By Vijay Jayaraj with E. Calvin Beisner
Some Christians argue that Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are unsafe because they are unnatural. I’d like to challenge that thinking. I think every Christian should welcome genetically modified (GM) crops as God’s gift to the world – especially to the poor.
Here are some reasons to welcome GM crops in our quest to end hunger and poverty.
The godly beginnings of plant genetics
Humans, using our God-inspired ingenuity, have been modifying wild crops into domesticated ones for several thousand years.
Gregor Mendel (1822–1884) is known as the father of genetics. He discovered how genetic inheritance enables the transmission of characteristics from parents to progeny. His experiments with the humble pea plant revolutionized humanity’s understanding of God’s creation. As an Augustinian monk, Mendel saw the study of nature and genetics as a means of uncovering the beauty and order inherent in God’s creation.
This revelation helped botanists in the next two centuries to carefully crossbreed plants with desirable characteristics, enabling them to produce more resilient and more nutritious crop varieties. The period from the 1960s to the 1990s witnessed the transformative Green Revolution, spearheaded by breakthroughs in plant breeding and biotechnology.
One of the pioneers of this method was another famous Christian, Norman Borlaug (1914–2009), known as the father of the Green Revolution. Like Mendel’s, Borlaug’s faith compelled him to find ways to improve food crops for the well-being of humankind.
Leaving his comparatively comfortable job in the United States, Borlaug traveled the world experimenting with major food crops such as maize, rice and wheat. He made breakthroughs during his field research spanning decades, giving us crops that have saved billions of lives.
The transition to Genetic Modification
Mendel and Borlaug paved the way for the development of GMOs beginning in the 1990s. This was a milestone in agricultural innovation.
Through biotechnology – gene splicing, manually transferring a specific gene – scientists can introduce desirable traits into crops, such as pest resistance and herbicide tolerance. Genomic research and marker-assisted breeding techniques facilitate the development of crops with enhanced nutritional content and improved adaptability to diverse environments.
What was earlier a tedious process carried out over many generations in the field is now quicker, safer and more efficient. Instead of trying to transfer a trait from one species to another through hybridization – which did yield many excellent results but only over a long time and with many dead ends because there was little control over what traits did and did not transfer – agricultural scientists now achieve genetic modification through gene splicing in which what trait will transfer is far more predictable. The risk of winding up with a “Frankenstein’s monster” – whether plant or animal – is lower, not higher, with modern GM.
GM crops and global food security
GM crops have the potential to significantly increase crop yields, thereby addressing the ever-growing global demand for food. They have enhanced resistance to pests and diseases. This resilience ensures a more robust food supply, reducing crop losses and enhancing productivity, particularly in regions prone to agricultural challenges.
Essential vitamins, minerals and micronutrients are now incorporated into staple crops, improving their nutritional value and addressing widespread deficiencies that afflict vulnerable populations. Vitamin A-fortified golden rice is one example. It has the potential to save millions of children from having severe vision impairment, and some even from death.
With built-in pest resistance or herbicide tolerance, farmers can use GM crops to minimize the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, thus reducing pollution and promoting more sustainable farming practices. Additionally, GM crops can be tailored to require less water, land and fertilizer, mitigating the strain on natural resources and contributing to long-term ecological health.
Myths surrounding the safety of GMOs
The safety of GMOs is a complex issue fraught with misinformation. No crop, natural or modified, is absolutely safe for every person in every circumstance. The appropriate question is not “Are GMOs safe?” but “Are GMOs less safe than natural crops?” Strong evidence, based on plentiful tests, conflicts with claims that they are.
In 2016, over 100 Nobel laureates signed a letter supporting GMOs. Among other things, these eminent scientists said:
“Scientific and regulatory agencies around the world have repeatedly and consistently found crops and foods improved through biotechnology to be as safe as, if not safer than those derived from any other method of production. There has never been a single confirmed case of a negative health outcome for humans or animals from their consumption.”
Similarly, the Board of Directors of the American Association for the Advancement of Science issued a statement in 2012 that said, in part:
“Contrary to popular misconceptions, GM crops are the most extensively tested crops ever added to our food supply. There are occasional claims that feeding GM foods to animals causes aberrations ranging from digestive disorders, to sterility, tumors and premature death. Although such claims are often sensationalized and receive a great deal of media attention, none have stood up to rigorous scientific scrutiny. Indeed, a recent review of a dozen well-designed long-term animal feeding studies comparing GM and non-GM potatoes, soy, rice, corn and triticale found that the GM and their non-GM counterparts are nutritionally equivalent.”
Indeed, GM crops not only are no less safe for humans and animals than non-GM crops, but also, as these scientists continued, “have been shown repeatedly to be less damaging to the environment, and a boon to global biodiversity.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration subjects GMOs to a comprehensive safety evaluation process, including assessment of potential allergenicity, toxicity and nutritional composition. It concluded that GM crops are as safe as non-GM crops. Likewise, Health Canada, the Canadian federal agency responsible for public health, has stated that GMOs approved for sale are safe for consumption. The government of Bangladesh, too, after rigorous testing and assessment, concluded that GM brinjal/eggplant is safe for human consumption and beneficial for farmers. Likewise, the Philippines has approved cultivation and sale of golden rice.
Rigorous safety assessments, science-based regulations and comprehensive evaluation processes justify confidence that GM crops are no less safe than others. It is crucial to rely on evidence-based information and foster informed discussions to harness the potential benefits that GMOs can offer in shaping a more sustainable future.
Biblical basis and why we should promote GMOs
I would offer two arguments for GM crops from the perspective of Christian theology and ethics.
First, believers are called to serve others, promote justice and show compassion. Hunger and malnutrition disproportionately affect the most vulnerable and marginalized populations around the world. GMOs are a powerful tool to meet the escalating food demand and save millions from suffering. GM crops maximize agricultural productivity while minimizing the use of land, water and other resources.
Second, though some people oppose GM crops on the grounds that they are unnatural, Christian theology tells us the opposite. For the Christian, nature is not best untouched by human hands. In this fallen world, subjected to corruption in judgment on Adam’s and Eve’s sin in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3; Romans 8:18–22), it is not true that “Nature knows best.” Rather, in Genesis 1:28, God instructed humankind to “subdue and rule” the Earth and everything in it. Genetic modification is one way to do that. It cannot be rejected solely on the grounds that it is unnatural.
By adopting GM crops, we can also fulfill our duty as stewards of creation by optimizing food production and reducing the strain on our planet’s finite resources.
The principles of stewardship, love for humanity, ethical considerations, environmental sustainability and the pursuit of justice all converge in support of GM technology. By harnessing the potential of GM crops, we can meet the escalating food demand, ensure global food security and save millions from the devastating effects of hunger.
The ability to alter genes has brought solutions to global food security challenges. As faithful stewards of God’s creation, let us work together to embrace GM crops and fulfill our responsibility to nourish the hungry, alleviate suffering, and build a more just and sustainable world. By harnessing the power of science, technology and sustainable practices, we can forge a path towards a more food-secure future for all.
Vijay Jayaraj is a research associate at the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Virginia, and a contributing writer with the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. He holds a master’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, UK, and resides in India.
Content created by the WND News Center is available for re-publication without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!
