Genetically Modified Foods Essay

A. Supporters will tell you that GMOs help produce more nutritious tastier foods, disease and drought resistant plants, increased supply of food to help feed the world, reduced pesticide use, economic and environmental benefits, and reduced energy use.

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.

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

As a society we tend to disagree with each other on many topics especially social issues and on the importance of them, but we can all agree that world hunger is one of the main problems. World hunger is led by death, poverty, and so much more, and for years we have tried to find ways to stop it, but it’s hard since our world is expanding. The greater our population, the more mouths we need feed, and since we already have more than half of our population starving the fear is that we will run out of food. This is where the idea of genetically modified foods is presented as a solution to help and fix these age long question about hunger. Genetically modified foods have been proven to have some good benefits in helping out the world;

Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug pushed the boundaries of conventional farming through biotechnology. He bred crops with desirable characteristics to manipulate the DNA. He is credited for saving billions of lives. This proves that a genetically modified crop or organism can be safe and can help conquer world hunger. This leads into how U.N. agencies discuss hunger crisis. “Essentially, biotechnology improves the characteristics and requirements of food crops through manipulation of plant DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid], or genetic engineering, creating a GMO. Such plants have better insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, and the sustainability of cultivation is increased by minimizing use of pesticides and fertilizers” (Weisser). This can change how we protect crops without using pesticides. Still scientist all over the world are looking for many ways to help world hunger. GMO’s are one of those ways. They are not as bad as people see them. One day GMO’s will save the

GMO's and more specifically GM corn is a very beneficial route for humanity to take when it comes to the future of agriculture. With many benefits to not only those consuming but to the farmers producing them and even to less developed nations if exported and planted en masse, it could save hundreds of thousands from starvation. Now

At first glance, the possibility an enhanced food supply promises many possibilities. Generally, GM foods are thought to be the solution the world hunger crisis. Today, the world’s total population exceeds six billion humans and continues to grow (Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful?). In fact, the world population is predicted to double in the next 50 years. (Genetically Modified Foods). Meeting this need will prove to be a huge challenge, but research proves that GM food can ensure a food production schedule of 17% more food than necessary for each human daily (Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods).

Even though GMO sounds like an evil thing that makes crazy mutant fruit, it doesnt. It is actually very helpful. One really good thing that it does, is that it increases crop output. They provide more crop at one time. Secondly, they are higher in nutrition, all because of being injected with hormones that increase the nutrition levels. Also, the costs of GMO induced foods, is that they might cost less than organic foods because, GMO induced foods are so much easier and more common to find.

The first reason genetically modified foods are beneficial to the society is that they can feed all of the growing population. Genetically modified foods have been said to help end world hunger if people begin to grow them (“Genetically modified organism (GMO)”). With a growing population which has to be fed, will require agriculture to do a better job in using water, nutrients, and energy, while reducing pollution.

Firstly, according to source B, “Around 30% of food is lost before it can be harvested because it’s eaten by pests.” If we use GM foods, we can save food while we save money. GM food can be able to solve the problem by creating pest resistant stains. Also reports state that we can feed nine billion people sustainably and healthily.

And, although many concerns have been expressed about the potential for unexpected consequences, the unexpected effects that have been observed so far have been benign” (“Nina Fedoroff”). With that being said, modified crops are not as bad as many people think. In fact, evidence has been found that genetically modified crops actually benefit the world’s economic and environmental condition. Whether the food helps feed starving children in Africa, or improves the taste of the potato chips that the average American man is eating right now, genetically modified crops have many advantages. Although some scientists may argue that genetically modifying crops have negative impacts, genetically modified crops have positive consequences on society because they help preserve the environment, they have more nutritional value than their organic counterparts, and they heal worldwide hunger.

“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.

The creation of food in the United States has not been a problem thanks to modern technology which allowed farmers to cultivate food in larger portions at a faster rate. Some methods used benefited the cultivators while some only caused more damage. Genetically Modified Food is one of those methods that has caused controversy between people because it has fewer benefits than disadvantages. GM foods are foods “that have acquired one or more genes by artificial means”(Simon et al. 221). In other words,this means that genes are altered so that specific genes are inserted into future crops.

Another health concern for Genetically Modified foods is an increase is food allergies. Food Allergy affects approximately 6% of children and 3% of adults in Australia and lately has become a major public health issue (Bakshi, 2003). Allergic reactions occur when a usually harmless proteins enter the body and causes an immune response (Bernstein et al., 2003). If the protein in a Genetically Modified food originates from a source that is known to cause allergic reactions in humans or a source that has never been consumed by humans as food, the protein could evoke the immune response in humans increases. No allergic reactions to Genetically Modified foods by the public have been confirmed, evidence suggesting that some Genetically Modified food products could cause an allergic reaction has motivated a number of biotechnology companies to discontinue their development (Bakshi, 2003). Another serious concern for Genetically Modified foods is the production of "super bugs", scientists are finding that Genetically Modified crops are a breeding

Hunger is currently one of the world’s most widespread crises, affecting millions of people. In every single country of the world, there are people that go to bed without food on a regular basis, and many that end up dying of starvation. One way that the eradication of hunger has been attempted is by increasing the amount of food in the world, so that there is enough to go around. Scientists have tried to do this by creating new species of crops, using genetic engineering. Though genetically modified foods were originally created to improve agriculture, their negative effects greatly outweigh their positive ones.