GMO’s, or genetically modified organisms, were first brought to my attention in the ninth grade. I did not know that anything such as GMO’s had existed before that, but in my ninth grade biology class we had to watch Food, Inc. and take a health class. I remember being so upset by the poor animal conditions and the lack of labels on foods with genetic modifications. To play my own part in the issue, I started to eat more organic foods and looked for labels that were non-GMO. I also became a vegetarian to keep myself from eating poorly treated animals that were kept in very bad conditions before being slaughtered. Even now, I am extremely conscious of what I eat, and constantly trying to make sure that I avoid genetic modifications. This semester, I plan to research the rise of GMO’s in the American culture, the side effects of this issue, and the positive and negative impacts of having GMO’s in our food. This topic justifies a semester of sustained research because I not only am very passionate about what I am eating, but I, as well as many other Americans, that are daily impacted by this issue should be able to contribute to the ongoing controversy and conversation about the issue in the United States. Firstly, the rise of GMO’s in the American culture is an issue that once presented to me; I have always had interest in. I have often considered why people would not switch over to non GMO products and goods and why the government is more concerned with capital
GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their
“Should We Care About Genetically Modified Foods?” by John N. Shaw appeared in Food Safety News issue of February 1, 2010, as a feature under the health section on the controversy between the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (Also known as GMO, genetically modified organisms). The main idea of this article is to inform people of the benefits of GMOs . The author, John Shaw received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 2007, where he was a “leadership scholar.” In addition to his studies, he has worked as a research assistant with Food Law LL.M. Director Susan Schneider, interned with Wal-Mart Government and Corporate Affairs division, the Arkansas Attorney General Public Protection Division, and with United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. John has a passion for Food Law, sports, and outdoors. In the article, he states, “ I submit that I am no scientist; merely an interested student.” According to the article, he is passionate and has done sufficient research about the topic to support his argument.
First, we are going to take a bite into what GMO’s are and why then are used
Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience to take action against genetically modified food and realize the risks of GMO’s.
Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s, are organisms that have had genes from a different organism implanted into their own genetic code in order to produce a new result (“Genetically engineered foods”). This practice has elicited polar responses across the globe, for a multitude of reasons. Besides the obvious reason, being the morality of changing an organism's DNA for human benefit, one frequently noted problem is the monopolization of GMO’s by the company Monsanto, whose name is nearly synonymous with GMO’s due to their involvement with these crops. Monsanto has been at the center of many controversies regarding GMO’s, and is even considered to be ranked third to last for reputation among all major American companies (Bennett). Most
GMO’s have been around for a long time, creating discussions and controversies throughout certain location around the world. gmoinside.org concurs that GMO’s have been sold in
Whether Americans realize it or not, most of them consume genetically modified organisms every time they eat a snack or a meal. According to Robin Mather’s article “The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods”, “you’re eating genetically modified foods almost daily unless you grow all of the food or always buy organic” (Mather). This can be a scary thought for those who know about the numerous effects of GMOs or those who didn’t know what was in the food they’ve been ingesting for years. When Nielsen selected 1,200 Americans for a survey on GMOs for The Wall Street Journal, “61% of consumers had heard of GMOs and nearly half of those people said they avoid eating them” (Gasparro). The only difficulty with avoiding genetically modified organisms is that they make up approximately eighty percent of the ingredients used in processed foods that put together most of the regular American diet (Gasparro). The reason that genetically modified organisms are in most processed foods is because most processed foods contain corn or high fructose corn syrup that comes from genetically modified corn plants. Of all the corn, soybeans, sugar beet, and canola crops grown in the United States, over ninety percent of those crops are grown from genetically altered seeds (Gasparro). Ever since 1996, when genetically modified plants were first commercially grown for the public, the use of genetically modified seeds has been on a sharp increase (Charman). Although the use of genetically modified
Transition: Along with the benefits of GMO’S, unfortunately, there must also be some negative effects of them.
Dr. Praphul Joshi 10/23/2013 Controversial Public Health Issue There are several controversial issues confronting us today; from Universal Healthcare (Obama Care) to Stem Cell research, to vaccinations, to genetically engineered (GE)/genetically modified (GM) foods. However, I shall look at genetically modified foods as the controversial issue for this article. I shall look at an article from the mass media about this controversial public health issue and place emphasis on the message the document wants to convey and address any biases that may be within. In addition, I shall provide additional data or facts from another article to see if it supports or refutes the controversial message. It is my intention that this article will provide some clarity on genetically modified foods confronting us in the United States and the world over. Since the successful cloning of Dolly, the sheep, in July 5, 1996, Biotechnology has been praised and castigated at the same time.
In this research project, the question that initially guided my ideas was “How safe are Genetically Modified Organisms?" Beyond further investigation of the topic, I took the route of GM Feed to assess the animals that are being prepared for our consumption. Therefore whether there is some sort of GM contamination in the body of the animals with a GM diet, it allows me to make my own stance on the potential risks and safety of GMOs for animals and humans. With conductive research on scholarly articles and journals that investigate the study of animals fed GM Crops, I plan to explain to my audience that GM foods have more benefits
The human population is growing rapidly. With the growth in the human population, the demand for food is also growing at an unprecedented rate. Arguably, farms are unable to naturally provide the world’s population the food needed by natural means. 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 has been able to offset the worlds growing demand for food, and all our food problems seem to be solved. Or have they? I will use information from: Wendell Berry’s, The Pleasures of Eating, Jon Entine and JoAnna Wendel’s, 2000+ reasons Why GMO’s Are Safe to Eat, Robin Mather’s, The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods, along with references from Food Inc., to explain how genetically modified food is being used in a way that negatively affects the livestock, our health, the ecosystem, and the potential threats genetically modified crops have on our future.
Many studies have been done to test for health consequences from eating GMO’s and the results are startling.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are often misconstrued. Most people believe that GMOs are a new way of how foods are being produced, and even though GMOs have been increasing there should still be certain precautions must be taken when consuming GMOs. Being because GMOs can be very serious issues, and since there are a lot of misconceptions about it, it is imperative that people understand what GMOs are and the problems that they are causing.
Take Notice—It May Open Your Eyes. On a bright sunny 81-degree day, taking a small road trip headed southwest in Minnesota, one could not help but see some differences in the vast fields on either side of the highway—fields upon fields of corn, wheat, and beans. What catches ones’ eye, however, is the plumpness of one field to the withering and wimpy appearance of the field right next to it. The reason, one can conclude, such as myself, is that the green and plump field is that of a GMO crop. That fact stirs the brain with questions of: Are they safe? How do consumers know what they are eating? Are the foodstuffs labeled as such? Finally, how do we perceive them to be affecting the economy; the health of the people,
Central Idea: GMOs are a new idea that are causing an uneasy feeling with Americans