Genetically modified food and animals are becoming more and more popular very rapidly in the United States specifically. Chemicals, preservatives, and growth hormones are being added to improve flavor, size, and look as well as to preserve foods (especially mass produced meat) for longer periods of time in larger amounts. Benefits include improved health of the organisms, resistance to allergies (on both the parts of the foods and consumers), more efficient processing, and increased food security for growing populations. GM foods are cost effective and, some argue, healthier.
Despite these advantages, as with almost every technological advance today, there is ethical opposition to GM foods. Unintended modification could take place and unknown effects could result on the animals and/or humans that consume them. The eco-balance will be disturbed as will natural genetic structure of the animals. In the U.S., the labeling of GM foods is not required so consumers are often ignorant when it comes to what they toss into their shopping carts.
Some believe that “ignorance is bliss”. Even if one chooses not to acknowledge the negatives in meat processing, the production of GM foods, and mass production of unhealthy and sometimes unknown foods, he should at least consider that his ignorance makes him a contributor to animal cruelty, withholding of information, and the “wrong” side of the ethical debate of meat-eating, whichever side that may be, simply because he is indifferent and therefore inactive.
2 comments:
I think and agree with u that there isn't any difference between genetically modified plants and genetically engineered animal products but i think our acceptance of GM fruits and vegetables is first and foremost as a result of our ignorance to the fact that seedless grapes and watermelons aren't the "right" fruits-andiospersms should all have seeds (thats why they are angiosperms; enclosed seeds). Second of all, i think our acceptance of GM plants and not so much of animal products is just an example of our alienation of humans from other animals and even more so of plants. Humans consider ourselves superior and far-eveolved from the other life forns those it is more acceptable to genetically engineer plants without second thought but when we come to animals we go from "its ok" to "i don't know about that".
I agree. To reiterate what you said, Accepting GM fruits and vegetables is more morally acceptable because of ignorance and also because we don't see life in these foods as we do animals. And although the health aspect is present in our minds when considering consumption of such foods, the debate based on life and an animal's basic right is obviously more prominent than a fruit or vegetable's rights.
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