Misconception Of Gmo

A GMO is a genetically modified organism that goes through the process of genetic engineering. This is when genes of one organism are extracted, altered, and then artificially placed into another organism to then grow. We typically see GMOs in the food we consume every day. These foods include fruits and vegetables, however the most common organisms that are genetically engineered include, corn, soy, and cotton. It is ultimately the unnatural cross breeding of plants, animals, bacteria, and virus genes (Non-GMO Project). But now why is there a debate for placing a label to notify consumers of GMOs in their foods? Do we know the potential harm that GMOs can cause? We have the right to know what we are putting into our bodies and what is found in our everyday foods.

A new kind of foods called the genetically modified foods has been creating a quiet revolution in the American market for the past several years. Scientists are able to produce these new foods by transferring genes from one organism into another across species boundaries. This new technique has been developed to improve the shelf life, nutritional content, flavor, color, and texture of foods. Since 1994, about 45 genetically modified foods such as tomato, corn, soybeans, canola, and potatoes have been marketed in the United States. About two-thirds of foods that are processed in U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. So, we the people are consuming these foods without realizing the fact that they are not produced naturally.

Many will argue that Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs) are not safe for human consumption, however they are almost inevitable for our everyday food consumption. Some argue that the recent increase in gluten intolerance is caused by GMO foods (Argument against). Other state that the risk to humans by GMO’s is relatively small (The GMO”). The bottom line is what people put into their bodies is a personal choice and a person should be able to easily tell if a product has been genetically modified or not.

In this unit, the two periods of biology studied and learned more about GMO’s. We looked into things such as breeding and eugenics and how exactly it relates to the overall action of genetically modifying organisms. A genetically modified organism is the result of a gene from one organism, purposefully being changed to improve another organism. According to americanradioworks, organisms were being manipulated dating all the way back to prehistoric times to the 1900s. Farmers and naturalists began to notice “hybrid” plants, being produced through natural breeding. In 1900, European plant scientist began using Gregor Mendel's genetic theory to manipulate plants to produce a more desirable outcome. This means that Organisms have been getting genetically modified for years. Although the event of this action dates back for years, controversies are still shared in classrooms and homes, about whether GMOs are a necessary part of today’s life.

In December 2014, a Harvard professor wrote an article outlining the many benefits of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and why it is a good idea to use them. This professor is now surrounded by controversy because he failed to note his connection to the largest producer of GM seeds, Monsanto, who not only told him to write the article but also gave him the major points he was to address. Why was this such a huge deal, and why did Monsanto want a pro-GMO article out there so badly? The GMO debate is largely controversial, but largely misunderstood because of the misinformation given by biased writers, such as John Hibma, a nutritionist and author who wrote the article “More Pros Than Cons.” What many people do not realize is that genetic modification is a serious issue and that articles like Hibma’s fail to disclose the truth about the numerous health, crop, and environmental concerns surrounding GMOs.

GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It is a organism that has had changes introduced into its DNA by using techniques of genetic engineering. Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods that are produced by this method. Genetically modified crops were first introduced to the marketplace in the 1990s. Various different companies started emerging and began to grow many different modified crops including tomatoes and corn. Livestock is fed GM feed, and recently a genetically modified salmon was approved for human consumption. Our society and other nations should limit the consumption of GM foods until their safety can be proven and their disadvantages are corrected.

The production of GMO’s and or use, is wrong from a Christian perspective. God made everything that humans see today, and god made it beautiful. In the book of Genesis, it describes god’s process of making the world that he gifted to humans to be stewards of. He charged humans with the care of the beautiful garden of Eden. (Holy Bible Genesis 2:15) The Bible also reads “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Holy Bible Psalm 24:1) The Earth was not the creation of man but of God, although he made it for man to dwell, it still belongs to God. This is very similar to man’s bodies, alike the earth man’s body is not their own but God’s and we are also charged to take care of our own bodies. (Holy

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

GMO’s are commonly misunderstood to be a negative way of producing food but contrary to popular belief they actually benefit americans and help america prosper. A GMO is a crop or livestock animal that has had its DNA altered and specific changes made to receive the desired result. Certain parts of DNA are either taken from or added to and organism to somehow better it. The use of GMOs in not as new as most citizens may think and can be very beneficial. GMOs are used quite often, they can

“I have a lot of opinions,” Gibson said, “but what really ruffles my feathers is when I see these campaigns about anti-GMOs and antibiotic free chicken.”

The conflict of GMOs has changed a little over time but not as dramatically as some of the public believes. The amount of GMO crops has increased substantially, as well as the profit from the crops. But the overall conflict, the views on the issue the measures to stop or change GMOs has gone almost nowhere. (Ballotpedia) The conflict has always been about the same issue and the solutions have always been along the same premise. To stop using GMOs as a food source, or recently to make non-GMO products labeled. The only thing that has changed is the companies that control the GMOs have grown considerably since the controversy has started. (disabled-world) (Food Democracy)

This article from NBC News discuses an upcoming breakthrough in the scientific field of GMO. Recently, the meat industry has been soaring to new heights with higher demands. This obviously means that the amount of livestock needed to fulfill the wants of society must also rise. However, it is no radical notion that the animals must grow and be at their peak for them to be available for the slaughter. Time is required for this and if the industry is rapidly growing then there will eventually be a shortage of the needed livestock. Not to mention the aspect of methane that would dramatically skyrocket if we, as humans, wiped out all of the meat producing animals, especially cows. Maastricht University has come up with a possible fix for this impending

Do you hate the environment? Do you hate people with diseases that can’t be treated with regular medicine? If you said no to any of these that you are for GMO’s. Even though many people are against them scientist think in the future believe that with a little more research we can cure any disease with GMO’s. You be asking why would people be against GMO’s in the first place? It is probably because they aren’t informed about why GMO’s good, and that is what I will be talking about.

“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.

With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated.