It’s likely that you see them every day, and even eat them – still, hearing the words Genetically Modified Organism, or GMO, causes a feeling of uneasiness with most consumers. Much of society seems to think of genetically modified organisms as a completely unnatural and twisted presence in nature. However, the presence of GMOs has led to groundbreaking discoveries that are offering solutions to many of humanity’s biggest issues. We all know that food is crucial to human existence. Therefore, each and every one of us rely on sustainable agriculture. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs released an article titled “World Population Projected to Reach 9.6 Billion by 2050 – UN Report” that claimed our population will …show more content…
al). GMOs able to be used in a variety of different facets of agriculture and can be of great benefit to fight world hunger and malnutrition, as well as help sustain our environment. Anna-Karin Kolseth, Tina D’Hertefeldt, Maren Emmerich, Flavio Forabosco, Stefan Marklund, Tanya E. Cheeke, Sara Hallin, and Martin Weih authored an article titled "Influence of Genetically Modified Organisms on Agro-ecosystem Processes” for the 2015 edition of Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. In said article, the authors explain that with the current problems of loss of biodiversity and limited arable lands, biotech crops contribute to a sustainable intensification strategy that allows productivity to be increased on the current 1.5 billion hectares of global crop land. Therefore, forests and biodiversity are able to be preserved. As with conventional crops, the technology also should be used together with proper farming practices such as rotations and resistance management (Kolseth).
The Flavr Savr tomato, the first commercially marketed GM crop (genetically modified crop), was created in 1992 by Calgene, a California company. The company’s researchers were able to inhibit a gene that produces a protein that makes
GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their
In the essay “Genetically Modified Food: Watching What We Eat,” by Julie Cooper, she argues against the rampant use of genetically modified food (GMO) without any current form of regulation. Cooper discusses the possibility of health risks to those consuming foods with altered genes and the food’s capabilities to have far-reaching health risks. She continues with a discussion as to how and why the creation and use of the GMOs have become so unregulated. She then discusses the response, which is the public’s cry for their right to make informed choices. Other topics discusses are the political, environmental, and corporate ramifications of the rise of GMOs.
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
We live in a Gilded age of produce. Within the past couple of years, GMOS replaced our original, natural diet with these “genetically altered” foods. GMO, or genetically modified organism, is defined as “a plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified using recombinant DNA methods (also called gene splicing), gene modification, or transgenic technology” (Non-GMO Project). What may be perceived as healthy salad at first glance, may just be a bowl of genetically modified “food”. These are underlying problems not recognized by most of the public. The use of GMOs creates endless risks and pose a threat to the environment, genetic diversity, and future.
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
Genetically modified food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed
In todays society, people are more concerned about what they put into their body. They eat healthy and maintain a stable diet, but unknown to a number of these people is their food may have been tampered with in the form of Genetically Modified Organisms or, for short, GMO's. Genetically Modified Organisms are plants or animals whose DNA has been altered to favor a certain characteristic or trait which is already in the DNA. This includes enhancing the DNA in plants to make them bigger, invincible to pests, or invincible towards weeds. Although, the reason why GMO's are a controversial topic is because of lack of knowledge. Genetically Modified Organisms are risky and potentially to dangerous to be handling because of the unknown side effects
In an ever changing world, there are only a few things that are certain that all people need. It is said that a human can last three minutes without air, three hours without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. The typical American farmer in 2017 feeds about 155 people compared to the 25.8 people in 1960. The thought of genetically modified organisms is nothing more than just a regulatory muddle. Agriculture is such a widely conversed topic however, through extensive research, international experiments, and general education, it is clear that genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are safe on all aspects as well as necessary to continue to feed the people.
All over the world, people are dying from empty stomachs, empty pockets, and empty hearts. John Robbins from the Huffington Post, in his article, “Can GMO’s Help End World Hunger?” presents the pros and cons taken into account when this touchy topic hits the table. He sheds light on the ugly truth behind biotechnical companies and their real intention concerning GMO’s across the world. Genetically modified organisms could be the end of world hunger however, that is not the goal for the biotech industry. A resolution for this problem will not be reached due to companies like Monsanto’s vision of maximum profit over all else.
