Genetically Modified Organisms ( Gmo )

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is any organism whose genetics has been altered by some form of technology. GMOs were first developed from the idea of selective breeding or artificial selection. Selective breeding or artificial selection is when humans purposely breed two selected organisms to reproduce a offspring with a desired trait.

Recently, delegates of famine stricken Southern African nations and representatives from the United States and the European Union came together to resolve issues regarding the acceptance of Genetically modified Food aid from the United States of America. Concerns and complications stemmed from humanitarian, economical, social and political grounds.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), have turned into an exceptionally questionable theme here in our reality today. GMOs are life forms that have been developed through a quality joining methodologies of biotechnology or genetics building. This is a moderately new type of science which permits DNA from an individual species to be injected into another species in a research center. This produces blends of plant, creature, microscopic organisms, and viral qualities that don 't show up in conventional crossbreeding systems or found in nature. GMO’s have been liked to several health-related issues, and should be banned by the FDA (Genetically Modified Organisms, N.D. ).

Most of the foods Americans consume today are unhealthy and harmful to the human body. Many foods available are not natural or “real” because they are genetically modified. 80% of the food we consume are processed and genetically modified.

Since 1996, there has been an ongoing controversy over genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and whether they are ethical and safe for the sake of human health and the environment. Recently, the controversy has been centralized around whether companies should be required to disclose GMO use on their labelling. Many people feel strongly that it should be up to the consumer to choose whether to buy a product that contains GMOs or to eat only organic options which are defined by the USDA as being produced “using methods that preserve the environment and avoid most synthetic materials, such as pesticides and antibiotics” (“Organic Agriculture”). Fortunately, there are already ways that concerned consumers can tell if a product contains GMOs, such as through the non-GMO project which believes “consumers in North America should have access to clearly-labeled non-GMO food and products” (“The ‘Non-GMO Project Verified’ Seal”). Although this is a good place to start, the food industry has been using GMOs for a long time now with most of the public still unaware of their dominating presence on supermarket shelves. Labeling the products could be a compromise that satisfies both the consumer and the industry by eliminating liability from companies and increasing awareness for the consumer. Companies should have to disclose their use of GMOs in their labeling because it would allow consumers to make the conscious decision about whether or not to support GMOs.

Genetically modified organisms are an extremely controversial topic, which has many positive and negative effects. As the population of the world increases, more and more food must be produced to sustain all of life on earth. GMOs have incredible potential to eliminate the issue of hunger worldwide and could possibly provide enough food to sustain the entire globe. Genetically modified Organisms can be plants or animals which contain their own special properties modified by humans, but often have to do with increasing the yield of a food. There are many people who fear that GMOs are harmful and have some unwanted side effects. The pros and cons of using GMOs are vast in their own way. By using them the correct way, we could safely provide

The use of GM seeds is however just one example of how the global agricultural system has disrupted food production in developing countries, resulting in the structural violence of hunger. One of the greatest challenges confronted by farmers in developing countries is unfair trade practices, such as subsidies granted to farmers by developed states, coupled with high import tariffs. Bureau, Jean and Matthews (2005: 7) found that unfair trade practice negatively impact farmers in developing countries to the extent that they are unable to compete with their counterparts in the developed world, thus leading to agricultural economies failing to provide in the basic necessities of communities.

As human beings, we rely on food every day, and without it we wouldn’t be able to function properly. Over the decades, with our fast pace advances in production and new technology we are able to produce large quantities of food with Genetically Modified Organisms. GM foods are produced because of the idea that consumers and producers both have an advantage to obtaining these products. For Example, GM products hold many benefits, from nutritional value to durability against environment. GM productions were concentrated mostly on producers to benefit the farmers in their products by aiming to increase the crop protection and resistance to plant diseases or viruses. Considering these new advances; consumers, farmers and policymakers worldwide are challenged to reach consent with a clear vision for the future of the world’s food supply. The contemporary GMO food debate illustrates the serious conflict between two groups: Biological Recombinant DNA investors and affiliated scientists who consider this technology a solution to food shortages; and independent scientists, environmentalists, farmers and consumers that suggest these advances increase risk to environmental and health issues.

