What are the three main social issues regarding GM crops?

Question

What are the three main social issues regarding GM crops?

Answer 1

1) People freak out when you tell them something is "genetically modified". They think that there is something horrific or unhealthy about tampering with nature but neglect the fact that all the crops we eat have been tampered with and genetically modified. The only difference is the traditional crops were genetically modified thousands of years ago by selective breeding. They bear little resemblance to the native plants that they were derived from.

The other issues that are raised don't seem to make sense.

2) Economic - poor farmers will not be able to afford to grow them.  Well, that is a farce. The only reason to grow them would be that the overall profit from growing them is greater than the profit from growing non GM crops. It would cost more for seed but you save money on pesticide or don't lose crops to frost (or whatever the GM benefit is). Why this economical advantage would only apply to large corporate farmers and not small farmers, I don't know. And if it doesn't, you can still grow your own non-GM plants.

3) Environmental - People say it will be bad for the environment. But traditional agriculture is already an incredibly destructive activity - resulting in the draining of wetlands, cutting of forrests, elinimation of native plants, displacing of animals, spraying of pesticides, erosion of topsoil and polution of waterways.

Now it is possible that introduction of plants that are toxic to insects would cause the selection of super resistant insects. But widespread spraying of pesticides does the same thing PLUS poisons other creatures that aren't eating the crops.

Answer 2

One would be religious issues. If animal genes were placed in plants, it would violate the rules for vegetarians. The same goes with pork genes in crops for Muslims and cow genes for Hindus.

Another would be the fear of the genes spreading to weeds. If pollen grains from herbicide-resistant GM crops interbreed with weeds, it would create a superweed that would create more problems than before.

GM crops can also lead to imbalances in food webs. Some crops are inserted with genes that are able to fight off its predators. This would create a sharp decline in the population of the predators and can lead to chain reactions down the food chain.

Answer 3

social issues?

where do i begin as 2 why GM crops are a bad bad idea?

GM food crops contaminate localised crops,

they stop the chance of saving the best seed, 2 grow the next crop.

consumption of GM foodstuffs, cause health problems in animals, why would any1 want GM foods?

The US intend 2 replace their world dominance with Oil, that made them rich 4 GM seeds & food.

no seeds,

no food.

the concept frightens the h**l outta me.

the fact that consumption has been deemed unsafe, makes u wonder what will become of the Farming industry if all seed has 2 b brought year on year.

it'll b a nice lil earner, won't it?

& last i heard Monsanto have the same amount of billions as Exxon has, enough money 2 stamp out & discourage any negative or unhelpful anti-GM attitude that any right minded person may have!