How Do Genetically Engineered Foods Protect The Environment

Agronomists have been working on these problems for years, but the rapid population growth of humans makes overcoming these challenges increasingly urgent. If we can’t feed the world, it will eventually feed on us.” (Newsweek/United Nations) Scientists find a way to add “medicine” to plant genes, which help it withstands pest attacks and drought problems.“Some GMO corn crops can protect harvests in water-limited conditions better than conventionally produced crops. Other GMOs can also promote use of no-till farming, which keeps more moisture in the soil. No-till also enables farmers to make fewer passes through the field using machinery, which means less fuel used and greenhouse gases emitted.”(Monsanto) GMOs are useful for helping with planting crops in any area of the world.

One reason why genetically engineered crops are safe to eat are because they have no harm to the human body. A source that strongly supports my theme is by sciencemag.org they state “There is no report found with the effect on biodiversity or danger from interbreeding wild relatives and genetic engineered crops” (Haspel). If there was a danger in genetic engineered crops then they would not have been world widely used as a source of protection. This is a true statement because

Genetically modified foods can be good and bad for humans and the economy. For example, if you do not cook an genetically modify foods it can cause us humans to become deathly ill. If the soil is not treated before the genetically modified seed is placed into the ground it can damage the soil and the earth around it.

Last but not least, Whitman (2000) also states genetically modified crops are more economical especially to farmers in third world countries because they have higher crop yields in lesser time enabling them to satisfy the high demand for food. Genetically modified crops also take up very little land to grow improving profits for farmers. Because they grow in such short time, the demand for more food in starving countries is more easily satisfied at a lower cost.

Genetically modified crops are an incredibly important issue that everyone should be aware of since it is something we are exposed to at a daily basis. Genetically modified crops also known as GM crops or Biotech crops has been one of the most heated debates of issues within our society. The debate about the safety, concerns and disadvantages of GM crops have raged since the mid 1990 's but this is due to the lack of knowledge of the general public. Many people are unaware of what the GM crops actually are and what they offer. Genetically modified crops are plants that are used in the agriculture and have been modified to initiate a new trait to plants that does not happen naturally in the species. These plants are modified using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits. GM crops are made when genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another.() There are many methods used for the production of GM crops but the two primary used for plant insertion are gene guns and agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are also three types of modifications which are transgenic, cisgenic, and subgenic plants. However, there are a number of issues that surround this controversial topic such as environmental, health, and economic concerns. Even though there are some worrying facts about GM crops people don 't realize the advantages or the ways it has helped humans as well as animals. There are many reasons why GM crops are proven

Genetically modified organisms can be crops or animals. There can be a few health benefits from this process. Theresa Phillips in “Genetically Modified Organisms” states “some benefits of genetic engineering in agriculture are increased crop yield, reduced costs for food or drug production, reduced need for pesticides, enhanced nutrient composition, and food quality, resistance to pests and disease, greater food security, and medical benefits to the world’s growing population” (Phillips, 2). “A number of animals have also been genetically engineered to increase yield and decrease susceptibility to disease.” (Phillips, 2) In “Genetically Modifies Foods: Harmful or Helpful” by Debra B Whitman also states some health benefits “pest resistance, herbicide tolerance, disease resistance, cold tolerance, drought tolerance/salinity tolerance, nutrition, and pharmaceuticals” (Whitman, 3-9). GMOs may have health benefits, but they also come with some risks.

A GMO expert at the University of Arizona, named Yves Carriere, explained in an article that, “Carriere argues that bug-killing crops are beneficial because they reduce the use of insecticides, which can harm people and the environment,” (Potenza 2). With genetically modified crops, farmers no longer have to use harmful chemicals, such as insecticides. He also pointed out that, “Developing crops that can survive dry climates, others say, could help us grow food as climate change makes the planet more prone to droughts,” (Potenza 2). For example, places like California could benefit a lot more if people could grow and sell GMO’s.

