卫生部）made a science paper that genetically modified foods can cause damage to internal organs. In May 2009, American Institute of Environmental Medicine (美国环境医学学会) issued a statement strongly to recommend people not to eat genetical

3、ly modified and educate the communities to avoid eating genetically modified foods. Recently, a debate about genetically modified foods between Fang Zhouzi and Cui Yongyuan has attracted many peoples eyes.Fang appealed to people to come and enjoy genetically modified foods at micro-blogging which he

4、 thought is no harm towards human. Of course, this is not only his idea. It represents part of human who have great confidence and determination to make GM food become popular. Meanwhile, Cuis question represents the worry and anxiety of the general public on GM, because no one can guarantee what wi

5、ll happen if people eat genetically modified foods for a long time. Such debate has both been in China and international. This time, the two celebrities put this issue in front of people again , I think we have to get more knowledge about it.Firstly, genetically modified (gm) refers to the artificia

6、l separation (人工分离) and modified genes （修饰过的基因） imported into the purpose of the genome of the organism, so as to achieve the purpose of the modified organisms. Genetically modified (gm) is generally done by sexual reproduction. People often say genetic engineering, genetic engineering（基因工程）, geneti

7、c transformation（遗传转化） are synonymous with genetically modified (gm). And then the genetically modified foods are produced in such way.Then lets look back to the history. In the early 1990s , the first genetically modified foods was produced in the United States that was a fresh tomato. Since then g

8、enetically modified foods become more and more popular. In March 2000, the cloned pigs were born. Followed, whether to eat genetically modified food becomes a debate both in Europe and America. According to the statistics , the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (食品和药物管理局) has identified 43 kinds of

9、genetically modified varieties which makes The United States the largest country in genetically modified foods. In America, 60% of the processed foods contain genetically modified ingredients, including 90% of soybean, 50% of corn, and wheat are transgenic. There is not much difference between genet

10、ically modified foods and ordinary food, but genetically modified plants and animals have a distinct advantage, such as high-yield(高产) , insect resistance（抗虫）, anti-viral（抗病毒） and anti- herbicide（抗除草剂）. What I have to say is that with the application of transgenic technology the food shortage proble

11、m has been solved to some extent, the use of pesticide has been reduced, and the environmental pollution can also be avoided. From the above, we may think the U.S. seems to advocate eating genetically modified foods. But it is undeniable that even in the United States, the debate around the genetica

12、lly modified food has not been eliminated. Japan has even promoted organic foods vigorously to try to reduce genetically modified food. Europe has also adopted a strict market access system. Even in the United States, there are no direct transgenic technology for human staple food.Debate: GM FOOD(Ch

13、ina Daily) Permission to allow field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice seed has raised food safety concerns. A scientist and a journalist take an opposing stand to a US political science professor. Wang Chaohua: Dangers are there for all to see Debate: GM FOOD Chinas food safety laws and regu

14、lations are largely based on the guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But are the FDA prescriptions reliable enough? In 1992, the FDA turned a blind eye to strong protests and even the opposition of its own scientists to state that genetically modified (GM) foods are as safe as a

15、ny for human consumption and, hence, there was no need to give an explanation about GM foods. This move was widely criticized as arbitrary, given the role one Michael Taylor played in the case. Taylor was then assistant FDA commissioner but soon left to serve as chief legal adviser to Monsanto, the

16、worlds largest seed company. Moreover, a new law drafted by Taylor did not consider facts found in a research from 1958 that illegal pesticides and food additives could cause cancer. Food safety laws in China have become a subject of public debate again after the Ministry of Agriculture granted perm

17、ission to carry out trials with GM rice seed. GM seed companies claim their products could raise crop output by 15 to 40 percent, which many experts believe to be an exaggeration. What has been proved, instead, is that GM seed are unable to adapt to abrupt climate changes and may thus cause sharp dr

