Genetically Modified Food (GMF). Essay

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

Primarily, GMOs can accidentally contaminate crops near them and affect production for independent or local farmers and the companies themselves. As chemicals were scientifically introduced to these crops, their properties may affect production for others as invasive crops, causing the companies to pay additional fees. It is a controversial issue within the discussion due to how, “…independent farmers’ crops can be damaged by neighboring GM crops. When this happens, they must pay fees or risk being sued.” (Brassard 1). As it is demonstrated by the author GMOs may be a liability for production and it may cause more issues than necessary. On the other hand, genetically modified foods can resist weather patterns

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.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified foods as: “foods [that are] derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism” (WHO, year). GM foods are constructed and distributed because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer. For a GM food to be of theoretical benefit to the consumer and society as a whole, it should: increase crop yields due to the introduced resistance to pests and disease, enhance the nutritional

Genetically modified crops are harmful to humans and the environment and shouldn't be used. Agriculture should proceed in harmony with nature and nature only. That is why some people have decided to buy organically grown food. From their experiences with organic food, they believe that the organic system can be economically practical. This system also provides a wide range of environmental and social benefits, and most importantly, it enables consumers to make a choice about the food they eat. According to Diana Brander, an American biology teacher, we should have the choice of the type of food we eat.

Recently, there has been a huge uprise in reports from all over the world of new diseases that have affected much of the population today. Diseases such as obesity, Alzheimer’s, Celiac Disease, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and so much more have been on the rise. Researchers have suspected the culprit of these diseases to be our food. Along with the diseases, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) has also been on the rise. The more poor food we eat, the greater the potential harm to our health. One of the poor foods we consume is GMO: the altering of genes in food to produce desirable effects. These effects can range from an improvement in nutritional value, texture, flavor, and a longer shelf life. These

GMO's are simply an addition to the long list of alterations made to the balance of nature. At its surface, GMO's seem to represent food as it's meant to look ripe, shiny, and never corrupted by pests, and these claims aren't wrong. GMO's bring a variety of benefits to the table. They increase resistance to cold, protect from select pests, and can even be used to transfer vital nutrients to other organisms. Various regions, such as Eastern Asia, have greatly benefitted from the use of GMO's, as prominent food, such as rice, lack nutrients necessary for growth and survival. GMO's have also helped farmers grow crops with more ease and less expense. However, these GMO's pack a price. Genes can be transferred to unintended targets, and pests who grow resistant to these GMO's may breed, causing an epidemic. Moreover, scientists believe that the

Would you trust a person that was created in a laboratory? When you eat gmos you are putting your future health in the hands of companies that may only in it for the money. Gmos (genetically modified organism) are living organisms that have genes that have been changed in a laboratory by genetic engineering (nongmoproject). This science makes unstable combinations of plant, animals, bacteria, and viral genes. They are made by taking a organism say a plant then adding DNA from a different plant, bacteria, or virus to it. Giving the original new qualities that it would not be able to have in nature or through crossbreeding methods(webMD). There are eight crops that are genetically modified on a commercial scale in the U.S. These include: Corn, canola, soy, cotton, sugar beets, alfalfa, papaya, zucchini and yellow summer squash. In the United States, 80% of everyday processed foods contain some sort of gmo. (Gmo project) They are important today because millions of people eat gmos everyday; however the long term effects on people are still unknown. Major restaurants such as Chipotle have already stopped using genetically modified ingredients in their food. They stopped using gmos because they believe their customers should have a restaurant where they can eat fresh, natural food, and should not have to take a health risk to eat their favorite foods(Chipotle). The other side of the fence is that gmos give us the ability to make

GMOS in recent years have become a main stream debate. A debate whether or not they are good or bad for are bodies and the environment. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) is an organism material that has been altered to improve the productivity and product quality. This creates genes of a plant, animal, bacteria and viruses that do not occur in nature or normal crossbreeding methods. About 80% of processed food contains GMOs. GMOs have raised concern in whether they are beneficial in helping humans suffering from famine, improve production of food or create greater problems for our health. They have rapidly spread in the production of food and farming. Having food and mass amount of food is important in life but is having mass quantities

GMO: “Why is it legal?” “Is it considered safe amongst consumers?”. Those are the two frequently asked questions. If GMOs are used on farms, are consumers rights and health at stake? GMOs are bad because they can cause health problems, environmental damage, and violation of farmers and consumers rights. The lack of GMOs labels plays a major part. How will consumers know what they're putting in their bodies? GMOs are used in 80% of processed foods. Yet, consumers fail to begin living “healthy” lifestyle, the consumption of GMO will drastically affect them.

The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily

People who support the genetic modification of foods agree that by producing foods in this format, society can benefit in many ways. For instance, producers can create more nutritious foods, achieve higher yields, and decrease food prices. The article “27 Big Advantages and Disadvantages of Genetically Modified Foods,” states that “[a]ccording to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, some GM foods have been engineered to become more nutritious in terms

“70 percent of our corn farmland and 93 percent of soy farmland are planted with crops genetically engineered to resist pests and herbicides and increase crop yields. 60% of all the processed foods in the United States are genetically modified; a shocking statistic has the concern of many Americans. However, most people are uninformed about the beneficial impact that genetically modified food has on their diet. GM is the use of molecular biology technology to modify the inherited structure of organisms. Genetically engineered crops increase nutrients, drought tolerance, provide more food for growing populations, and resists diseases and pesticides. Genetically engineered foods are crucial to the improvement of economy, agriculture, society, and health choices. The creation of GM foods was one of the most significant breakthroughs in food industry. Genetically modifying foods is a key component that is harmless for the enrichment of our foods.

People who support GM foods dismiss complaints that they might not be safe to eat. GM foods are likely to be more nutritious and contain smaller amounts of pesticide residues that foods raised by traditional farming methods. Food poisoning agents such as salmonella are natural and they kill thousands of people each year. Lots of plants produce powerful toxins to deter pests. With the technology of GM Crops including beans and cassava (a fruit grown in tropical countries) produce cyanide that can be removed before cooking. This is extremely useful for consumers to eat and for producers to make.

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.