Today's world is on the constant, ongoing search for advancements, never satisfied with today's prosperity when there is still a prospect that tomorrow holds better. Genetic modification is overtaking the food industry, and the question of whether this is truly beneficial or not is an ongoing debate.

Advantages

1. Resistance

Genetic engineering creates disease and drought resistant plants that require less environmental resources (MedlinePlus) and are able to live longer because of the reduced risk of disease and drought and subsequently ensure greater profit.

2. Economic Potential

Genetic engineering leads to substantially lower costs for both consumer and producer – because the organisms become more resistant to factors that cause crop death, one can see subsequent higher yields and a lower rate of crop loss. Without genetic modification, crop deaths would otherwise cause a loss in profit because of wasted division of money on those crops.

3. Attractiveness

Attractiveness goes to the benefit of both the consumer and producer - genetic modification allows for foods with a larger array of desirable traits (ie: more attractive food or tastier food that enforces greater consumer consumption). Consumers are more satisfied and these foods may be more suited for the consumer's intentions, and producers see increased profits because of the physical allure that directly targets consumer mentality.

4. Productivity

Genetic engineering can also allow for faster growth rates – through this process, plants/animals mature at a quicker rate, meaning that expansion of production regardless of certain conditions is possible. The increased productivity and subsequent higher yields would save money and ensure profits for the producer.

Now onto the disadvantages, an equally crucial part of the debate.

Disadvantages

1. Allergies

One of genetic modification's largest detracting factors is the fact that the process could cause allergic reactions in animals and humans alike due to the toxicity – the World Health Organization discourages the use of DNA from allergens unless the engineers are able to prove that they won't prompt an allergic reaction, something that isn't always ensured or definite.

2. Nutritional Value

Another risk associated with genetic engineering is the common, subsequent loss of nutritional value within the foods – in many meat products, genetic modification has caused a substantial reduction in the amount of protein as well as a substantial increase in the meat's fat content, both quantifiable and central factors to the reasons behind meat consumption and the nutritional value most seek in meat.

3. Diversity

Genetic modification causes a significant drop in favorable diversity within the yields – generally, the modified organisms dominate over the natural organisms, a consequence that makes the original organisms more vulnerable and risks that genetically modified organisms that contain the risks stated above and below overtake the environment and pose momentous risks for the health and sustainability of the population.

4. Disease

While genetic modification can lead to disease resistant plants, the associated risk is that pathogens/diseases can adapt to genetically modified organisms - this means that GM foods don't complete eliminate the risk of disease and they become resistant. Additionally, cancer is a threat prevalent in genetically modified foods - some say it is caused by mutations in DNA, meaning that introducing new genes through the consumption of GM foods into the body dangerously threatens one's own prosperity for a few advantages that become worthless in the face of life or death. (Medical News Today).