Advantages And Disadvantages Of Non GMO

By Megan Landry


GMO stands for genetically modified organism. Non GMO on the other hand are those that are natural or organic. During the course of genetic modification, there is removal of one or more genes from the DNA of other organisms like bacteria or viruses. The removed genes are then recombined into the DNA of the plant in which alteration is to be done.

Genetic engineers aim to achieve improvement in production by making the altered organisms exhibit qualities similar to those of organisms where the genes are removed. When their production started, there was debate as to whether GMOs are safe, which is why most countries did not even allow their sale. Over time however, there has been increasing acceptance, though most people still opt for organic produce.

Perhaps the biggest concern for people that use organic foods is their costs. On a comparative basis, they are more expensive, something that may be linked to the fact that their production costs are also high. They also tend to take much longer in the farm as compared to those that are genetically modified. Further, they have no preservatives and tend to spoil faster.

There are numerous advantages of non genetically modified foods. Unlike the others, they have few chemicals if any. Those that are genetically modified are produced using sewage sludge plus a host of other chemicals. These, in addition to hormones used in animal stimulation for better productivity, pose a huge risk. Some amount of the chemicals remain on such produce.

The pesticides used on plants or animals are likely to leave residues on them. When such produce are consumed, there is likely to be dangerous effects. On the same note, antibiotics and hormones used used are equally risky. Such can be prevented through the use of organic farming.

It is for a fact that the environment is very important, which is why most countries, organizations and individuals have launched campaigns to protect it against any destruction. Use of GMO leads to damage of the environment. With organic production, this is not the case because there is no use of chemicals, at least not extensively.

Organic foods also have a few shortcomings. For once, it is quite a challenge maintaining an organic kitchen. This is because over time, there has been an increase in production and acceptance of genetically modified ones. This, coupled with the fact that they are much cheaper, makes the process of using purely organic foods tedious.

Due to health concerns and effects on the environment of products that are not naturally produced, most companies are investing in production of non GMO products. The process of certification however is costly and complicated. Small business persons cannot easily get such certifications. In the wake of the need to label such foods, such small businesses lose out.

It has not been determined whether non GMO is more nutritious than GMO. In fact, the two classes of foods are more or less the same in terms of nutritional value. There is still more research on the subject.




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