Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are used to treat diseases and produce GMO agricultural products, and while they have positive uses, they are also controversial due to ecosystem disruption and safety concerns. In particular, we need to be aware of the negative impacts that uncontrolled GMOs can have on society and the environment, and consumer protection and management are needed.

The film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has been remade many times. The original film is a novel and was first released in 1968, and since then, there have been a number of sequels and remakes. In particular, 2001’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and the recently released Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, despite their different temporal and spatial settings, both tell the same story of monkeys coming to dominate humans as uncontrolled genetically engineered test subjects for human arrogance and profit. The film’s themes of human superiority and the dangers of uncontrolled technology were highly controversial even at the time.
The reason we feel uncomfortable with the Planet of the Apes story stems from the belief that humans are the only animals with intelligence. This belief leads us to think that animals and nature should be under human control and dominance, so a film about a monkey that escapes human control and threatens humans is bound to be offensive. However, in the modern world, in the pursuit of commercial gain, we are performing uncontrollable genetic modifications that the film warns us about, and we don’t think enough about how they will affect society and the environment.

The evolution of genetic engineering

The beginnings of genetic engineering date back to the mid-20th century. In the 1950s, the structure of DNA was unravelled, revolutionising the life sciences. Then, in the 1970s, genetic recombination technology was developed, which opened up new ways to manipulate genes in organisms by cutting or splicing them with specialised enzymes. This technology was initially limited to the laboratory, but over time, its applications have expanded into disease treatment and agriculture.
There are two main areas where genetic engineering is being used. One is for disease treatment and prevention, and the other is for commercial breeding, represented by genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
In the case of genetic modification for disease treatment and prevention, it is being used to mass-produce insulin for diabetics, mass-produce blood clotting factors for haemophiliacs, and develop vaccines. These techniques have revolutionised the way we treat diseases and have helped save lives, especially because they are often done in highly controlled labs, so there are fewer safety concerns.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), on the other hand, are highly controversial. GMOs are organisms that have had some of their genes altered by combining genes from one organism with another. Typical examples include tomatoes that don’t ripen, beans that don’t die to herbicides, and so on, and they’re mostly found in soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. However, GMOs have raised a number of concerns, including their potential to disrupt environmental ecosystems, genetic contamination, and effects on human health.
Why are genetically modified agricultural products like GMOs so widely used commercially? To answer this question, we must first look at the benefits of GMOs. GMOs have the advantage of being pest-resistant, easy to grow, highly productive, and easy to store for long periods of time. These traits were seen as an important way to mass-produce food, solve hunger, and protect the environment.

The myth of GMOs

However, these benefits of GMOs are highly debatable. The world’s hunger problem is not simply a matter of a lack of food, but of economic inequality and inadequate resource allocation – in fact, as of 2007, global grain production was sufficient, but hunger still existed. The claim that GMOs can reduce the use of herbicides or pesticides is also unrealistic. On the contrary, pesticide use has increased due to the emergence of herbicide-resistant superweeds and pesticide-resistant superbugs.

The dangers of GMOs

Furthermore, GMOs have fatal drawbacks. Firstly, they are not guaranteed to be safe: in a 1998 experiment by Dr Pustai in the UK, rats fed genetically modified potatoes suffered from reduced immune function, shrinking brains, and damage to major organs. Secondly, GMOs are difficult to control once they are grown. If genetically modified crops are released into the wild, they can contaminate ecosystems, which can have effects that are difficult to reverse. Third, they can destroy the diversity of ecosystems. In experiments with genetically engineered trout, there have been reports of genetically modified trout causing the extinction of the common trout.
Despite these dangers of GMOs, we still consume GMO foods for the benefit of multinational corporations. Just as the humans lost control of the monkeys in Planet of the Apes, there may come a day when genetically modified agricultural products that are out of our control could end up wreaking havoc on our society and ecosystems.

Conclusion

That’s why we need to keep GMOs under control. Governments have a responsibility to ensure that GMO foods are clearly labelled and that consumers are fully informed about the risks of GMOs. If GMOs cannot be banned outright, consumers should at least be given the right to know the risks and make choices. Only by spreading this awareness in our society will we be able to prevent the unforeseen consequences of genetically modified agricultural products.