Genes and Other Things 4

Task 1: Read the passage below and then make up a title for this part of ‘Genes and other things’.

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Why do some people think genetic engineering is wrong? One reason is people want results fast. More important is that big companies want to make lots of money out of GE.

Most companies like to make lots of money and they like to make it fast. Some don't care much who or what gets trampled on in the process. That's why many people are frightened about GE in the hands of some of the companies that do it. If they could, they'd really like to make sure everyone everywhere is eating food made from GE plants. Then they'd make huge amounts of money because they own the seeds. Once they have changed plants by GE, companies can patent them. This means that any farmer who wants to sow that seed must pay money to the company which owns the patent. It means that the farmer has to buy new seeds every year... He can't save his own seeds any more as farmers have done since the start of farming. The company, not the farmer, then has control over who grows what food. Many poor farmers won't be able to afford to buy the seed.

But GE is a risky business and nobody knows - nobody! - what will happen if most people end up eating GE food most of the time. Nor does anybody know what effect growing all these plants with funny genes will have on other plants or animals over time. Maybe nothing will happen - or nothing much. Or maybe people and other living things will get ill and die. Nobody knows for sure.

Why the rush? The companies say they want to feed all the world's starving people, but not everybody believes them. Few companies want to give money away - which is what they'd have to do to feed the starving. Hungry people have no money to buy food or land to grow it on. That is why they're hungry. Not because there isn't enough food. Many people think the companies are in a hurry because they want to make money fast. This is very dangerous because the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) they are already growing and getting us to eat have simply not been tested properly. If they could all agree to slow down while proper tests go ahead, everyone would be much happier.

Task 2: List the reasons why some people think GE is wrong.
Task 3: Do you agree that these reasons are wrong?
Task 4: What advice does the passage give?

all the texts in 'Genes and Other Things' were adapted from http://tiki.oneworld.net/genetics/home.html


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