Although it is safe to say that GMOs do hurt human life and the environment, it is also necessary to acknowledge the pros in having genetically modified foods. It is believed that farmers would be able to spend less money producing more food organically because of GMOs. The cost of the technology used in plowing fields would drop drastically if crops were to be modified. Likewise, farmers would have bigger yields to land and be able to use less herbicides and

Genetically Modified Crops are a damaging thing not only to the health of it’s consumers but to the environment as well. When genes are altered and changed it goes against everything their natural state has to offer. The possibilities of this new engineered plant are endless and can essentially in one aspect lower the nutrition levels. When plants are taken out of their natural state and placed into a lab for genetic modification the levels once found in the natural plant can become lost and or not as strong. The companies who produce these genetically modified seeds are altering creation; the genes. When food is consumed, portions of that food are taken into the cells to replenish, repair, and make new cells. If those cells are surrounded by toxic substances such as the chemicals in the food, it becomes easier for the cells to take in that material as well.

For the last several decades, the world has been plagued by widespread starvation and poverty. Economies are failing in numerous countries, and developing nations struggle to feed their inhabitants. As a result of the world’s mounting overpopulation, food has become scarce and resources are rapidly dwindling. However, modern science has provided a solution: agricultural biotechnology. Genetically engineered crops represent the bright future of agriculture. Crops like cotton, corn, and soybeans can have genes inserted or deleted into their cell membranes; this modification facilitates pest and virus resistance, drought tolerance, and even provides nutritional enhancement. Genetically altered crops produce much higher

Of course, when there is an argument against something, there will be a counter argument that will be for the same topic. One of the biggest health benefits that a GMO can bring to the world is the additional nutrients that can be added to the GMO (Murnaghan, 2017). This can be extremely helpful in poverty stricken areas. A food that is very common in that area can be enhanced to include the nutrient that is lacking. This will allow for the people in the area to have an all-around healthier diet without having to buy even more food to consume all the right nutrients. With the addition of nutrient enhancement in GMOs, the battle of malnutrition will also be helped (Duvauchelle, 2014). Malnutrition is very common in third world countries (Nodoushani,

Genetically Modified Organisms actually do have favorable qualities among producers. First lets identify the reasons as to why farmers and many companies are hopping on the GMO bandwagon. A proposed benefit of GMO foods is that they have the potential to produce higher crop yields, which could essentially feed more people in underdeveloped parts of the world (geneticallymodifiedfoods.co). GMO’s are also seen as a more economical option because of the reduced need of pesticides and herbicides, which should increase the farmers profitability margins, saving them money in the long run. Another proposed benefit of genetically modified food is the ability to improve food quality. Take bananas for instance, many bananas that are imported into the United States

GMO foods are not the most healthy or honest foods, but they are the most helpful. Many fruits and vegetables are engineered to be resistant to bugs and diseases that could cause famine. This helps farmers all over the country by giving them a better harvest. Also, non-sanitary soil has become a large problem in some places around the world. The soil made it harder for crops to grow in certain environments. To solve this problem, scientists could take a gene from a plant that can live in these conditions, and plant it into another crop’s genome. This would make the crop that

One industry that plays a vital role in our society is the agricultural industry. The agricultural industry is responsible for the growth of all our valuable crops such as cotton, corn, fruits, other vegetables etc. These crops are planted and then gathered to be sold to consumers. These primary resources are important to our daily lives because they are valuable sources of food and clothing, which are highly needed for our survival in life. Over time, it has been discovered that genetic engineering in plants can be an alternative way to “alter a plant’s genetic makeup” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Why would we want to alter a plant’s genetic makeup? Well, the main reason is to “produce a desired characteristic or weed out an undesirable one” of a plant (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Approximately “75% of processed foods contain at least some genetically engineered ingredients” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). In the United States, soy beans, cotton and corn are among the many crops that are genetically modified to “resist common herbicides” (Nutrition &

According to the World Health Organization (2014. 1), "Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called 'modern biotechnology ' or 'gene technology ', sometimes also 'recombinant DNA technology ' or 'genetic engineering '. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.” Many organic crops farming farmers are against cultivating of GM crops because of the threat to farm land and environment however, biotechnology companies and GM crops growing famer desire to have profit and consumer look for low price. Thus, the debate over the environmental impact of genetically modified GM crops is growing. Although GM crops negatively affects on some organism in environment, they reduce the use of pesticides and increase crop yield.