http://www.hawaiipapaya.com/rainbow.html
While I strongly believe that the use of GMOs in our food should primarily be based on their effects on human health (in fact, my last post discussed exactly that), there are extraneous factors that need to be considered; one of these factors is the economics of using GMOs. An example of this would be the saving of the Hawaiian papaya industry after the Ringspot Virus was introduced to Hawaii. As a result of the virus, the Hawaiian Papaya industry was almost on the verge of “extinction”. With the introduction of the GMOs, farmers were able to grow papayas that were resistant to the virus, which revitalized the industry. Net exports of Hawaiian papaya are almost up to what they were before the virus even hit. Japan, a country that is openly hesitant towards importing transgenic foods began to import Hawaiian papaya in 2011. While I don’t believe that that an argument in favour of economic prosperity would be viable if there were clear human health defects that result from the consumption of GMOs, a wholesome approach needs to be taken when deciding the future of GMOs.
