GMOs and Non-GMOs: Differences, Pros and Cons

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INTRODUCTION.

Today, genetically modified (GMOs) and non-genetically modified (Non-GMOs) organisms are part of our daily lives and existence. This was not so about five decades ago. The advent of GMOs in the 1970s and their adoption have exponentially grown, heralding new opportunities that can address food production challenges globally. According to the Royal Society, by 1996, just 1.7 million hectares (MHa) were planted with GM crops globally but by 2015, 179.7 million hectares of GM crops were grown. This accounts for over 10% of the world’s arable land.  On the other hand, Genetically Engineered (GE) livestock was first reported in 1985 but only a single GE food animal- the AquAdvantage salmon, has been commercialised since then according to Annual Reviews. Unlike GMOs, non-GMOs have been with us for a very long time as early as agriculture itself and certainly before genetic modification of organisms was discovered. 

According to the National Human Genome Research Institute, a Genetically Modified Organism is a plant, animal, or microbe in which one or more changes have been made to the genome, typically using high-tech genetic engineering, in an attempt to alter the characteristics of an organism. On the other hand, a non-GMO is a plant, animal, or microbe whose genetic makeup or DNA has not been altered or artificially modified in a laboratory to create a product with traits that do not occur in naturally.   In this article, we will be sharing some information about genetically modified and non-genetically modified organisms.

WHY ARE ORGANISMS MODIFIED GENETICALLY?

The fundamental factors that drive the use and adoption of GMOs especially for food production and agriculture are the very challenges that hinders global food and nutrition security. Some of them include:

1. Global population growth: The world’s population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, which is a major pointer to increasing food demand, energy use, and increased industrial activities with feedstock from agriculture. Furthermore, population growth with its attendant human activities is adding more pressure on the resources that produce food. The scenarios of depleting resources for increasing populations demand a solution that can be provided by genetic engineering.

2. Food and Nutrition Security: GMOs have the potential to address hunger and malnutrition in various ways including increased crop yields, improved nutritional content and shorter maturity period for some crops.

3. Climate Change: GMOs can be engineered and designed to be more resilient to extreme weather conditions, flooding, draughts and rising temperatures.

4. Pests and Diseases: GMOs are being designed to resist quite a number of pests and diseases reducing crop losses that have negatively impacted global agricultural production, food supply and availability

Despite these factors, various non-GMO movements (movements that essentially educate consumers and stakeholders in the food industry to help build awareness about GMOs and their impact on our health.) have gained popularity in recent years due to concerns about GMOs’ potential health and environmental impacts. One of their major objectives is to ensure that people have a choice to make when it comes to the utilisation of GMOs. Most of the movements argue that since genetically engineered crops have only been used for a relatively short period, commercially starting in 1994, there is limited research on the potential long-term effects, especially on human health, and the environment. 

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GMOs AND NON-GMOs

Essentially, the under-listed are differences between GMOs and Non-GMOs.

S/No	GMOs	Non-GMOs
1.	GMOs are organisms whose genetic material has been altered through genetic engineering techniques. For example: Bt-potatoes, Bt-corn, Bt-sweet corn, Roundup Ready soybeans, Roundup Ready Corn, and Liberty Link corn.	Non-GMOs foods are those that have not undergone genetic modification through artificial means. They are developed through traditional breeding methods. Non-GMO crops include cucumbers, oranges, spinach, bananas, tomatoes, pepper, etc.
2.	GMO foods have been debated to raise concerns about the long-term effects on human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability.	Non-GMO foods are often perceived as a safer and more natural alternative on human health, biodiversity, and ecosystem stability.
3.	Although they utilise similar cultural practices and tools to non-GMOs, several GM crops are developed for pest resistance or tolerance to certain pesticides and herbicides. For those in these categories, they may require fewer doses of the chemicals.	They utilise varieties of cultural practices, methods, and tools to produce crops. In most cases, they rely on cover crops and crop rotation, fallow system, etc. In most cases, they adhere to laws governing chemical use like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc., and their environmental impacts of cultural practices.

GMO FARMING AND NON-GMO FARMING

There are debates surrounding the advantages of genetically modified based farming operations compared to conventional farming systems. Some of these debates revolve around growth speed, farming convenience, economic factors, environmental factors, and many others. 

The farming systems used for both GMO and non-GMO are typically conventional farming. However, GMO-based conventional farming is quite different from non-GMO-based. This is because of some cultural practices that may not be required for GMO-based farming and also due to the specific genetic makeup of the GMO crop planted. This is an exception for Organic farming- a different perspective to farming altogether that does not use seeds that have been genetically modified, synthetic (human-made) pesticides, or synthetic fertilisers. In all cases, they utilise crop rotation farming practices to improve, and maintain soil quality and use natural pesticides and other organic methods to help their crops grow according to Teach with Fergy. An example is the recent approval of the cultivation of genetically modified Drought- resistant HB4 Wheat in the United States by Bioceres Crop Solutions.

Conventional farming often refers to high-input modern agriculture systems that include the utilisation of synthetic chemical fertilisers, fungicides, insecticides, herbicides, high-yielding cultivars, monoculture, GMO, heavy machinery, intensive tillage, and irrigation. 

Some of the research comparing farming systems has been conducted in the past, while many others are being conducted. A research article by G.C. Rótolo evaluated the costs, benefits, environmental performance, and sustainability of different agricultural methods used in Argentina to produce maize over the last 25 years. The study assessed three different farming systems: traditional, conventional, and genetically modified organism (GMO) based farming within Argentina, and compared those results to Mexico, Brazil, Italy, and the United States. It was discovered that GMO-based maize production did not improve sustainability or crop yield compared to conventional high cropping systems or low intensity systems. When production costs were taken into account, GMO-based farming systems were not as profitable as previously thought. GMO-based farming systems were also found to be less sustainable because they rely heavily on non-renewable resources, contributing negatively to the environment over time. A combination of traditional and conventional farming techniques would yield the same if not better results than GMO farming, and have fewer negative environmental impacts. Traditional farming as represented in this article according to Hamadani et al. refers to primitive methods of farming, which is currently being used by half of the World’s population and involves the application of indigenous knowledge, traditional tools and methods natural resources, organic fertilisers, indigenous knowledge and cultural beliefs of the farmers that have been developed and passed over the years. The use of family labour, and food production for local consumption are major characteristics of traditional farming. Common traditional farming practices include agroforestry, intercropping, crop rotation, cover cropping, traditional organic composting, integrated crop-animal farming, shifting cultivation, and slash-and-burn farming. 

FUTURE PROSPECTS OF GMOs AND NON-GMOs

The pros and cons of GMOs are quite evident with many going against the continuous acceptance of GMOs largely due to environmental and health concerns. However, there is further research into the exploration of GMOs for tackling possible future challenges. According to the National Library of Science, examples of future genetic-engineering approaches to improve plant yield or to increase the efficiency of production include improving nutrient-use efficiency, introducing nitrogen fixation, and re-engineering primary metabolism, particularly increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis. Moreover, the prospects of genetically modified organisms are hinged on the potential to solve many problems related to malnutrition and world hunger. The market forecast value of GMOs by 2031 is US$ 232,352.38 million according to Business Research Insights.

Non-GMOs on the other hand are projected to gain more traction as consumer demands and preferences for natural food products increase. These changes are largely driven by notable increases in the number of health-related issues and raising concerns and awareness of the harmful consequences of eating genetically modified foods. Furthermore, the markets for non-GMOs are also driven by government restrictions on GMO products. The market forecast value of non-GMOs by 2031 is US$ 144,322 million according to Future Market Insights.