For years, scientists have been manipulating the DNA or genetic of crops to improve the

taste and to increase the growth production. Genetically modified crops are those that have been

created from organisms that have had distinct alterations brought into their DNA using genetic

engineering. This action has raised some concern among consumers that question if genetically

modified crops are safe for human consumption, and if they are environmentally friendly.

Nutritionists believe that genetically modified crops are safe for human consumption. Agriculture

experts also believe that genetically modified crops help to reduce the use of herbicides and other

chemicals that are harmful to the environment, and it adds more nutritional value to the crops

which later help in building immune system for human. Although nutritionists and agriculture

experts claim that genetically modified crops are safe for human consumption besides being

environmentally friendly, its genetic alteration may bring harm to human body’s tolerance to it and

the production of genetically modified crops affects the environment directly.

Nutritionists argue that genetic engineering adds more nutritional value to crops, and this

in return enables the body to build its immune system. Genetically modified crops are reported to

be high in nutrients, as well as contain more minerals and vitamins than those found in traditionally

grown foods. This seems like good news for the food industries; however, a little-known fact about

genetically modified crops is that it is also one of the causes of food allergy or food intolerance to

human body. It is believed that the consumption of these crops which contain new type of protein

is able to produce unpredictable allergenic effects that immune to antibiotics. According to Butler

and Reichhardt (2017), the conveyed protein on genetically modified bean plants that were

produced to increase the amount of cysteine and methionine was rejected because it is highly

allergenic. Therefore, genetically modified crops are not always the best and the safest option for

human consumption despites its added nutritional value.

 Other than nutritional values, pest resistance is also an issue with GM crops. Farmers

believe that genetically modified crops reduce the use of herbicides and other chemicals that are

harmful to the environment. This is because genetically modified crops have been altered to have

genetic resistance to herbicides and chemical substances. This act specifically enables effective

chemical control of weeds. This may be true to some plants; however, in most cases, genetically

modified crops can be the mediator in transferring genes such herbicides tolerant traits into the

wild plants. This results in the creation of more weeds that require high number of herbicides to

treat which eventually cause contamination towards the environment. For example, the

development of resistant weed populations in the field was the result from the flow of genetic from

crops to other related species such as weeds. This situation demands the farmers to use a greater

number of herbicides that may be harmful to the surrounding ecosystem. Furthermore, the

application of herbicides increases by the mass development of herbicide tolerant weeds which

directing to a “pesticide treadmill” that has negative effects on the environmental and human

health (Canadian Biotechnology Action Network [CBAN], n.d.). Hence, the idea of genetically

modified crops looks promising on the surface, but its implementation may bring more harm to

the environment instead of protecting it.

In conclusion, genetically modified crops are the area of biotechnology which concerns

itself with the manipulation of the genetic material in plants, enabling them to perform specific

functions that may result in different outcomes to the environment and human health. Crops

developed through genetic alteration could have unintended environmental consequences and

unprecedented threats to human health. Therefore, monitoring and detection methods on genetic

modified crops are vital for risk assessment and management to control the negative

environmental and human health impacts. Application of the precautionary approach provides

avenues for future development and the use of genetic engineering.