Genetically Modified Organism For Commercial Sale

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

Today about 90% of all GM crops grown in the U.S., and 40% grown worldwide, originate from a company called Monsanto (GM Food). The majority of GM crops consist of corn, cotton, canola, and soybeans. Monsanto started out as a manufacturer of artificial sweetener then developed into an agricultural chemical company that produces herbicides and pesticides. It has since become the leader in GM crops and a political powerhouse. Monsanto has spent millions of dollars lobbying Congress and the White House for support. This is one of the reasons why opponents have had such difficulties in opposing GM crops. Proponents of GM food believe GM crops are the next logical step in agriculture, and that the benefits could far outweigh the possible dangers (GM Food).

One of the greatest accomplishments since 1982 is the invention of GMOs. They were first approved by the FDA in 1982 for Humulin, insulin that has genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. The thinking behind GMOs was to develop crops that were resistant to pests and diseases in addition to improve nutritional content. GMOs have helped numerous people around the world. They have made farmer’s crops have better yields and a more successful growing season. GMOs are beneficial and should be promoted because they are more economical and they increase productivity in agriculture; however, the opposition believes GMOs potentially cause health issues.

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.

Genetically engineered crops in the United States cover almost one quarter of all the cropland. Soybeans, cotton, and corn are the products that tend to be the most modified. GMOs do not only have the purpose of solving world hunger, but also to cure diseases and create vaccines. John and Cheryl talk about Monsanto and DuPont, another big company involved in the production of GMOs. These two companies claim that their products have the purpose of feed the world and at the same time reduce the use of pesticides and stop the production of erosion. Nonetheless, researches have shown that the claims of these companies have no support, since biotechnology has been improving quickly and the current study to prevent bigger mistakes in the future is

GMOs had largely been out of the public view for most of their brief history as the concept of genetically altered life forms stayed in laboratories. There was no concern over the release of edited genomes or the consumption of unnatural foods. In the article “History of GMOs” by Annette McDermott, the Food and Drug Administration is recorded as having approved the first GMO for human use, specifically a diabetic medicine called Humulin in 1987. This opened a floodgate for pharmaceutical and later agricultural companies to develop genetically modified products and seek their approval from the government. The fact that the US government would allow these modified products into the marketplace was a temptation that many companies utilized. The year 1994 would see the introduction of the first approved GMO vegetable to arrive on supermarket shelves: the Flavr Savr tomato was genetically engineered to last longer on store shelves and stay ripe longer, as explained in “History of GMOs” by Annette McDermott. With the transgenic tomato came the age of widespread GMO food use. Corn, soybeans, cotton, and tomatoes are among the most heavily modified crops. In the book “Genetically Engineered Food: A Self-Defense Guide for Consumers” by Ronnie Cummins and Ben Lilliston, it states an estimated “81% of U.S. soybeans, 40 of U.S. corn, 73% of U.S. cotton, [and] over 50% of the U.S. and Canadian canola crop” (pg. 5) is genetically modified. While most of this

directly on individual needs and the honesty of scientists and lawmakers. The best interest of the people is emphasized, in response to the fact that all the risks of GMOs are not yet known. Even though understanding potential risks is of chief importance to human health, GMO proponents make it clear that there is more to GMOs then their potential risks. For example, a newly created genetically altered rice is “outperforming its natural kind—given less moisture, the non- engineered rice browns and wilts, but the new plant survives (Ostrander, “Can GMOs Help…?”)”. The goal of GMO creation is not to be secretive about various risks, but it is to create products that are better than their originals. Monsanto, the prime inventor and activist of GMOs, states his products are “agricultural, including Roundup, an herbicide that the company invented in 1970. Its premier products, among the most common GM crops on the market, are “Round-up Ready”—varieties of soybeans, corn, alfalfa, cotton, canola and sugar beets whose DNA has been modified to keep them from dying when doused with Roundup (Ostrander, “Can GMOs Help…?”)”. Not only are the products shaped to generate more food in a short span of time, but they are crafted with healthful ingredients that can benefit consumers. Monsanto and other GMOs proponents do not want

