Unless one eats only fresh, unprocessed foods that are marked as non-GMO or certified organic; chances are that one eats food that has been genetically modified. Up to eighty percent of food in stores in America are genetically modified. America pushes these foods and the biotech industry so intensely. But, are these foods truly safe? Many people don’t exactly know what a GMO is. A GMO is a genetically modified food. They are plants or seeds that have been changed genetically by scientist. Scientist do this by adding DNA from another plant, bacteria, or virus to the plant or seed. This makes plants have new qualities. Such as, resistance to disease, bugs, drought, and longer shelf life. GMOs are also usually resistant to chemicals in pesticides. Allowing fields of corn, for example, to be sprayed with pesticides, and letting the crop live while killing just the weeds within the crop field.
Another example is RoundUp Ready corn; this corn can be sprayed with weed killer and survive while the weeds die out. Scientist can also create potatoes that don’t get bruises from the farm to the table and apples that don’t brown when you slice them. All the ‘perfect’ food sounds peachy. Monsanto, a GMO food company, even says that GM foods are completely safe. In fact, Monsanto states on their website they state that, “in the nineteen years since GMO crops were first commercialized we haven’t found any evidence of harm to humans or animals. Since safety was first demonstrated and
1st. Body: GMO’s are organisms whose genetic data has been manipulated through genetic engineering. In most cases these organisms are given a new gene to exhibit a specific trait (ex: Genes of fish in Alaska are used to help plants thrive in colder climates) which hopefully can improve the usefulness of these organisms. To perform this, scientists select a specific gene/trait they hope the target organism will express, and cut using enzymes, and then insert it into a plasmid ( a molecule containing DNA). The plasmid is then added to bacteria, that infect the cells of the target organism. The selected organism grows up, and may exhibit the desired traits the scientists implemented it with. This process has been used on various crops, especially corn, which now expresses many new traits including resistance to insects and naturally produces pesticides. These new crops
Genetically modified crops are being developed to produce their own pesticide. This will bring the rapid appearance of resistant insects. Even worse, these pesticide producing plants have killed some beneficial insects and pests that many farmers use in their crops. For example, inserting a gene from a snowdrop, a perennial herb found in Europe and Asia into a potato, made the potato resistant to the green fly, but killed lady bugs that feed on green flies.
Primarily, genetically engineered crops result in countless long-term, detrimental impacts on the environment. As the United States becomes increasingly dependent on such crops for a majority of its food supply, these harmful environmental impacts are becoming evident. Many GMO crops are modified to be herbicide-resistant, such as the Roundup Ready crop, which allows farmers to spray herbicides without causing damage to the plants. While the ridding of weeds increases the level of production for these farmers, their total elimination greatly interferes with the natural interdependency of the ecosystem. One impacted species includes the Monarch butterfly, as its population decline has been directly linked to the use of genetically engineered crops. The weeds being eliminated include the
“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that
The term GM food are most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Genetically modified plants have been widely publicised as the future in agriculture. Many believe that it may help improve crop harvests and farm productivity by developing genetically modified crops that can either resist pests or chemicals. But despite the promise that GM crops may offer, there are still doubts that linger among a number of people as well.
While these are valid concerns, they are entirely wrong. According to the World Health Organization in 2005, “GM foods currently traded on the international market have passed risk assessments in several countries and are not likely to present risks for human health” (Novella). Many of those who are anti-GMO claim that GMOs are not safe because they do not know enough about them or they have heard far too many conflicting reports. While there are many reports that claim that GMOs are detrimental to the environment, the three agencies that oversee GM crops, the FDA, USDA, and EDA, have ruled that these crops do not pose any real threat. Since the beginning of the GM crop in 1996, there have been 2,497 approvals of the safety of GMOs in the environment and 1,129 of these approvals have been for the food safety of the products (Monsanto). This further disproves the claim that GMOs are unsafe for humans and the environment and reassures that there is no risk involved in either the consumption or the planting of GM
What are GMOs? GMO is the acronym for genetically modified organism. “GMOs are living beings that have had their genetic code changed in some way” (Purdue University). GMOs commonly refer to crops that are created or modified for human or animal consumption using molecular biology techniques. Molecular biology can be defined as “a branch of biology dealing with the ultimate physicochemical organization of living matter and especially with the molecular basis of inheritance and protein synthesis” (Merriam Webster). GMOs are an improvement on the plant itself. Although GMOs seem like a fresh new idea, the human race has been modifying crops for thousands of years. “Humans have been genetically modifying organisms for over 30,000 years” (Rangel,
The good news is that most of the scientific community have found that GMOs are safe to eat. This includes the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and one of the world’s most prestigious scientific groups, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Not only are they safe to eat but in some cases, they are more nutritious. An example of this would be:
There has been a lot of speculation over the hot topic GMOs and whether or not they are actually safe for indulgence. GMOs is the acronym for Genetically Modified Organisms. It is when something primarily organic foods by using the means of genetic engineering. GMOs are in most ways good for the planet and for those who dwell on it. In fact, scientists have concluded that Improved food quality is another benefit associated with GM foods. A tomato, for instance, can be engineered to stay fresher for longer, thereby extending its shelf life in the supermarket. Food durability will be improved. On the other hand other sources say that GMOs could potentially harm organisms in the ecosystem, do due to the fact it has very very strong chemicals. GMO foods is a very delicate topic, but in
INTRODUCTION: (logos) GMOs have been in our food supply for almost 20 years, and GM ingredients are found in 70 to 80 percent of the foods on your grocery store shelves. If GMOs were not safe, we would have a big problem. Fortunately, science shows us that there is no evidence of harm from GMOs. Genetically modified organisms have many benefits that are not just limited to personal health, but also the environment as well.
Genetically modified foods are perfectly safe to eat. The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine have conducted lots of experiments testing if these foods are safe and healthy to eat. They have found that GM foods are not any less safe than foods that are not genetically modified.The scientists wrote that they, “‘found no substantiated evidence that foods from GE
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
GMOs are safe and beneficial for human consumption. GMOs have been rigorously studied to ensure their safety. In a summary of hundreds of reports compiled by Angelika Hilbeck, she concludes that “on the basis of their studies, that a number of varieties of GM products (mainly maize and soybeans) are as safe and
A Genetically Modified Organism or GMO is an organism whose genome has been altered by the process of genetic engineering so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found within. These genetically modified organisms are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, introduced in 1994. However, beginning in 2014 these chemicals could be found in 90% of corn, cotton, and soybeans produced in the United States. The looks and taste of genetically modified organisms may seem inviting but are the health risks really worth it? In my opinion, I believe that while genetically modified organisms do have positive feel and comfort they pose a large health risk to all who choose to consume them.
In less wealthy countries, kids stand in line for hours to get shots that treat infectious diseases that have the potential to kill. But what if the kids could eat dinner and be safe from those diseases for years after they ate a meal? Anti-cholera potatoes are genetically modified potatoes that contain the fluids that prevent cholera. Sometime in the future, there is a possibility that shots and treatments will be a thing the past. All you will have to do is eat a potato, and for the rest of your life, you wont have to worry about getting cholera. There are some drawbacks in this though. For example, when the plants spread pollen, the pollen will carry the gene the gene that makes the food medicated. If the pollen spreads, the gene will spread causing the natural potatoes to become medicated. This could cause people who didn’t want the medicine to take it without realizing it.