Daniela Silva Juliana Gomes Ana Duarte 11ºB GM FOODS Benefits of GM Foods Index Introduction Taste and Nutritional Value Approval and safety of GM Food for consumption Increase in food production Production costs Pest and disease resistance Impact on health and environment Curiosities Conclusion Introduction This presentation consists in defending our position on GM foods, so we will present several benefits of these foods in the present times. Taste and Nutritional Value Genetic modification increases the nutritional value and improves the taste of food. Consequently, in the future people will be able to achieve the same nutritional value by eating less food and avoiding the use of injections to replenish those values. The World Food Program estimates that 821 million people worldwide are malnourished. An example of malnutrition is the lack of vitamin A that causes blindness in childhood. The colors of the food stimulate the brain so that there are different flavors according to each color. It is safe to eat food from GM crops? Yes. There is no evidence that a plant is dangerous only because it is genetically modified. This was the clear answer given by the Royal Society (British Academy of Sciences). All GM products have to undergo a process rigorous safety assessment by a competent authority (in Portugal by ASAE). Increase in food production Since 1996, GM crops have been increasingly cultivated and consumed worldwide. GM crops are grown mainly outside Europe and in more and more countries in the developing world. As the world's population increases to 10 billion people by 2050, we will have to increase food production in developing countries. to 60%. Production costs GM crops help farmers increase agricultural income, which reduces prices for consumers. Also thanks to genetic engineering farmers can grow their food in dry regions or in poor soils. So producers save money on pesticides and herbicides, in fossil fuels that are reduced to increase productivity. Pest and disease resistance Food can produce its own pesticide, just as modified plants are more resistant to insect-borne diseases. The reasoning usually involves making crops more resistant to disease as they grow. Researchers design products to be more nutritious or tolerant to herbicides and pesticides. Today, most GM crops produced commercially have improved characteristics for herbicide tolerance, insect resistance or both (cumulative multiple characteristics). Impact on health and environment These genetically modified foods have undoubtedly improved the impact on the environment and health. The researchers caused farmers to reduce the harvest while preserving the soil, reducing erosion, runoff and, ultimately, carbon emissions. Genetically modified foods have a longer shelf life with the proper natural qualities of the food itself, not harming our health. Curiosities • A first curiosity is that there are already some GM foods, such as a purple tomato and a pink pineapple that are considered tastier than the original ones. • In 1994, the "flavr savr" tomato became the first genetically modified food to be approved for public consumption by the US food and drug administration. The tomato has been genetically modified to increase its firmness and extend its shelf life. • The last curiosity tells us that it is estimated that 94% of soy and 92% of corn grown in the USA are genetically modified and about 75% of processed foods in the USA contain GM ingredients. Conclusion To conclude, in our opinion we are completely in agreement with the production, industrialization and consumption of these GM foods, due to the benefits it brings to farmers, to the environment and to health. Over the years, the industrialization of these foods as well as their consumption will gradually increase. Of course, this whole process has to have a contribution from people. Together we will help the planet mainly in terms of reducing pollution.