Moreover, it is not a mystery that the human population continues to increase. The world population was estimated in 2050 to be 9.3 billion, 400 million more than previously estimated. It would seem that GMOs would be seen as a light at the end of the tunnel for 3rd world counties, and the health risks of pesticides, and for the years to come. Nonetheless, many people see GMOs as a major danger to the nation. Genetic engineering and biotechnology is creating new methods to help scientists with the issue of feeding the world. Some people argue that GM technology will replace traditional breeding and this is not the case. The importance of solving the problem of food production for a growing population like ours needs to be without harming the environment and will require traditional breeding and organic farming, plus GM crop technology, used to solve the problem at hand. Our human civilization will have the greatest challenge to ensure sufficient food production in the next few years unless all the methods are used accurately and as necessary. (Herrera-Estrella and Alvarez-Morlaes, 256-257).

The article raises a big question about GMO’s, an issue that we have covered in class and in readings. The issues facing the farmers in over twenty-five states is one of great importance. Farmers who do not use GMO crops are finding that their crops are being damaged by the pesticide even if they are miles away. It has damaged about 4 percent of all the soybean crops in the United States. Sadly, it has also affected vineyards, watermelons,

Genetically modified foods are engineered foods that allow different types of foods to possess different traits. This is when technology allow scientists to transfer different genes to the plant. Genes are what make up a type of plant and some plants are resistant to certain pests which would be transferred to another plant and make that plant resistant. However this could result in different tasting plants or different plants being made. This could have negative effects on the world and even to farmers, who would run out of jobs. Genetically modified foods can have a negative effect by exposing toxins, diseases, and can effect unemployment rates.

The 1990’s ushered in more than Gameboys and a Nebraska – Florida State college football rivalry. It was also a mad-scientists’ delight with the introduction of Dolly, a cloned sheep, and genetic engineering of food. Hoping to create a powerful agricultural tool, chemical companies set out to rearrange the building blocks of life and came back with genetically modified (GM) crop varieties that resist herbicide applications and produce insecticide during the growing process. Whether you are for, against, or indifferent to GM ingredients in your food, consumers should be informed on the questionable practices behind growing GM crops and they have a right to know what they are eating through food labeling.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) is an ongoing controversial issue. GMOs are plant or animal DNA that has been altered to something one would not generally find in nature. The big controversy with genetically modified foods is the unknown. GMOs made their way on the market in 1994, since then there have been speculations with its long-term health effects on humans, and the environment. There has been a split between the consumers, corporations, scientist, and the government because consumers believe they are being lied to. According to the article, “Scientific Controversies as Proxy Politics” by Daniel J. Hicks he states, “88% of scientists said that genetically modified foods are safe to eat, but only 37% of the public agreed” (67).

One of the most controversial topics in today’s society deals with GMO’s, which are Genetically Modified Organisms, or microorganisms, whose genetic material has been altered to contain a segment of DNA from another organism. “Since the 1980s, this technology has been used extensively in the lab by researchers for countless purposes: to make copies of genes or proteins, to determine gene function, to study gene expression patterns, and to create models for human disease.” (Rivard, L.) Take diabetes for example. “In the past insulin was derived from slaughtered pigs and sometimes caused allergic reactions. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, scientists developed a new form of insulin made by genetically

Humans have always lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, but it was not until a couple thousand years ago that they started to transition into an agricultural lifestyle (American Association of Cereal Chemists, 2007). In the 19th century, Gregor Mendel’s genetic theory caused an increase in harvest hybridization which gave rise to new genetic discoveries.This was the start of genetically modified organisms or GMOs. Genetic engineering is the manipulation of genetic materials in organisms leading to a mix of plants, animals and viral genes that do not occur naturally, or through crossbreeding methods creating GMOs (Non Gmo Project). There have been on going debates on the safety of GMOs for human consumption and whether they are hazardous for

Genetically modified foods are a types of foods that have been genetically changed, to add or get rid of an unwanted trait in a food. For example, seedless oranges. This is a type of orange that is genetically modified (had tits genes changed) specifically so it would grow without seeds. Many foods are genetically modified today. Oranges, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, and many others have had their genes changed. In fact, the average person will eat at least one genetically modified food everyday without realizing it. According to a survey by USDA 26% of people asked believed that they had never eaten a genetically modified food.