Genetically Modified Foods

The technology in which a gene(s) is moved between unrelated species has been termed ‘genetic transformation,’ ‘gene technology,’ or ‘genetic engineering.’ Its result is a ‘genetically modified (GM) organism.’ The principal GM food crops grown commercially to date are herbicide-tolerant and insecticide-producing soybean, maize, and canola (oilseed rape), but the technology has been, or is in the process of being, used in a variety of other crop species with a view to improving levels of resistance to diseases and tolerance of abiotic stress, as well as to enhance the nutritional content of the end product (sometimes termed ‘biofortification’). This article describes the key purpose of GM technology, the main types of GM food currently on the market, the geographic spread of GM crop cultivation, and the global volume of GM crop production. It also addresses some of the major concerns surrounding the safety of the technology and the possible environmental hazards associated with the production and consumption of GM foodstuffs.