Biotechnology and Genetically Modified Foods Essay

There is less of a chemical output on the crops since the year GMO’s have decreased pesticide use by 8.8%. They will also improve water quality. GMO crops allows a “no-till” which decreases soil erosion. Less soil erosion means there is less of runoff.

Over the years there has been a rapid increase of foods that are genetically modified being sold to us throughout the U.S. Genetically modified foods contain organisms that have had DNA from a non-related species transferred into their genes via biotechnology to permeate them with specific traits. And doing so these foods should not be sold. Crops that are genetically modified such as corn, soybeans, and tomatoes are toxic for the environment. Also, the health consequences of eating genetically modified organisms are largely unknown. And, genetic engineering creates dangerous side effects.

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.

Many will argue that Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) are not safe for human consumption, however they are almost inevitable for our everyday food consumption. Some argue that the recent increase in gluten intolerance is caused by GMO foods (Argument against). Other state that the risk to humans by GMO’s is relatively small (The GMO”). The bottom line is what people put into their bodies is a personal choice and a person should be able to easily tell if a product has been genetically modified or not.

Even if this is true, it is not the whole story. The government may fail to take into account the ecological impact of the farming industry. For example, most of the genetically modified plants marketed so far contain genes from bacteria which make them resistant to a wide variety of weed killers. When the crop is sprayed with this weed killer all other plants in the field are killed. The result is a very sterile field, providing neither food nor habitat for wildlife. The genetically modified plants are capable of interbreeding with their relative plants which creates new weeds with a built in resistance to the weed killer. In one incident modified genes from a crop spread into a conventional crop that was more than a mile away. As a result of this, conventional crops and organic crops are in great danger.

According to the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, A genetically modified plant could have lower nutritional quality than its traditional counterpart by making nutrients unavailable or indigestible to humans. Medical Daily stated, “There hasn’t been enough research to determine whether GMOs are entirely healthy for humans, although the FDA has listed them as safe. Some concerns include the fear that altering the natural state of an organism has unknown consequences for humans, and that genes meant to keep plants resistant to herbicides or antibiotics could potentially harm humans

In the past decade genetically modified foods have been have made a world of stir about whether these foods are beneficial to our society or if they are actually hurtful.There is plenty information that is available to help support both sides of the issue but for every positive thing there is also a negative consequence.With genetically-modified foods being a trendy topic and being like all great debates it has its prons and cons, so it all comes down to whether the good will supercede the bad, or vice versa.

By the year 2012, over 70 percent of the processed foods in the U.S can be linked to genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. Despite this strong dependency on the manipulation of genetic material, there are many questions concerning long-lasting impacts such food could bring. The government of the United States of America should enforce stricter restrictions on the consumption, production, and availability of food products containing genetically modified organisms. Genetically engineered foods have detrimental impacts on the environment, are linked to large, monopolizing industries, and do not reduce world hunger.

the rise in advanced technology, Genetically Modified Foods were engineered and created. Not only were they new in the sense that it provided an easier source of growing, but it also brought ,with it, a new controversy across the world. Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) are created by moving a gene from one animal to another. An example of this would be moving the gene of an Icefish to a tomato to give the tomato a longer shelf life. GMOs were intended to help increase food production and help foods last longer however, GMOs have become very controversial because of their potential health and environmental effects. GMOs could have detrimental effects on the population and on the Earth.

Genetically modified foods (or Organisms) help our world in many ways. Most people think otherwise. However a YouTube group called American Scientific stated in their video that “genetically modifying something called teosinte allowed for today's use of corn”(What is a Genetically Modified Food? - Instant Egghead #45). Without the help of early people in this country we would not have corn. So because they decided to manipulate the DNA of teosinte we have one of the most popular crops in the world. GMO’s are and will be the next big thing on earth. To many websites, and people they have not been proven to be harmful. On the other hand websites and scientist have reason to believe they are bad. Genetically

Poultry and red meat may come from animals raised on genetically modified feed, but as of yet you won't find GMO animals for sale at your local butcher shop (Harrar 5). There are many traits that GMOs aim to achieve, such as resistance to herbicides and pesticides, increased nutritional content and improve tolerance to the effects of adverse weather conditions. Which we all know is something only a dream plant would contain. Hence what these plants are modified for. In the past, most just had specific breeding techniques to achieve these traits, but for most, out ruled because of the inaccuracy and time it cost. Now using genetic engineering, plants can now be modified very quickly and effective (Pongratz 2). However, Genetically Modified Organisms are seen to cause more harm than good, that they could potentially harm our bodies and environment in the process. "The process is not as rigorous or independent as it should be. The FDA often does not get all the data to perform a fully informed safety review," noted Gregory Jaffe, director of the CSPI Biotechnology Project, in a 2012 report. There are many issues that have sparked by using Genetically Modified Organisms. In creating an organism, the matter of fact of it being a negative to health arises in consuming something that is not naturally occurring (Harrar

What are genetically modified foods?” is what many people ask. Genetically modified foods are altered in an unnatural way where the DNA goes through recombination, alteration in genes (World health organization). Genetically modified foods are unnatural organisms that have been altered by scientists. Many people hear of these genetically modified organisms but do not really know what the benefits or consequences truly are. These organisms can be beneficial in the sense that they get rid of bad genes in foods that can lead to many great advancements for the future. On the other hand, unknown consequences to the health of people are becoming more popular due to genetic engineering. Therefore, genetically modified foods should be eliminated from

    Humans have been intentionally changing the genetic properties of animals and plants for centuries, through all the standard breeding techniques of the use of radiation and chemicals to create random mutations, some of them turn out to be useful, for example Genetic Modified (GM) Foods. What is Genetically Modified (GM) Foods? GM foods are foods that are derived from organisms that have been genetically engineered. Also they are called genetically engineered (GE) or transgenic crop that are generally made of a genetic marker. GMO have a very long history. In fact, they have been around for thousands of years. So perhaps the conflict over their safety shouldn't be about whether they are safe for humans to consume, but rather how they will impact long term.Even though Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) would increase food costs, these can improve yields for farmers, provide nutritional benefits,and help to alleviate the increasing global population of third world countries.

I am writing this letter to express my interest in discussing the subject of genetically modified foods and organic foods. I leaned towards this topic because I firmly believe that genetically modified foods may affect the public’s health; as well as, believe that this process involves animal cruelty. Although food is tested for safety before it goes out in the market, there is no solid proof of a long-term study. It is possible that health risks may arise, although not immediately, but over time.

With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated.