The Moral Risks Of Genetically Modified Foods And Their Countermeasures

In recent years, genetically modified foods (GMF) have developed very rapidly, the number of varieties is increasing, the production scale is also continuing to expand. GMF will bring a new dawn for the human in relieving food crisis, improving food quality and protecting the ecological environment. However, GMF hide a lot of moral risks from research, production, transmission and market, such as the disrespect for life, the violation for consumer’s right of informed choice, the threat for justice and so on. It is not hard to see there is a big conflict between the GMF and morality, and morality is facing a huge challenge. Therefore, how to reflect the GMF correctly and guide them toward the benefits to human becomes a theoretical and practical significance of the subject.In order to deeply analysis the moral risks of GMF, we not only make a concrete analysis of its background and reasons, but also put forward corresponding countermeasures. This paper is discussed from the following parts:The first part, introduction. This chapter explains the selected topic basis and the significance, reviews the research progress made by scholars both at home and abroad concerning the related problems of GMF, clarifies structure and research methods, summarizes the innovations and the deficiency.The second part, overview of GMF. This chapter begins with the definition of GMF, outlines the global development of GMF, analyses the safety of GMF from two sides, so as to form a comprehensive and objective understanding of it.The third part, moral risks of GMF. Based on a basic understanding of the second part about GMF, this chapter analyses the moral risks of GMF from the life, the right of informed choice and the justice.The fourth part, the cause of the moral risks of GMF. This chapter specifically analyses the possible reasons of GMF’s moral risks from the uncertainty of transgenic technology, the drive of economic interests, and the faultiness of Law and morality using the basic theory and method of ethics.The fifth part, the countermeasures to deal with the moral risks of GMF. This chapter, being the last part of the paper, is an attempt to put forward specific countermeasures to deal with these risks based on the four parts, to help people have a correct comprehension and use of GMF, and effectively promote the harmonious development between GMF, human, social and natural environment.GMF are similar to other high technologies, their development is always accompanied with the scientific controversy and ethical debate. The scientific and ethical workers should lead people to keep rational attitude towards GMF. GMF’s development needs freedom, but we should not take the freedom as an excuse to violate the moral. Conversely, we should also not take the moral as an excuse to hinder the GMF’s development. We should take a dialectical perspective to analyze the development of GMF, and must carry out the moral considerations to the development of GMF and try to find a balance point between them in analyzing the many benefits of GMF. In short, with regard to GMF, we should be bold in innovation and be cautious in promotion to realize the harmonious development between GMF, human, social and natural environment.