Genetically modified Genetically modified plantsplants

Istituto Tecnico Statale Istituto Tecnico Statale ““Enrico Mattei”Enrico Mattei” DECIMOMANNUDECIMOMANNU

ITALIAITALIA

COMENIUS - HELP2012-1-RO1-COM06-22185 5

Whatever happens to the Earth it happens to the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon

the ground, they spit upon themselves.

qu.: Capriolo Zoppo

What are GMOs?   Genetically modified plants, more

commonly called GMOs, are plants in which the DNA has been modified with genetic engineering techniques, in order to prepare improvements or modifications of one or more characteristics.

Scientific advances in the field of molecular biology have certainly a great potential to better understand the biological mechanisms and provide new drugs, but can not be used as an excuse for transforming the environment into a giant open-air laboratory for commercial purposes.

GMOGMOSS ADVANTAGESADVANTAGES

FOR FARMING: GMOs improve the taste and quality of the

products and reduce the times of growth; They introduce new products and methods of

cultivation.

FOR ANIMALS: GMOs increase productivity, resistance to

diseases and improve the quality of the food; They increase production of meat, eggs and milk;  They improve the health of the animals.

FOR THE ENVIROMENT: Conservation of soil, water and energy and

better management of natural waste.

FOR THE SOCIETY: Increased chance of guaranteed food for

growing populations

GMOGMOSS DISADVANTAGESDISADVANTAGES

FOR HEALTH

Potential impact on human health, with the loss of biodiversity, of flora and fauna

FOR THE ACCESS AND THE MORAL PROPERTIES

• Economic domination of the world's food production by a few companies;

•  Increasing dependence on industrialized nations and foreign exploitation of natural resources.

FOR ETHICS:•Violation of values in natural organisms•Objection in planting animal genes in plants and vice versa•Stress for the animals

Do GMOs solve the problem of world hunger?According to the producers, the food emergency can be perfectly met by the transgenic plants. Biotechnology will provide plants that produce more, and can be grown on not very welcoming soil, in order to have lower harvest losses.

What are the effects of GMOs on human health ?

.The answer is not reassuring, nor frightening either.We simply do not have sufficient data yet to answer this question. There are a lot of data on the damage caused by pesticides sprayed on crops, but the effects of GMOs are still unknown.

genetically modified foods can cause allergies, cancer, new diseases and other unknown and unpredictable effects on our body.

There are not obvious differences between transgenic plants and traditional plants, nor even between GM foods and foods not made with genetically modified food.

Labelling The European Union guarantees the traceability and labelling of genetically modified organisms and products derived from such organisms, all along the food chain.

The European Union has two main The European Union has two main objectives:objectives:

To inform consumers through mandatory To inform consumers through mandatory labelling, giving them freedom of choice;labelling, giving them freedom of choice;

To create a "safety net" through traceability of GMOs at all stages of their manufacture and marketing.

The Regulation is applied to:The Regulation is applied to:

- All products with GMOs content or - All products with GMOs content or made by them; made by them; - To food and feed produced from - To food and feed produced from GMOs.GMOs.

ITALY SAYS NO Even if not in the whole Italian territory we are against GMOs, we can say that Italy is not a GMOs country.Not surprisingly, in July 2013, Italian government imposed a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified corn, already approved by the EU.

Harmony for Earth, for Life, for People..