18、op in output. Last year, South African farmers who had planted Monsantos GM corn seeds 820,000 hectares reported crop failure. This is a scary fact. And China, which has a huge population to feed, cannot take the risk to try out GM grain seeds. Scarier is the fact that GM seeds lead farmers into a v

19、icious cycle - the more crop failure they suffer, the deeper they get into the cycle. GM seed companies also claim their products require much less use of pesticides. But statistics show no considerable reduction in the use of pesticides on farms where GM seeds had been planted. Instead, GM seeds ra

20、ise a big health concern: The sharp increase in the use weedkiller genes, introduced genetically in the seeds. These genes can enter the human body. As early as 2000, German scientists working on GM colza pollen found the use of weedkiller genes had altered honeybees enteric genetic structure. Canno

21、t this kind of gene transformation occur in humans who consume GM food? Experiments on animals have proved that GM foods have the potential to cause serious health damage even in a very short period. These tests show GM foods can harm animals reproductive systems and raise infant mortality rates. GM

22、 foods gene modification could take generations to suit the human body. GM foods not only have the potential of harming the human body, but also of causing irrecoverable damage to the soil, that is, biological pollution, which is more dangerous than chemical pollution. Research has shown genes of mi

23、cro-organisms and weeds have undergone changes in farms where GM seeds had been planted. But what can the poor end consumer do under the pressure of the multi-billion-dollar GM seed industry? Take the case of Fox TV for example. The TV channel, under alleged pressure from Monsanto, fired two of its

24、reporters who tried to expose GM foods for the harm they could cause to humans. In 2008, French independent filmmaker Marie-Monique Robins documentary, The World According to Monsanto, was banned from being screened in the US. Perhaps, only the EU takes a serious and prudent view of GM crops. The EU

25、 has strict rules that make it mandatory for GM foods to carry labels with detailed information on the materials they contain. China should have taken all the above into consideration before allowing trials of GM rice seeds. Debate: GM FOODXiong Lei: Decision should be left to end users The governme

26、nts approval to grow genetically modified (GM) rice, though on a trial basis, has again triggered a controversy over whether China should take the lead in subjecting a staple food crop to this technology. Its not surprising to see GM-seed advocates condemn opponents for their ignorance of biotechnol

27、ogy and phobia for anything obtained through genetic modification. Champions of biotechnology will present all sorts of data and evidence to assure people that GM rice is safe. Debate: GM FOODYet the core question concerning the GM rice issue is not whether it is safe but whether peoples rights will

28、 be honored, especially their foremost right to choose what they eat. Do people have the right not to consume GM rice and other GM crops? Will the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) guarantee people their right to choose non-GM food? Even if a person is convinced that GM rice is safe, he or she should no

29、t be forced to consume it. And GM seed companies should not be allowed to change the situation in the farming sector to such an extent that people would be left with no option but to consume GM rice. Such a worry is not groundless. Years ago, GM cotton seeds were introduced to China without telling

30、farmers what they were. They were marketed as super cotton seeds. As a result, a large number of farmers across the country had begun growing super cotton seeds even before it received official approval. We thanked heaven that (GM) cotton was not a food crop. But food crops were not spared the GM do

31、se for long. GM soybean and corn began dominating our edible oil market even before we became aware of it. The MOA actually still owes us an explanation for this. We cannot surrender our rights again to choose what we want to grow and eat now that the MOA has agreed to conduct trials with GM rice se

32、eds. We have the right, and that right is sacred, to refuse GM rice on our dinner tables. So if the ministrys decision to conduct trials with GM rice seeds is irreversible, effective measures should be taken to ensure the fields it is planted on are segregated and do not pollute non-GM rice fields. The MOA has to take steps to punish any violation, too. Next comes peoples right to know. Apart from the possible GM ingredients contained in food packets on supermarket shelves, we should be convinced that GM rice is not the only solution to the food problem we are facing or are likely to fa