Genetically Modified Food Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Genetically Modified Food - Essay Example   This means the losses incurred by farmers and other people who are involved in the same can easily be averted. Research also goes to show that genetically modified food is also resistant to herbicides which natural food can never be. These are some of its advantages but there are disadvantages too which must be considered to make its case even.   Last year a laboratory study was published which showed that pollen from B.t. corn caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars. Monarch caterpillars consume milkweed plants, not corn, but the fear is that if pollen from B.t. corn is blown by the wind onto milkweed plants in neighboring fields, the caterpillars could eat the pollen and perish. Although the Nature study was not conducted under natural field conditions, the results seemed to support this viewpoint. Unfortunately, B.t. toxins kill many species of insect larvae indiscriminately; it is not possible to design a B.t. the toxin that would only kill crop-damagi ng pests and remain harmless to all other insects.   There are several unknown effects of consuming genetically modified foods; more research is being conducted in this field. Research thus far has found both pros and cons of consuming genetically modified foods.   Countless children succumb to hunger each day in Africa; the problem of malnutrition can easily be solved should human beings start using genetically modified foods. Malnutrition can be slowly but steadily eliminated should genetically modified foods be used on a daily basis.