Why might some people oppose genetic engineering?

Answer 1

The reasons vary, but generally they involve the belief that the safety of GMO foods has not been proven and/or the belief that more harm is being done to the environment and animal and human health.

Answer 2

People hate genetic modification of foods for a few reasons:

1. They believe that GMOs are bad for a person's health. However, this is entirly false, since gentic modification only involves an organism's DNA, and uses no harsh chemicals.

2. They belive that GMOs are bad for the environment. This claim is also false, for the reasons stated above.

3. They are against genetic modifaction because of their religous beliefs.

Answer 3

Fear, religious beliefs, common sense, or hysteria are a few reasons.

Related Information:

Humans have been genetically engineering plant and animal life by selection, for thousands of years. We just haven't been able to do it as readily or as knowledgeably as we can now.

Some people have religious reservations about the mixing of species. They fear the Inter-specific mixing associated with crop plants, but its use with animal species engenders even greater fear.

Some research suggests that genetically engineered crops might have negative effects on our environment, so there are genuine concerns, based on reasonable fear, that need to be addressed.

Right now, it is not possible to know the long term effects that genetic modifications will have. Even the results of the engineering that we've already done, over the past thousands of years, are poorly understood.

Answer 4

People don't hate GMOs, they just want to know the foods they eat are safe and nutritious. A large percentage of consumers are not convinced transgenic foods are safe or that they are as nutritious as non-GMO foods. Much of this is because of the way GMO foods are approved by government regulatory agencies and corporate influence on the agencies and possible influence on studies conducted on GMO foods.

Answer 5

Those who do not believe GMOs should be used commercially might site one or more of the following, among others:

• Studies have been done by, funded by, and heavily influenced by the companies who create the GMO varieties, leading to questions as to whether the studies are reliable. They call for truly independent studies.
• The federal regulatory agencies are heavily influenced by the biotech industry. They site the example of Michael Taylor, a former attorney who represented Monsanto, being hired by the FDA, as well as other former Monsanto employees' involvement in government positions.
• They question Monsanto and other companies who develop GMOs contributing to many political candidates, representatives, and senators. Asking the question as to whether such contributions influence the judgement of those receiving the contributions.
• They question why science and anecdotal evidence seem to lead to different conclusions about the safety of GMOs and the pesticides used by or created in the GMO plants.
• They point out the evidence that GMO crops has shown that herbicide resistant varieties result in the use of more herbicides and not less as was promised
• The insecticide produced in every cell of Bt plants has resulted in the development of resistance in insects it is designed to target within what they consider a short amount of time.
• The insecticide produced in Bt varieties may be harming insects that are beneficial.
• They site anecdotal evidence that foods created through genetic engineering have negative health effects on people.

Answer 6

some people might think it is unsafe because it hasnt been studied enough or that something coould have been wrong with the artifical materials