GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Modifying the genetic structure of food is not a new concept. For centuries, farmers have improved our food supply by cross-breeding different types of plants or animals to come up with new organisms that would taste better, yield more, and grow in more difficult conditions. The result is thousands of different crops that feed billions of people. But this kind of breeding still relies on the natural reproductive processes of the organisms, where as genetic engineering involves the addition of foreign genes that would not occur in nature.
Benefits
GMOs can offer cheaper food , mature fast and therefore, rein in bigger profits for commercial farmers. Medicine: In 1978 the company Genentech created a bacteria that could produce human insulin. Before that time, people with insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus had to use insulin from the pancreas of animals. GMOs could play a role in the future (for medical treatment).
Disadvantages
Research published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences suggests that consumption of GM corn may contribute to weight gain, liver and kidney problems. Very likely genetically modified ingredients can cause cancer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793308/
Monsanto
Monsanto, a multinational agricultural biotech corporation, has created many types of GMO food plants. One of the most well known is the genetically modified Roundup-Ready Canola (Roundup is a very strong herbicide). Roundup-Ready Canola is an engineered a type of canola to be resistant to Roundup. The problem: Roundup Ready Canola genes spread: Pollination. Monsanto will sue farmers for "patent infringement”: Monsanto claims that they own any life form that contains their Roundup Ready genes ...
Feed the world?
The countries that could benefit most from genetic engineering have benefited the least. "The potential of GM crops to serve the needs of the subsistence farmer is recognized, but this potential remains unfulfilled. No conclusive evidence was found that GM crops have so far offered solutions to the broader socioeconomic dilemmas faced by developing countries."
http://www.falw.vu.nl/en/Images/4_tcm24-29515.pdf
In 2003, the World Bank and the UN initiated a global consultative process with sixty countries and some 400 scientists. The report, also published concluded that GM crops have no role to play in relieving poverty. The report showed that even if GMO crops were able to increase overall yield, the limited number of GMO crop varieties would not reduce food scarcity: crops have to be adapted to local conditions, be supported by local infrastructure, and be within the capacity of the local farmers to implement them. Moreover, the emphasis of some traits through genetic engineering could threaten biodiversity by limiting farmers’ options, forcing them to select from too few varieties. The IAASTD 2008 report on the future of farming did not endorse GM crops, pointing to variable yields, safety concerns, and restrictive patents on seeds that could undermine food security in poorer countries.
http://earthopensource.org/gmomythsandtruths/sample-page/6-feeding-world/6-2-myth-gm-crops-vital-achieve-food-security/
What’s happening? Example: 93 percent of soy grown in the United States is genetically engineered. In USA food companies are not required to let you know whether their products contain GMOs. Europe: The EU directive for labelling genetically modified foods has been in effect since April 2004. Very little has changed throughout most of Europe. Consumers rarely find labels indicating the use of genetic engineering. Anyone who places labels on their GM products risks losses in sales that’s why producers will avoid labelling.
http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/regulation/labelling/92.gmo_labelling_labelled_goods.html
Result: It makes no sense to use GMOs for food production.