Genetic Modified Foods: An Argumentative Analysis

How can genetically modified food affect our society? GMOs are crops which have been scientifically manipulated to receive certain results. The United States proves their commitment to this movement, as their grocery shelves are filled with them. However, not many stand with the U.S., as many countries have banned biotech foods because of their risks. Genetically modified foods are a risk to our society as they may contaminate other productions, but they resist weather patterns; they lack the necessary tests to provide information about their possible dangers, however they are envisioned to be a solution to many health issues; furthermore, they dominate the food industry by not allowing variety, but on the other hand, GMOs may help future issues of food shortages.

Genetic engineering is the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material, otherwise known as DNA. Since biochemists Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer pioneered genetic engineering in 1973, the process has grown to have numerous applications such as medicine production, for example insulin (Mckinley). However, a main topic of concern is the application of genetic engineering on foods that we eat everyday. By modifying the genetic "blueprint" of crops, it is possible to improve many aspects of agriculture. But with any sort of scientific discovery that allows humans to act as Mother Nature, genetically modifying organisms has been a very controversial topic. Yet our society continues to grow, and the need for the benefits of genetically modified foods continues to grow. Genetically modifying foods should be permitted in our society because it allows larger yields of crops to be produced, produces foods with higher nutritional values, and reduces our global ecological footprint.

People nourish themselves by consuming three meals each day. Eating is essential for survival, but what is actually in food we eat? Many are oblivious to that. People should be very informed to what is actually going into their gastrointestinal system because it significantly impacts their health, and it can between life or death. Gone are the days when people saw every step of how their food was manufactured until it got onto their table to eat. With increased human population on Earth, consequently, mass production is ubiquitous. The commonality of mass production, has led to genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods are foods that have been genetically engineered to produce effects that make them more desirable. It is also worth noting, that GMOs are not on food labeled when sold to the public. Many people are unaware of genetically modified foods as they have significant negative effects on humans in conjunction and the environment.

Should people be worried about genetically engineered food? Many people are starting to question what it is exactly that they are eating and how it could possibly harm them. Specifically, the harm that could befall them from GM food. A genetically modified organism is something that received one or more genes from another organism. There are three arguments that the people worried about GM food put on the table; those arguments being: GM food should be labeled, GM foods are not safe to eat, and GM crops won’t end world hunger and feed the whole world.

Throughout this semester we have covered many controversial topics such as mandatory labeling of GMO’s, and the use of cloned animals for meat products. We have watched documentaries such as King Corn and Food Inc., documentaries that have also coved these same topics. While watching these documentaries and discussing these topics it hit me hard that there are consumers in this world who are being fed lies. Lies, that they don’t even know are lies, due to the lack of knowledge that we as an industry supply. It sickens me that documentaries such as Food Inc. depict new technology such as GMO’s in every negative way possible. As an industry, we are not supplying consumers with enough knowledge so that they can depict lies from the truth. The

One of my favorite episodes of the television show, "The Simpsons", begins with Marge, the mother, serving her family a dinner of unusually large, genetically modified foods. Shortly after dinner is served, one of the potatoes eats a carrot. Although this example is comedic hyperbole, it is still an excellent illustration of the public perception of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as dangerous "Frankenfoods". This perception is out of touch with the reality of GMOs and runs contrary to a large body of scientific evidence that indicates that GMOs are safe for people and our environment.

The human population is quickly rising. With the rise in the human population, the demand for food is also raising at an unprecedented rate. Our simple mom and pop farms are unable to naturally provide the worlds population the food needed. This may seem like a big issue, but humans came up with an ingenious solution; genetically modified organisms, commonly known as GMO’s. Genetically modified food as been able to offset the worlds steadily rising demand for food, and the food problem has been solved, or has it? I will use information from: Wendell Berry’s, Jon Entine and JoAnna Wendel’s, 2000+ reasons Why GMO’s Are Safe to Eat, and Robin Mather’s, The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods, along with references from Food Inc., to explain

Many people feel that genetically modified organisms are unsafe, untested and therefore not something they want in their food or environment. I feel that without the proper studies and research we are putting ourselves in the hands of large corporations that have more of an interest in making money than offering a safe product. I feel it is important to make an informed decision when it comes to products or organisms affecting ourselves or our environment.

“If you aren’t concerned about the DNA from blueberries “transferring” into you, then you should not be concerned about DNA from GMOs either,”says Layla Katiraee in her article “10 Studies Proving GMOs Are Harmful”(Katiraee). More and more Americans are becoming worried about the use of Genetically Modified Organisms in their food. The controversy of the use of GMOs in food can be understood through examining how they work, their disadvantages, and their advantages.

While genetically modified food cause allergies in children, the FDA regulates genetically modified food enough because no genetically modified foods have ever been rejected, there are a lot of agencies regulating genetically modified foods, and there is no proof that genetically modified foods have harmed anyone. Genetically modified foods are a part of our daily lives. They have become so common that consumers have begun to distrust these foods saying they cause allergies, cancer, and other disorders. Some of these people believe that these tests or manipulations harm the organisms. There is also that one person who wants to blame to regulatory agencies for not doing their jobs saying they are not regulating these foods enough.

What if people could create an organism that was stronger than it was previously? More resistance to diseases, poisons, and that could thrive in a hostile environment? That is what scientist are creating with GMOs (Genetically Modified Organism) but mostly with plants that farmers produce for food such as corn or soybeans. Scientist can create modified organism when they pick an organism (such as corn) and then have certain changes introduced into their DNA using genetic engineering. It is different from breeding because instead of getting random genes, scientists are putting the desired gene directly into the plants’ DNA. Genetically modified foods are a controversial topic throughout most of the country but most Americans would be

Genetically engineered food, there are equal causes have also created, or contributed to, a lot of poverty, which prevents people from being able to afford food in the first place if not more important, debates on the socioeconomic ramifications of the way such science is marketed and used. Foods without proper testing could show corporate profitability to be very influential, while a thorough debate and sufficient public participation would ensure that real social and environmental concerns are in fact adhered to. And this pattern would probably indicate to us how other major issues in the future ought to be dealt with. Being said genetically food being processed the wrong way can be a danger to humans, eating foods that are not being watched

Walsh claims that nearly 1 billion people are malnourished due to lack vitamins, iron and zinc. Also, “We need to grow that additional food without using up much more land, because we’re already near 15% of the Earth’s surface that can sustainably be used for farming.” This encourages the farmers to increase their production by genetically modifying their crops, so it fits the world’s need. On other hand, Stonebrook disagrees with this point, as she said,” Genetic engineering can increase the levels of a naturally occurring allergen already present in a food or insert allergenic properties into a food that did not previously contain them.’’ There are some people that think about how it goes financially not how healthy the product should be. Walsh’s point was that people are just focusing in growing more food and gain more

Since the development of genetic engineering in the 1970s, scholars have questioned its ethical justification, claiming that it was playing God’ and was unnatural. Others claimed that humans have always altered their environment to benefit themselves. An example is that of genetically modified crops which some people believe can be justified for a number of reasons. The food has better taste and quality and a greater resistance to pests and diseases; it is environmentally friendly in that it does not require chemical pesticides and will conserve soil, water and energy; and it offers the world’s

At present, the transgenic enzymes are widely used in the food industry, such as maltose enzymes amylase, pectinase and the juice protease. The food nutritional quality modified by genetic engineering has also made remarkable achievements. For instance, the genetic engineering technology has been applied for seed protein improvement, which renders it possible to change the plant composition and amino acid content.