GMO Controversy Essay

When I think of all-natural foods, my mind is filled with thoughts of free range chicken, organic vegetables, and farm fresh eggs.  I envision the farmer, tending his crops; the baker selling his goods.   One thing that does not come to mind is Genetically Modified Organisms.  Everywhere we turn, GMOs are popping up at an alarming rate.  The scary thing is that many people are not even aware they are consuming these products.  As of now, companies who manufacture GMOs are not required to label their products as such.  These foods that are consumed by millions of people every day are still permitted to be labeled as "all natural." Producers of genetically-modified organisms should be required to

GM foods are in the middle of many controversial issues; primarily these are addressed by conflicts over the relative pros and cons of GM foods. Major biotech companies like ‘Monsanto ' and ‘Cargill ' are promoting GM foods by focusing only on their beneficial aspects, giving least importance to their negative effects on safety, environment and biodiversity. On the other hand, governmental regulators and nongovernmental organizations, along with some scientists, are strictly opposing this type of blind promotion of GM food by enlightening the people on their negative effects The controversies associated with GM foods include issues such as safety, environmental benefits and risks, biodiversity, and ethical and social considerations.GM foods are implicated for adverse human health risks like people being allergic to it, environmental hazards such as development of super weeds, and pesticide and antibiotic resistance in disease causing organisms. On the other

By genetically modifying traits in plants, biotechnology allows for higher food production in a wider array of places without the use of chemicals or limited resources. The increased crop availability results in economic profit, not only in the United States, but in developed and non-developed nations around the globe. A study to support this claim from Iowa State University shows that without GMO’s, global prices would be nearly 10% higher for soybeans and 6% higher for corn, two largely grown crops throughout the world. The net economic benefit for farmers in 2011 was $19.8 billion (PG Economics, 1996-2011). This results in an average rise in income of $329 per acre. For the entire 16-year period since the introduction of GMO’s, the increase in global

Genetically Modified Organisms. Sounds familiar, right? GMOs have become a controversial issue all around the world. What are GMOs exactly? GMOS are special organisms with artificially altered genetic makeup produced in a lab from the splicing of specific genes from another organism. Even its’ description seems overwhelming. What’s worse is the fact that there’s seldom any warning labels for GMOs on products. It isn’t very helpful that the United States does not require GMOs to be labeled on store-bought foods. Most of the time, people are oblivious to the foods they consume and how those foods are a detriment to their health. All the same, I am also a part of the oblivion. I, too have consumed modified foods without any knowledge of its

GMOs are beneficial to society, therefore should be continued to be used. Scientist Charles Arntzen has discovered a method of inserting vaccines into crops. Using his method people in developing countries would have an easier and safer way of being vaccinated. Another reason GMOs should be continued is so farmers can be less reliant on pesticides. Although pesticides can help keep bugs away they can be harmful to animals and people, using the GM crops with anti-pest genes already in them can help eliminate the need for pesticides. However, when GMOs are not tested thoroughly, they can be dangerous. For example, in 1989 a dietary supplement of tryptophan was released, it killed 37 people, permanently disabled 1,500 people, and caused 5,000

The topic of GMOs is one that has been, in recent years, a highly debated and complex subject. To better understand why this subject is so highly debated, polarizing and fueled with a pro or con stance, it is best to start at the beginning. Genetically Modified Organisms and the technology used to create them have been around for a very long time. The difference is in recent years the processes and uses for GMOs has increased while removing some of the ‘natural’ aspects of it.

