Genetically modified organisms (GMO) - an organism whose genotype is artificially modified by genetic engineering techniques. Changes have been made deliberately, for example, in the case of crops - increasing productivity, improving the taste and nutritional value of foods, resistance to pests, etc.
In 2015, genetically modified crops amounted to 99% in the United States crop harvested sugar beets, soybeans 94%, 94% cotton and 92% corn fodder.
In the world of 12% of all arable land occupied by GM crops.
Since the 1970s, scientists studying the potential risks associated with the use of GMOs. To clarify this issue, the American Academy of Sciences, Technology and Medicine organized the most extensive study to date of almost 900 scientific articles published over the past 30 years, on the impact of GM crops on human health and the environment. Analysis of the articles lasted two years, a committee of 50 scientists, researchers and experts on agriculture and biotechnology. The document criticized 26 independent experts.
And finally the work is finished: May 17th 400-page report published in the public domain, and all the accompanying documents - on a specially created website.
According to the results of research in hundreds of scientific papers found no signs of the negative impact of the products of GM crops on human health. Eating foods from GM crops did not correlate with the disease of cancer, obesity, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, kidney disease, autism and allergies. Do not set the long-term increase of the incidence after mass distribution of food products from GM crops in the US and Canada in 90 years.
Moreover, it found certain evidence of the positive impact of GMOs on human health due to the reduction in the number of insecticide poisoning and improve the vitamins of the population of developing countries.
In addition to health effects, two more important aspects of the use of GMO crops have been carefully analyzed: it's impact on the environment and the importance for farmers.
"The use of insect resistant and herbicide crops does not reduce the overall diversity of flora and fauna, and insect-resistant culture sometimes increase it" - this conclusion of the study in terms of the impact of GMOs on the environment.
One of the common concerns about GMOs, artificial genes that penetrate into the wild, too, turned out to be groundless. Although research has shown that this process is possible, but it was not possible to detect any adverse effects of the gene transfer.
In the end, the study of productivity and profitability of farms, too, did not reveal any alarming trends. Corporations sell GM crops to farmers at a premium price, and forbid them to breed on their own, because they are protected by patents. But the losses are more than offset by increased yields and other benefits that farmers receive.
Scientists can not find at least some signs of harm to GM, but public opinion is still negatively perceives genetic engineering. Most of the population of the USA, EU, Russia and other countries fear that products with GMOs are a threat to health. This delusion is actively used by food manufacturers to promote their products c labeled "GMO", including table salt and other foods that are not related to genetically modified crops. This mark was the marketing tool of differentiation in the market.
Regulators and legislators are forced to listen to public opinion, so that until now the use of GMOs in agriculture rather rigidly regulated.