Genetically Modified Organisms also known as GMO’s are commonplace items today on the shelves of the local grocery store, or even the racks of the local department store. Technology today has allowed companies to modify the genetics of everything from corn and soybeans, to cotton and salmon. It hasn’t been known until now how many products really contain these genetically modified organisms. This paper will discuss the origins of GMO’s, the companies that produce these GMO’s, how GMO’s are created, the risks and benefits associated with GMO’s, and finally the ethical standpoint of GMO’s.

Agricultural History characterized capital substitution; land and labor, restructuring of agriculture from the decline of farms and growth of larger ones. The industrial countries such as the United States and Argentina have appreciated crop areas for GMO. “Agricultural development is a broadly shared goal in less developed countries, and the history of agricultural evolution demonstrates unambiguously that technological change is a necessary part of development” (Brush). It is plausible that “GMOs’ negative consequences will be more serious in developing than in developed countries because of the former’s environmental and social conditions” (Brush). “Lack of information or illiteracy may deprive citizens of developing countries of the ability to make informed decisions about food safety” (Brush). Poor countries have “insufficient regulatory infrastructure to develop and enforce bio-safety protocols for GMOs” (Brush). Many people in poverty mean that a negative social impact of GMOs that hurts small farms. Furthermore, the social impact of GMO products is continuously increasing globally.

According to Brock Biology of Microorganisms, a genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genome have been altered using genetic engineering (Madigan, Martinko, Bender, Buckley, and Stahl, 2014). GM products include crops and animals, such as soy, cottonseed, alfalfa, papaya, canola, and sugar beets. Throughout the years there has been arguments about the safety of consuming GM products. Some countries believe that GMOs are not safe to consume while other countries believe that they are safe to consume. More than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, have restriction or bans the production and sale of GM products. However, in the U.S. GM products have been

Southern Africa is a hotbed for expanding GMOs and a prime example of the tense interplay between GM crops and species endangerment.

In contribution to the contamination of my local crops, I feared that once the drought and the famine ended, my export with the European Nation will be jeopardized. If the possibility of having a contamination caused by the GM crops planted by several farmers, such a transfer will disrupt my trade and cause me to lose my export markets in the European nation. According to Taylor and Tick (2001), an increasing number of crops that are lawfully grown and sold in the country cannot be lawfully sold in some foreign markets. When questioning the European Nation about the possibility of exporting such crops, the nation decided that they will not accept GM crops for any reason. Fortunately, if I do accept the United States substantial offer, and I lose my export trade with the European nation, the United States offered a trade with them, which indeed creates a significant investment in my country and it generates several jobs to the population.

In 2002, a scourge of famine and hunger emerged in Southern Africa, threatening the lives of millions while sweeping through the many underdeveloped countries of Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This epidemic, induced by drought, economic crises, HIV/AIDS, and high inflation of staple food prices, was addressed in a 2002 conference between the representatives from the United States, European Union, and African Nations. However, this debate encompassed a convoluted friction between proponents of their own respective form of aid. The European Union would offer monetary aid while the United States would offer food aid in the form of genetically modified corn supplied by the US Agency for International Development or USAID. For every moment that had passed in the conference, the plague of hunger, HIV, and an inequitable disarray of food accessibility would further ravage the African countries; therefore, it was crucial to accept the corn as a quick and effective means of relief. In the face of a dilemma of such great magnitude, the African nations had decided to accept the aid from the US delegation in the form of GM cornmeal. The main objective of the aid program was to prevent an African famine on a large scale, while repairing and adjusting the smaller intricacies of the nations. Although the controversy of the GM content in corn would generate an immense burden of apprehension on the shoulders of the African

(5) The possibility of introducing genetically modified foods to these developing nations will increase farm yields and help feed growing population demands, while at the same making the price of food cheaper. For example, Monsanto’s GMO sweet potato would require less herbicides to grow while increasing yields up to 25%. (6) With five countries (the United States, Canada, China, Brazil, and Argentina) making up 96% of the world’s genetically modified crops (3), there exists an opportunity for future growth in developing countries, which is where this technology is needed the most.