GMO’s has been a very controversial topic over the past years, really ever since they were made they have been very controversial. People have been trying to prove if they are safe or if they can be harmful to humans in any way. GMO stands for genetically modified organism that have had their genetic code changed in some way. When the modify it, scientist are taking certain genes out that they want, and inserting it in the individual cell. When doing this scientist are inserting those genes into its DNA which is inside the includes of a cell which can be very small. GMO’s are not like breeding which is crossing to different plants to get one organism. Scientists have been genetically modifying things for many years like vaccines to cure people. When genetically modified comes up it does not have to do with crops such as corn, it can be many different things. (Purdue University)

In recent news there has been a great deal of controversy revolving around the use of genetically modified organisms in our food. Some people say that genetically modified foods are okay, others say genetically modified foods are unsafe or we know too little about it. There are also people that say genetically modified foods are okay but should be labeled. Genetically modified organisms, or GMO for short, are okay to use in foods because they increase food production, they get rid of diseases in plants and the food we eat, and they could potentially make the food we eat taste better.

We believe that GMOs can help us benefit economically, and socially in many ways. They can help resolve world hunger or help create healthier crops with more nutrients. Many argue that they are harmful to the environment but they are not, research shows that GM foods are perfectly safe, can result in using less chemicals and help the world.

There is a lot of controversy has occurred with the arrival of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), especially the production, consumption, and sale. Many people are concerned, or not convinced, that the consumption of GMO foods by humans may or may not create health risks. Would you ever think of eating genetically modified food in your daily meal? If you 're like most people, you 'll be puzzled to know that most fast food places like McDonalds and Burger King, and even your local grocery market have bioengineered food which are genetically modified. While some may see GMOs as controversial, there are some advantages with having higher expected crop yields and feeding more countries with this type of food. The disadvantages have been debatable by many people on whether or not GMO foods are safe for human consumption and has been a dynamic topic for quite some time.

The discussion of genetically modified organisms (or GMOs) can cause quite a heated debate. GMOs are created by a process called genetic engineering, also known as genetic modification. During this laboratory process, the DNA of one species is removed and then added to the genetic makeup of another species (Smith, GMO Education). GMOs can increase yield, produce herbicide/insecticide tolerant crops, and in some instances have benefited third world countries immensely, but GMOs still remain to be questioned for their health and environmental effects which are global priorities. Global concerns include super weeds, environmental health, and long-term human health effects.

GMO, or Genetically Modified Organism, is a modern problem today because of its abundance in foods, and lack of labels. GMO’s are used to modify the DNA of our consumable food to protect them from herbicides, pests, and any other disease that can destroy a crop. Unfortunately, these methods are not considered safe in most countries, with the notable exception of America. The European Union has outright bans on using anything that has even the effect of a GMO on foods that will be sent to be eaten by consumers, however, most Genetically Modified foods in America are not even labelled. 80% of foods contain some sort of genetic modification; the most common of these are soy, corn, beets, canola, yellow squash, and zucchini. GMO product first became an ethical issue when they were introduced to the produce sent to grocery stores to be consumed. Because of their many benefits and disadvantages, the use of GMO’s became an ethical and debatable issue with room to move either way. Some people argue that GMO’s are the cause of illness, and cancer, while others believe that they are paving the way for the produce of the future. Still others are completely unaware of the contents of the food they are buying. Either way, Genetically Modified Foods will always be around to surprise you, even when you least expect it.

Inorder to get a better understanding one must know the history of GMO, the recent events involving GMO, the legislations around GMO, and the effect of the economy done by GMO.

GMO’s can also bring up controversy with Environmental Groups. GMO’s are modified for herbicide resistance. According to the Organic Center’s Critical Report on The First Thirteen Years, herbicide use has increased 15% worldwide or by 383 million pounds in the US alone since the introduction of GM crops (Benbrook, 2009) . The IUCN also states “Another criticism ... is the extensive cultivation of uniform, high yielding crop varieties that has led to the replacement and

Many developed countries such as the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, and South Africa are using genetically modified crops as a solution to several issues in their countries. Outside of feeding the masses, ethanol and meat production are industries that depend on excess amounts of corn to keep afloat. With how much of our food is modified in some fashion, one would think it was thoroughly tested before being used with such lax regulations. With what studies have recently emerged, we need to question whether it is safe and economically sound to use GMOs in developing and already developed countries.