A Companion to the Philosophy of Technology

Genetically Modified Food

Genetically modified (GM) foods are plants and animals that have been altered using recombinant DNA technology which combines DNA molecules from different sources into a single molecule. Advocates of GM crops maintain that they pose neither health nor environmental risks. Critics warn that GM foods were prematurely determined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be no different from conventional foods and thus determined to be GRAS (generally regarded as safe) without having undergone independent safety testing. Critics also warn of potential cross-pollination triggering irreversible genetic contamination. Other critics are concerned that GM seeds are patent-protected, making it illegal for farmers to save and store seeds without paying royalty fees.