The Real and Perceived Risks of Genetically Modified Organisms – With a View on Changing Policy Following Brexit
II.
BACKGROUND
II.I. GENETIC MODIFICATION i.
What is Genetic Modification?
Genetic modification techniques are based on the principle that all measurable traits in a living organism (e.g., height, weight, yield, fat content, stress resistance) are regulated by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. To increase the output of any favourable trait, it is possible to modify the environment in which an organism is grown (e.g., application of fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics). Or it is possible to modify the genetic material of the organism itself: the genes that control traits such as a plant’s grain size or the muscle-to-fat ratio of livestock. Genetic modification of crops and livestock for human consumption is a practice that has been performed for centuries across the globe, with the aim of increasing productivity and resistance to disease, to ensure food security. The traditional method for genetic modification of crops and animals is selective breeding, which relies on the mating of two different plant or animal varieties to generate genetic variation. During the last 30 years, unprecedented advances in genomics and biotechnology have resulted in the development of new methods to genetically modify crops and livestock without resorting to breeding. Here, we describe the most widespread forms of genetic modification available in the 21st century (innovative and traditional) and we address the potential risks and benefits associated with each technique. ii.
Traditional Approaches to Genetic Modification
Breeding techniques are based on the principle of genetic recombination, for which the offspring of two individuals that undergo sexual reproduction will be a unique rearrangement of its two parental genomes. Complex eukaryotic organisms such as plants or animals contain thousands of genes: for example, the genome of rice (Oryza sativa) is estimated to contain around
The Wilberforce Society Cambridge, UK
www.thewilberforcesociety.co.uk
6
March 2021