Humanity’s advancements over the course of history have been due to major technological milestones. Of these milestones, arguably the most important has been the advent of agriculture. Agriculture has allowed humans to store food in surplus which frees them from slaving in fields and allows focus on more scholarly and artistic pursuits. As time has progressed, agriculture itself reach important advances, from selective breeding to artificial fertilizer. However, one of the most recent advances in modern times has been met with suspicion and distrust. Genetically modified organisms, commonly referred to as GMOs, have begun to be used in commercial agricultural and their widespread use in food for humans and livestock is on the rise. Many
“In a sweeping 400-page report, the country’s top scientific group found there was not evidence to support claims that genetically modified organisms are dangerous for either the environment or human health” (Heikkinen, 2016). Even Europe, a country that does not use this technology has proven that GMOs are a safe food source. “There is a scientific consensus, even in Europe, that the GMO foods and crops currently on the market have brought no documented new risks either to human health or to the environment” (Paarlberg, 2010). The biggest argument against GMOs would be that they are not safe to humans or the environment, but there has not yet been any documented evidence that approved GMOs have brought on new risks either to humans, animals or the environment (Paarlberg, 2010). Along with being scientifically proven numerous times to be a safe food source, there is also no confirmation that GMOs pose any risk to humans, animals, or the environment. “The central issue with GM crops is that because there are no concrete adverse effects for people to quantify, they can only focus on theoretical and largely unquantifiable ones” (Buiatti, Christou, & Pastore, 2013). Hundreds of experts have all concluded that GMOs have not presented any new risks to humans. “The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris organized a conference with 400 expert
Well over 80 percent of crops and foods that people eat everyday are genetically modified, many people do not know this. Genetically modified foods (GMO’s) can ruin the world and more importantly the physical and mental health of humans. This problem can ultimately lead to the end of the world, the only way to fix the problem is to stop producing GMO foods. The world struggles on whether or not GMO foods are good to eat, or if the need to find a way to stop making these types of foods. People need to know that GMO’s are not good for their bodies and that they can cause environmental damage, also a lot of health problems. Everyone needs to come together and get rid of GMO's, so they world will not come to an end.
The human population is growing rapidly. With the growth in the human population, the demand for food is also growing at an unprecedented rate. Arguably, farms are unable to naturally provide the world’s population the food needed by natural means. This may seem like a big issue, but humans came up with an ingenious solution: genetically modified organisms, commonly known as GMO’s. Genetically modified food has been able to offset the worlds growing demand for food, and all our food problems seem to be solved. Or have they? I will use information from: Wendell Berry’s, The Pleasures of Eating, Jon Entine and JoAnna Wendel’s, 2000+ reasons Why GMO’s Are Safe to Eat, Robin Mather’s, The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods, along with references from Food Inc., to explain how genetically modified food is being used in a way that negatively affects the livestock, our health, the ecosystem, and the potential threats genetically modified crops have on our future.
GMOs can help feed the future. The reasoning for this is because GMOs are capable of surviving the harsh conditions of the environment, so farmers have the capability to preserve water and energy in order to feed the future. Furthermore the article “GMOs and the Environment” mentions that “the total land devoted to agriculture around the globe is 20,000,000 square miles. That’s more than five times the area of the united states. The availability of farmland is essential to agricultural production. And yet, the availability of new land suitable for crop production is limited”(3). This key information shows the true importance of agriculture land and how this land will play a vital role ,but it is limited for the sheer fact that farmland is
World Hunger is one of the biggest problems that our world faces, with more people dying from starvation every year in third world countries people are dying from a cause that is very preventable. Consumers around the world need to know that genetically modified crops are safe, healthy and extremely beneficial to economies and individuals, not just in third world countries but across the entire world. There are hundreds of relief efforts around the world that gather money through donations of people, and then try to gather enough food to feed starving people in places like Africa. However small organizations are never going to be enough to help