Argument 2:

Increased supply of food with reduced cost. Faster growing plants and animals. Food with more
desirable traits. Medicinal foods that could be used as vaccines or other medicines. These are some
of the benefits of GMOs. Do you agree or disagree that GM crops are better than conventional crops?

Increased supply of food with reduced cost, reinforced crops, pest resistance, Faster growing plants,
Food with more desirable traits are some of the benefits of genetically modified crops. But are you
aware of its drawbacks? In terms of health, the environment, biodiversity, and the overall impact on
people, particularly farmers?
Consider the birth of Golden Rice, a genetically modified, biofortified rice that gained popularity in the
1990s. Commercial cultivation of Golden Rice was approved last July 2021. Thus, it is critical to be
informed and cautious about the nature of this sort of crop, as it will be widely released into the
market in 2023 (DA-PhilRice,2021). And it is entirely up to you whether to consume it or stick to
traditional crops. Yet, Everyone must consider if cultivating golden rice will result in more benefit or
more harm.
So, this golden rice differs from regular rice in that it contains beta carotene, which gives it a yellow
color (Golden). This is intended to reduce Vitamin A deficiency (VAD), a health issue in impoverished
places such as the Philippines, India, and Bangladesh. The Department of Agriculture-PhilRice
encourages all Filipinos to switch to Golden Rice due to its many health benefits including clearer
eyesight, healthier skin and effectiveness to control VAD (all brought by vitamin a). Not knowing
its hidden drawbacks towards consumers, or do they simply refuse or ignore the risks linked with it so
people may consume it? That’s the problem for them. They only convince people that these gmo’s
are good and beneficial to humankind, and we return to the suspicion that we are promoting the
interests of the multinational companies instead of trying to safeguard the health of the people which
is very alarming. We are all aware that everything has flaws, and genetically modified organisms are
no exception! Its disadvantages includes:
First is the Allergic reaction. Transferring genes between species is unfavorable because it can
result in adverse reactions. There have been reports of people becoming allergic to GM soybeans
containing Brazilian nut DNA. Similarly, a protein gene capable of killing a common bean pest was
added into pea DNA. This protein's molecular structure was subtly altered in the new organism and
was discovered to trigger allergy reactions in mice. Since Golden Rice contains genes from multiple
organisms, people with pre-existing allergies to these organisms may also be allergic to Golden Rice
(and would eat Golden Rice without knowing the dangers). https://mhsapes.weebly.com/against---
golden-rice.html
Second is GM Contamination. Farmers are deeply concerned about the threat of GM contamination.
If Golden Rice is released in to the environment, it will cause GM rice contamination and affect
traditional, conventional and organic farmers. It is highly likely that rice farmers will lose their markets,
particularly export markets, resulting in significant repercussions on rural livelihoods. If any
hazardous, unexpected effects would develop from GE ‘Golden’ rice, the GE contamination would
affect countries where rice is an essential staple and put people and food security at
risk.https://theecologist.org/2013/dec/28/golden-rice-ignores-risks-people-and-real-solutions
Third is high cost as Philippines is the world-first regulatory approval for commercial propagation for
Golden Rice, it will be priced very competitively once released in 2023, according to DA-PhilRice Dr.
Ordonio in an interview with Food Navigator Asia.
https://www.foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2021/08/16/Philippines-Golden-Rice-price-pledge-GM-
variant-to-boost-vitamin-A-levels-will-be-commercially-competitive-by-2023
Fourth, Antibiotic Resistance.

Yes, it may specifically target the deficiency of vitamin A but does not address the countless
additional social, economic, and cultural factors that contribute to VADs. It is better to be sure than to
be unsure as consumers. Therefore, conventional crops are better compared to GM crops because it
is proven 100% safe and have no preservatives. Although its farming practices are costly, but these
are much safer to eat and maintain its significance to humanity. Always remember all that glitters is
not gold nor benign!