What are genetically modified organisms?

This video outlines what genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are, why they are used and the pros and cons of using them. It also highlights the social, political and economic factors that are involved with the use of GMOs.

This video was made by 4DM3 students Atika Qavi, Jesse Sidhu, Kamran Badalov, and Ashish Mathews.

Copyright McMaster University 2017.

Please let us know how you liked this video and if you have additional questions for us to attempt to demystify below.

References:

[popeyegordon]

A new study on the increase in the heath of farmers since GMO crop science has become wide spread:
Peer reviewed and published 27 September 2019
"GM crops, particularly Bt cotton, has resulted in significant reductions in pesticide poisoning cases due to reduced applications and reduced levels of insecticide exposure. Reductions in farmer pesticide poisonings have been quantified in China, India, Pakistan and South Africa. Often cases of pesticide poisoning are not formally reported to health centers and the results on pesticide poisoning may be underestimated due to the lack of reporting. In South Africa, farmers reduced pesticide applications from 11.2 per year to 3.8, with reported cases of pesticide poisoning declining from over 50 per year to less than 10 over the first four years of Bt cotton adoption (Bennet et al. 2003). One-third of non-Bt cotton farmers in China reported cases of pesticide poisoning, compared to 9% of Bt cotton producing farmers (Hossain et al. 2004). Assessing the health impacts in India, reveals a reduction in cases of pesticide poisoning of 2.4 – 9 million cases per year (Kouser and Qaim 2011). Cumulatively, since 2003, when Bt cotton was first commercialized in India, a minimum of 38 million fewer instances of pesticide poisoning have occurred, with an upper potential of 144 million. Farmers in Pakistan growing non-Bt cotton reported up to seven instances of pesticide poisoning in the growing season with 35% reporting no instances, versus Bt cotton farmers reporting up to six poisonings with 45% reporting none (Kouser and Qaim 2013). A medical assessment of 246 Chinese farmers, involving 35 health indicators, found that fungicides associated with the production of non-Bt cotton had linkages to damaged liver function, while the insecticides used in non-Bt cotton production may be associated with severe nerve damage (Zhang et al. 2016). The use of non-glyphosate tolerant crops was found to likely reduce renal function and decrease serum folic acid.
CHANGES IN FARMER SUICIDES
Mental health challenges and issues affect all walks of life and economic sectors, with agriculture being no different. Access to sufficient mental health resources can be problematic within the agriculture sector due to rural areas, remote locations and lack of access to mental health support systems. Unfortunately, suicide is a concern in agriculture. India has one of the highest suicide ratesin the world and research has examined the relationship between farmer suicide and the adoption of GM cotton. Research examining the relationship between farm suicide and Bt cotton adoption revealed a plateauing of the suicide rate following the commercialization of Bt cotton (Gruère and Sengupta 2011). Farmer suicides were trending upward from 15, 000 per year, peaking in 2004, the year after Bt cotton
was first commercialized in India. By 2007, the actual suicide rate was 25% below the extrapolated suicide rate. Cumulatively, the reduced rate of suicide associated with the adoption of Bt cotton represents the prevention of a minimum of 75, 000 farmer suicides.
LOWERING CANCER INCIDENCES
The development of insect resistant crop varieties has begun to have a noticeable potential to improve human health through the reduction of cancer rates. Prior to the commercialization of Bt crops, maize in particular, insect damage to the harvested crop increased the potential for the development of harmful health effects. A study of 21 years of maize production quantified that Bt maize contained lower concentrations of mycotoxins (29%), fumonisins (31%) and thricotecens (37%) (Pellegrino et al. 2018). Mycotoxins are both toxic and carcinogenic to humans and animals and are considerably more concerning in developing economy food systems where access to food safety toxicity tests are less prevalent. Fumonisins are correlated to being the cause of higher rates of neural tube defects in high maize-based diets (Missmer et al. 2006). With food security challenges existing in many developing countries corn containing mycotoxins are consumed as part of the household diet due the lack of any other option.
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS

[popeyegordon]

This is total crap. Fear mongering. There are no GMO tomatoes sold for 15 years now. Some dishonest liar placed a 'GMO' sticker on an ordinary tomato.

[citygalmelanieproductions]

Omg! 🤮 everyone has to be a star and they suck! 🤣