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The
main concern with pharming is to do with the possibility of accidental cross-pollination
between transgenic plants or the cross-breeding of transgenic animals with
natural breeds of its kind. There is always a risk that plants designed for
producing pharmaceuticals could have its pollen spread and fertilize natural
crops leading to the destruction of the crops and a danger of illnesses if it
goes by unnoticed. If pharming operations are not conducted in controlled
environments, the health risks that it poses if it ends up in the normal supply
of crops intended for human consumption are considerably dangerous. Likewise,
there is a possibility that transgenic animals could escape from pharming
laboratories or farms and could end up affecting breeds farmed for human
consumption.
The
fear of accidental cross breeding is not unreasonable, as there is a risk that
it could lead to a disruption in the natural order of the ecosystem. An
introduction of a modified gene from a transgenic organism could be disastrous,
leading to the possibilities of mutations, diseases and the damage it could
have to the environment.
The
ethics of pharming by environmentalists and animal rights’ supporters alike
have not failed to have been questioned, as they argue the appropriate usage of
animals in biopharming. Concerns for the treatment of animals in whether they
are regarded as simply “vessels” which are used to deliver humans drugs for
their own benefit is a debate more related to the philosophical side of the
issue. It is unlikely that opposition of transgenic animals and pharming will
succeed to overcome the advances and support for this new technology, however
opposition is always opposition and it continued protests or support against
biopharming could lead to slower advancements.
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