Genetic EngineeringGenetic Engineering

I. Impact in Medicine and AgricultureI. Impact in Medicine and Agriculture

II. Ethical and Safety ConcernII. Ethical and Safety Concern

I. Impact in Medicine and I. Impact in Medicine and AgricultureAgriculture

Impact in MedicineImpact in Medicine

Corrects genetic defect that is either Corrects genetic defect that is either inherited of acquiredinherited of acquired

Strict regulationsStrict regulations - to ensure inhibition of - to ensure inhibition of release of GE organisms into the release of GE organisms into the environmentenvironment

DrugsDrugs – produced under contained – produced under contained industrial conditionsindustrial conditions

Impact in MedicineImpact in Medicine

GE organismsGE organisms – for potential therapy are – for potential therapy are crippled to inhibit reproduction in the crippled to inhibit reproduction in the environment should they accidentally environment should they accidentally escapeescape

New Drug/Therapy producedNew Drug/Therapy produced – undergo – undergo extensive pre-clinical and clinical trialsextensive pre-clinical and clinical trials

- to assess efficacy and detect - to assess efficacy and detect undesirable side effectsundesirable side effects

Impact in AgricultureImpact in Agriculture

Repairs something which has nothing Repairs something which has nothing inherently wrong with itinherently wrong with it

GE organismsGE organisms – produced for intentional – produced for intentional release into the environment (rarely release into the environment (rarely crippled to prevent reproduction)crippled to prevent reproduction)

Health risks of GE foodHealth risks of GE food – assessed – assessed biochemically and in short-term feeding biochemically and in short-term feeding trials with animalstrials with animals

Impact in AgricultureImpact in Agriculture

RegulationsRegulations – (+90%) containing GE – (+90%) containing GE derived ingredients need not be labeled derived ingredients need not be labeled

Post-release monitoringPost-release monitoring – is nonexistent – is nonexistent

* Contrasting the use of * Contrasting the use of Genetic Engineering in Genetic Engineering in

Medicine and AgricultureMedicine and Agriculture

• Largely the sameLargely the same

• Different sets of rulesDifferent sets of rules

• The inherent, unpredictable component The inherent, unpredictable component largely appreciated and addressed in largely appreciated and addressed in medical applicationsmedical applications and is not same in and is not same in food productionfood production..

II. Ethical Considerations II. Ethical Considerations and Safety Concernsand Safety Concerns

Ethical ProtestsEthical Protests

Violation of species integrityViolation of species integrityAttention to the suffering of individual Attention to the suffering of individual

animalsanimalsMoral repugnanceMoral repugnance – animals as patentable – animals as patentable

“manufactures and compositions of “manufactures and compositions of matter”matter”

Debasement of nonhuman animalsDebasement of nonhuman animals – – human property, lacking value and claims human property, lacking value and claims in their own rightin their own right

Moral ConsiderationsMoral Considerations

Animals denied possession of a soul, Animals denied possession of a soul, reason, or some other vaunted human reason, or some other vaunted human quality, and used without apology.quality, and used without apology.

Environmental MovementEnvironmental Movement

Animals - be given a respectful status Animals - be given a respectful status

Animal agriculture – ecologically inefficient Animal agriculture – ecologically inefficient and ethically obsceneand ethically obscene

Farm animalsFarm animals

Nomally abandoned by our cultureNomally abandoned by our culture

Treated with greater contempt and neglect than Treated with greater contempt and neglect than other classes of animalsother classes of animals

Stripped away of birthrights and earthrightsStripped away of birthrights and earthrights

Poutlry – 95% of the 95% of the victimsPoutlry – 95% of the 95% of the victims

““If there’s anything to reincarnation and a If there’s anything to reincarnation and a recycling of souls, with the decreasing recycling of souls, with the decreasing biodiversity in this planet and daily loss of biodiversity in this planet and daily loss of endangered species, the only place one endangered species, the only place one will be able to go if they get recycled into will be able to go if they get recycled into another lifetime is into another human or a another lifetime is into another human or a farm animal.” farm animal.”

- Karen Davis- Karen Davis

Food for thought:Food for thought: