Genetically Modified Food and Crops

There has been much controversy about whether people should actually be eating these manipulated foods and crops. Although people ask if it is safe for human and animal consumption, they continue to do it without really knowing the consequences. Scientists and farmers use poisonous herbicides inside crops and foods. GMO’s are also the reason for “super weeds” and “super bugs” which can only be killed with more toxic poisons. Although the long-term effects for eating and using GMO’s are unknown, humans should exercise caution.

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

In a perfect world, what would everyone have? Well, they most likely would have good health, money, stability, and proper environment to live very productive lives. This is what people strive to have, but very few receive. Why? There are many reasons. One reason might be the lack of agricultural advancement in many countries. If these countries were to embrace genetically modified crops, the citizens would have much better lives. According to Osakabe, Yuriko, Kajita, and Osakabe, in their article “Genetic Engineering Of Woody Plants: Current And Future Targets In A Stressful Environment”, genetic engineering in plants is better than traditional breeding methods because “…they bypass the long generation for breeding…” (106).

Genetically modified foods have contributed to better foods in terms of food quality and human health.

While the agricultural world is working hard to make positive influences on more efficient farming, individuals have treated GMO’s as a negative alteration in their produce. Farmers and researchers in the agricultural world claim no harm can be done by them. GMO’s have not yet been proven to be harmful to humans and have, in fac,t had a positive impact on the food industry today.

Genetically modified crops are an incredibly important issue that everyone should be aware of since it is something we are exposed to at a daily basis. Genetically modified crops also known as GM crops or Biotech crops has been one of the most heated debates of issues within our society. The debate about the safety, concerns and disadvantages of GM crops have raged since the mid 1990 's but this is due to the lack of knowledge of the general public. Many people are unaware of what the GM crops actually are and what they offer. Genetically modified crops are plants that are used in the agriculture and have been modified to initiate a new trait to plants that does not happen naturally in the species. These plants are modified using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits. GM crops are made when genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another.() There are many methods used for the production of GM crops but the two primary used for plant insertion are gene guns and agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are also three types of modifications which are transgenic, cisgenic, and subgenic plants. However, there are a number of issues that surround this controversial topic such as environmental, health, and economic concerns. Even though there are some worrying facts about GM crops people don 't realize the advantages or the ways it has helped humans as well as animals. There are many reasons why GM crops are proven

Over the past decades, agriculture technology and productivity has been changing drastically to fit the needs of the world population. The largest agricultural production country, the United States, has been experiencing these changes more rapidly just to meet these agricultural demands. This in turn has lead to serious controversies over the ethics and morals of some agricultural practices, namely Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). With the US population increasing every year, US farmers had to develop some way to meet the high demands of the people, therefore, GMOs were developed to help increase crop yields while also helping farmers financially by using less pesticides and herbicides.

It has been shown that some GM crops can be less nutritious and possibly toxic in comparison to natural food. Because of this, many large countries such as Japan have put bans on GMO containing foods. GM foods are not labeled in the US and other countries so consumers are not monitored for health conditions that may result from long term use. Some reports have also linked GMO to possible cancers. In addition to the health effects, GMO crop technology can affect smaller farmers and our environment. GM crops are too expensive for the smaller farmers to grow, forcing the smaller farms into debt or off their land. This hurts the economy, as farms are disappearing while large GMO food companies are taking over. In addition, the initial drop in herbicide use on GM crops that was reported has now been followed up with a large increase in use due to the resistance that has developed, and farmers have had to use more and more powerful chemicals on crops. These chemicals are toxic to people, livestock and may possibly contaminate the

While these are valid concerns, they are entirely wrong. According to the World Health Organization in 2005, “GM foods currently traded on the international market have passed risk assessments in several countries and are not likely to present risks for human health” (Novella). Many of those who are anti-GMO claim that GMOs are not safe because they do not know enough about them or they have heard far too many conflicting reports. While there are many reports that claim that GMOs are detrimental to the environment, the three agencies that oversee GM crops, the FDA, USDA, and EDA, have ruled that these crops do not pose any real threat. Since the beginning of the GM crop in 1996, there have been 2,497 approvals of the safety of GMOs in the environment and 1,129 of these approvals have been for the food safety of the products (Monsanto). This further disproves the claim that GMOs are unsafe for humans and the environment and reassures that there is no risk involved in either the consumption or the planting of GM

Through scientific research there have been no substantial findings of harmful side effects on eating foods that have been genetically modified. In his article,” National Academy of Sciences Report on GMOs”, Steven Novella states that “It is especially compelling that over the last two decades, animals and humans exposed to GMOs have not experienced any relative increase in any major disease” (Novella). With over 20 years of observations and conclusions, there has been no evidence to support the argument that GMOs are harmful to humans or animals. Furthermore, Alan McHughen, in his article, “A Path Forward”, says “Every major scientific body in the U.S. and around the world has reviewed independent research related to GM crops and food and has concluded they are as safe as food and crops developed from other methods in use today” (McHughen). Thousands of reports and findings

On recent years, Genetically Modify Organism (GMOs) are becoming a major topic for argument on American consumers. Recent studies are starting to prove how dangerous they are. More animal right groups are coming on how GMOs contribute to animal cruelty. Also, scientist are starring to warn the public on the effects GMO farming has in the Ecosystem. Finally, medical studies conducted in foreign countries show the negative impact GMO foods have on humans.

Genetically modified organisms is a topic that has been hotly debated for many years; stemming from the central question of the future legality of GMOs, the question rages whether GMOs are the key to alleviating several of the world’s struggles or if they are too riddled with dangerous ramifications. Advocates argue GMOs offer positive health effects. Additionally, they insist GMOs offer improved crop yield; nevertheless, opponents claim GMOs cause adverse health effects like increases in allergic reactions. Similarly, opponents maintain GMOs harm the environment through increased dependence on the use of herbicides. Some experts argue

Freeman states, one of the major concerns that the opposing scientist and researchers have are "GM foods are unsafe to eat because they are altered from their original state." GM supporters argue that GM foods are safe because few genes are altered. Stating "such precision makes it much less likely to produce unexpected results"(Freeman, 633). According to Bernstein, "health effects of primary concern to safety assessors are production of new allergens, increased toxicity, decreased nutrition, and antibiotic resistance" (Bernstein et al., 2003). Research has shown that even with such subtle changes to the DNA of any living organism it could potentially have hazardous effects. According to research performed by Dr. Judy Carman and Dr. Natalie Parletta," GM plants may unexpectedly produce new, toxic substances because "GM inserts are placed randomly into the plant 's DNA. Some inserts may influence the expression of the plant 's genes in unintended or unpredictable ways." Some of the effects could vary from, the plant reducing its productivity to possibly producing a wild gene from an ancestor. Another negative effect is that "new DNA or proteins from GM foods could be taken up by the bacteria in our gut or tissues in the body resulting in illnesses." Advocates for GM foods would argue that these proteins would be processed therefore never effecting our bodies

However, these risks are purely speculative: 81 separate studies costing approximately $65 million have been conducted by the European Commission alone and have shown no evidence of any risk linked to GM foods (1). Indeed, the U.S. has concluded that the risk of GM crops is minimal. As a result, in the U.S., genetically altered crops accounted for 93% of planted soybeans and cotton and 86% of corn in 2009. (2). Considering the success and benefits of GM crops in America, developing countries have followed suit. In 2009, India planted 84,000 square kilometers of genetically modified cotton, and Brazil planted 214,000 square kilometers of GM soybeans, a 26% increase from the year before (3). Like the U.S., these countries conducted a risk-benefit analysis and concluded that the economic, health, and food surplus benefits of GM crops offset the unproven risks (4). Thus, agricultural biotechnology is being implemented in farming techniques throughout the world.

“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.