Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Ban all GM
foods.
Yes
Is there
evidence
that GM
food is
harmful to
consumers?
Are these
studies
credible in the
scientific
communities?
Can the country
operate
sufficiently without
permitting any
GM food to be
sold?
Is this ban
permitted
under WTO
regulations?
Europe would
like to ban all
GM food.
Yes
Yes
Yes
Do not
proceed with
ban.
Do not
proceed with
ban.
Do not
proceed with
ban.
No
No
No
No
Do not
proceed with
ban.
Figure 8.2-4 Decision flow chart for GM food in Europe.
impact might research and marketing on these species
have on society, such as threats to health? Second, what
are the ethical considerations needed on behalf of the
creatures themselves? We address the first issue next in
discussing GM food. The second is predominantly about
animals. For example, is it ethical to modify a monkey so
that its fur glows in the dark?
One issue with transgenic species is about who bene-
fits. For example, Harvard University modified the ge-
netic structure of a mouse, known as the ''oncomouse,''
to produce a human cancer in the animal. From an an-
thropocentric viewpoint, this can be justified so long as it
helps to advance cancer research, but it does not stand
against a biocentric view or even a deontological view if
one considers the protection of lower sentient species
obligatory. It is also an example of bioprospecting, as
Harvard has sought protection of their ownership of the
oncomouse genetic information.
Based on these studies, the European Union an-
nounced a ban on all GM crops. At the end of 2002, the
ban was lifted, but producers were forced to label all GM
goods with a special DNA sequence that identified the
origin of the crops. This made it easier for regulators to
spot contaminated crops and feed. Later, in June 2003,
the European Parliament agreed upon a UN biosafety
protocol regulating the international trade of GM food.
This protocol allows countries to ban the importation of
GM organisms. However, there must be credible evidence
about the dangers of the product. This protocol, therefore,
states that goods developed from new technologies should
be regulated based on the precautionary principle.
A number of factors surround GMOs. The safety and
welfare of consumers appear to be the biggest concern.
The European nations feared that their inhabitants would
experience sicknesses similar to the mad cow epidemic
(bovine spongiform encephalopathy). However, GM
crops could lead to future discoveries in other fields. It is
possible that certain technologies could be first tested on
crops before animals, or that methods for altering plant
genetics could be transferable to humans and/or animals.
Opportunity costs, such as precautions slowing possible
improvements in health, need to be considered. En-
hanced nutritional value, disease prevention, and other
health-related positive outcomes should be considered.
Another possible negative outcome that should be in-
vestigated is the effects of the crops on the environment.
Will new plant species interrupt predator-prey balances
or be opportunistic, nuisance species?
A flow chart (
Figure 8.2-4
) shows the decision-making
process in this case. At the beginning, Europe would like
to ban the GM food. So, they approach their first ques-
tion: Is there evidence to support such an action? The
Food
The European Union has taken a number of recent actions,
many precautionary, to address GMOs. These actions can
be treated as a bioethical case. In 1999, a four-year ban on
all GM crops was the result of several studies indicating
that GM food could be harmful to humans. One study of
the effects of GM potatoes on the digestive tract of rats
found that there were large differences between the in-
testines of rats fed GM potatoes and those fed unmodified
potatoes.
28
Other studies have indicated that introducing
a new gene to a plant could create new allergens or cause
reactions in susceptible people (e.g., a gene from peanuts
transferred to soybeans could cause those allergic to
peanuts to have reactions when they eat soybeans).
