What are GMOs? How Do They Impact Canadian Food Systems?
Are your grocery store shelves stacked with mysterious entities called GMOs? It’s high time you find out the truth behind these powerful organisms and their economic impacts. The GMO debate has been raging forever — do they pose a threat to our food supply and the environment? Are their economic implications being overlooked?
We are living in a world where science and technology are drastically changing the way food is produced and consumed. GMOs have become an increasingly prominent example of this scientific progress. But before we can gauge their impact, it is important to understand exactly what GMOs are and how they are being used in the Canadian and global agriculture industry.
What are GMOs?
A Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been modified through the use of biotechnology. This process typically involves the introduction of genes from a different species, allowing for the expression of desirable traits in the organism. GMOs have been used to create bacteria that can produce medications, plants that are resistant to pests and diseases, livestock with enhanced growth rates, and even crops with increased nutritional content. This study of genes and how to change them is often referred to as genomics.
Genomic technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we grow food and create medicines, allowing us to produce more efficient and sustainable sources of nutrition and medicine than ever before. GMO products have been widely adopted by the food industry, appearing in many items that we consume on a daily basis.
1. Corn and Soybeans
Most corn and soybean crops are genetically modified in order to resist pests and weeds and can be found in a variety of processed foods such as cereals, chips, soups, and candy bars.
2. Canola Oil
Canola oil is also an example of a GMO product, made from a type of rapeseed that has been modified to produce higher yields.
3. Animal Feed
The majority of animal feed comes from GMO sources. Animal products derived from these GMO-fed animals may include chicken, turkey, beef, pork, eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt. Farmed fish can also be fed a diet that includes GMO ingredients.
4. Carrots
Did you know that carrots technically are a GMO? The original ancestors of carrots were white and purple in colour. It took over a thousand years for farmers to breed these crops together until they finally yielded their orange descendants. It is not known why ancient farmers chose to do this, but today, orange carrots are the most popular type of carrot. With modern technology, carrots now have enhanced nutritional content, lower prices, and extended shelf lives.
Other commonly used GMO products include sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, and yellow squash. Some animal products have also been altered through genetic engineering, including salmon and fish oils. In Canada, there are no specific laws in about labelling genetically modified foods differently. This is because “safety assessments have found them to be as safe and nutritious as non-GM foods.”
What are the Economic Implications of GMOs?
Now that it’s clear how prevalent GMOs are in our day-to-day diets, we must ask ourselves why there is a need for them. The introduction of GMOs in the agricultural economy has had far-reaching implications. Indeed, the decision of many companies and countries to use GMOs is as much economy-related as it is health-related.
Genomic technology has enabled farmers to increase crop yields. This has resulted in more efficient and cost-effective production methods, allowing farmers to significantly reduce their input costs. With higher yields per hectare, fewer acres are needed to grow the same volume of food, thus reducing land costs.
On top of that, farmers can also reduce the amount of water, fertilizer, and pesticides needed to produce a crop. This can also lead to significantly lower production costs, resulting in greater profits for producers. The cost savings are then transferred to the consumer, which means more people will have access to more foods. This also has far-reaching impacts on soil health, enabling farmers to keep land fertile for longer. Pesticides and herbicides can damage soil, forcing farmers to relocate and rendering whole patches of land unfarmable.
Additionally, GMOs can be designed to resist specific diseases or pests, which in turn reduces the amount of money spent on treating infected crops and animals. Finally, many GMO-based products are designed to last longer without spoiling, saving money on transportation and storage costs. All of these factors have helped to make GMOs an attractive option for many producers.
GMOs have had a profound impact on global crop yields, reducing hunger and increasing food security worldwide. By introducing specific genetic modifications to plants, crops can be made more resilient to environmental conditions such as drought or extreme temperatures. This will have a major impact on developing countries and Canadian producers have a great opportunity to increase exports to these countries to help secure global food security.
How Has Canada Innovated on GMOs?
Canada has long been a leader in the development and use of GMOs. Here are some examples of leading innovations that can help make Canada a global leader in food production and exports:
1. Omega-3 Canola Oil: Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan developed genetically modified canola plants that produce omega-3 fatty acids, typically found in fish oil. This innovation offers a plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids.
2. Arctic Apples: Arctic Apples are genetically modified apples developed by Canadian company Okanagan Specialty Fruits. They are engineered to suppress the production of an enzyme responsible for browning when the apple is cut or bruised, resulting in longer shelf life.
3. Enhanced Potatoes: Canadian researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada developed genetically modified potatoes with improved traits. These potatoes have reduced acrylamide levels, a chemical that forms during high-temperature cooking and has potential negative health effects.
4. AquAdvantage Salmon: AquAdvantage salmon were the first genetically engineered animals approved for human consumption in the United States and Canada. The Atlantic salmon’s usual growth hormone-regulating gene was substituted with a variant from the Pacific Chinook salmon, to expedite growth without compromising size or other characteristics. In 1989, Memorial University in Newfoundland unveiled the genetic technology that formed the foundation for this. Indeed, aquaculture is considered an emerging area in genomic research that is expected to play a significant role in the strengthening of our food systems.
Are GMOs Safe?
Probably the biggest barrier to the growth of GMO technologies is the public perception surrounding them. From 2006 to 2019, the percentage of Canadians who were concerned about eating food from genetically engineered crops averaged about 36%.
The safety of consuming GMOs is a hotly contested issue. Many have raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with GMOs and cited a lack of transparency from producers as one of the main reasons why they do not trust these new products.
GMOS and genomic technologies in general have an image issue, and this can affect how effectively society can adopt these technologies.
However, the safety of GMOs is supported by a broad scientific consensus. Organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have all stated that GMOs are safe to eat and do not pose unique risks compared to conventional crops.
Regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), evaluate the safety of GMOs based on extensive data provided by the developers. These assessments include the evaluation of potential allergenicity, toxicity, and nutritional composition. The challenge is making both the process and results of these evaluations accessible to the general public. Regulatory agencies, producers, and researchers in the field must think of better ways of communicating the science behind GMOs and their benefits to the public so they understand what they are putting in their bodies, while also effectively countering misinformation.
The Ethical Implications of GMOs
The truth is that GMOs are already widely consumed by the general public. Canada is one of the largest producers of genetically modified crops globally. Almost all the canola planted in Canada was genetically modified. Considering that canola is widely used in the Canadian food industry, it is safe to say that many people are already consuming GMOs.
The use of GMOs has become increasingly common in the agricultural industry, but it is not without other ethical implications. For example, the potential for unforeseen environmental consequences is a major concern. Genetically modified organisms can easily spread traits into nearby wild populations, creating an unpredictable risk to already complex ecosystems. Additionally, certain practices like cross-breeding and gene editing raise serious questions of fairness. Certain GMO products could be created and/or priced to favour those with more money, creating a socioeconomic divide that perpetuates inequality in food access and nutrition.
Genomic researchers should look at these concerns as a way to guide their innovation strategy. This shows that there is ample opportunity within the space, as new innovations will always be required to quell consumer, environmental, and economic concerns. As such, Canada’s genomic industry is only set for exponential growth.
In conclusion, GMOs represent an ever-evolving frontier of agricultural technology with the potential to revolutionize the economic prospects of Canada. While we must remain aware of risks associated with their use, if these are addressed and managed effectively, GMOs could pave the way to a new era of food security and sustainable economic growth. With greater investment in research, development, and education, we can ensure that the potential benefits are realized without compromising our environmental and health standards. The future is bright for genetic modification technologies, and their positive economic impact has the capacity to be far-reaching and transformative.
