Negtive Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOS) Essay

Now, some of you may be wondering, “What exactly are GMOs,” or “Why should I care about them?” GMOs stand for genetically modified, or engineered, organisms. Scientists GM foods by inserting genes from an unrelated species into another. The explanation given from scientists on why they do this is for the safety of our health. It is believed that genetically modifying foods are to 'strengthen,' or enhance the food product. However, rather than aid our health like it was

“Sixty to seventy percent of all processed foods available on store shelves contain genetically modified ingredients”, according to George Erdosh and Marcia Amidon Lusted in “To GMO or not to GMO? Genetically engineered food has strong advocates and harsh critics.” Genetically modified organisms can be found in most conventional food processed in the United States., and gGenetic modification of crops is extremely common on classic Minnesotan farm plants, such as, corn and soybeans. They can also be found in papaya and zucchini, even animals such as cows and pig. In fact, the definition of (GMO) as reported by Alex K. Rich and Tom Warhol, authors of “Genetically Modified Foods: An Overview,””, is, “food in which, at some point during the production process molecules and proteins are chemically altered to give the food more nutrients, a better appearance, and a longer shelf life.” As a matter of fact, a majority of all the foods found at the grocery store are genetically altered. However, many people do not know what a genetic modification really is, or that the idea has been around for many years. GMOs are used to control pests and weeds. As the opposite of Non-GMO farming, this is accomplished by changing the genetic makeup of the plant, by using new technologies and techniques that allow for the use of specific chemicals.

There are two types of GMO; herbicide tolerant and self-generating insecticide. “The herbicide tolerant variety are designed to survive high doses of toxic weed killers” (Must-Avoid Foods: Linking GMO to Toxicity and Disease, 2012). When the toxic weed killers get used on these crops, some of the toxins end up in the weed in the food. What is alarming is that the toxic weed killers are actually linked to birth defects, cancer, and hormone disruption (Must-Avoid Foods: Linking GMO to Toxicity and Disease, 2012). The self-generating insecticide such as corn, produces their own insecticide in each and every cell (Swanson, Genetically Modified Organisms and the deterioration of health in the United States, 2013). When insects eats the corn or any other food with the insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) toxin, the insecticide breaks open the stomach of insects in order to kill them. Although this supposedly applies only to insects, studies have shown that the BT-toxin can also break the wall of

The very First GMO ever to be created was in 1973 from bacteria. Over time GMOs have made their way into our food supply. GMOs have been around since it was first introduced to soybeans in 1999, now about 89% of soybeans are genetically modified along with 80% of cotton and 61% of Corn in 2006. Today more than 80% of processed food is or have a GMO ingredient.GMOs are not used to Enhanced Health or nutrition GMOs are to make the plants herbicide tolerance and bug tolerance. Growing evidence has connects gmos with health problems environmental damage Major research on GMO is

Gmo’s or genetically modified organisms rising, are mostly crop’s or food that has been modified to taste better and also to produce certain vitamins and minerals. Although lately in the 21st century there has been talk of these so called gmo’s , but before we get into it we must answer. What is a gmo? Well to answer it. A gmo is an organism or lifeform that has been genetically modified to have extra “effects” such as having a certain appearance or simply resisting a certain type of pesticide or product. That is considered non-harmful to humans or simply to make it produce a certain type of vitamin or mineral to help with human diet consumption.

Multitudinous Americans consume GMOs every day and are unaware of what they are eating. GMOs are created by attaching different strands of DNA together, which bring new genetic material into an organism’s DNA. These man-made organisms were first introduced in foods to allow them to stay fresh for a longer period of time. As a result, the longer the shelf life is, the easier it is for shipping and maximizing the producer’s profit. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, first approved GMOs safe for humans to eat in 1994. The Flavr Tomato was the first modified food allowed for sale because it had a slower ripening rate compared to the standard tomato (Woolsey). After a short twenty years of being on the market, GE foods currently make up a majority of the foods in America. Nearly “90% of corn, 94% of soy, and 90% of cottonseed grown in the US are from genetically engineered seeds” (“Just Label It FAQS”). The most common and commercialized GE crops are corn, soy, cotton, alfalfa, canola, papaya, sugar beets, and zucchini (“Getting GMOs and Toxins Out of Our Food”). These ingredients are primarily found in packaged foods, e.g., chips, cereals, ice cream, cookies, crackers, candies, high fructose corn syrup soda, and frozen dinners.

what are GMO’s? GMO’s are (Genetically Modified Organisms in food). Scientist are genetically altering food with unhealthy GMO’s, therefore food companies should naturally grow and raise their food, should have to meet higher health standards, and the government should think about outlawing GMO’s. GMO’s were introduced in 1994 to the store and approved by the FDA. When companies have food with GMO’s in it they are required by law to label that this food has GMOs in it. GMO’s are most common in corn, soy, cotton, and animal.

What are GMOs you are probably wondering?It stands for Genetically Modified Organism.This means that they modify food to look better and keep it ripe.In the article GMOs:Pros and cons it states”Scientists Genetically engineer seeds for many reasons .For example ,they sometimes make changes designed to increase a plant's resistance to insects,tolerance to herbicides,tolerance to heat,cold,or drought,crop yield.”This significantly tells us

A GMO is a genetically modified organism. GMOs are living organisms that have been changed and modified in laboratories through genetic engineering. Over the years, scientists, researchers, breeders, and farmers have been working to change and modify plants to better fit human needs. 10,000 years ago, humans began crop domestication using selective breeding and in the 1700s, scientists and farmers began cross-breeding plants within a species. Though the 1940s and 1950s, researchers looked for other ways to introduce genetic variation into the gene pool of plants. In the 1980s researchers created a more controllable way to create plants with more desirable traits resulting in the first GMOs being introduced to the market place in the 1990s.

A GMO (genetically modified organism) “is the result of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially forced into the genes of an unrelated plant or animal”. “The foreign genes may come from bacteria, viruses, insects, animals or even humans” (IRT). Genetic modification is often used to produce food. Food began being genetically modified around the 80s or 90s. GMOs are present in most processed foods in the US. “In the United States today a huge proportion of the most commonly grown commodity crops are genetically engineered: 95% of the nation's sugar beets, 94%of the soybeans, 90% of the cotton and 88% of the feed corn, according to the 2011 International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech

 Commercial Farms use pesticide to kill insects and weeds. The farmers spray stuff like Roundup over the crops to get rid of everything that they don’t want to grow. For a while, those sprays get rid of all the insects and weeds, yet, the weeds and insects adapted to the harsh chemicals in those sprays. So they thought to put the GMOs in them, which made the crops themselves pesticides. The farmers say they use the GMOs so they can feed the world.

Agriculture has existed for thousands of years and has been able to support the lives of many individuals through providing consumer goods. These consumer good are constantly being bought and sold between various countries in order to sustain life on earth. Although past agricultural methods were seen as natural from farmers working out in the field and growing food sustainably, the drive for economic gain that society possessed allowed for many corporations such as Monsanto to develop. The Monsanto Corporation is located in St. Louis Missouri and is known as an “American multinational agrochemical and agriculture biotechnology corporation.” (Monsanto Company, 2015). Monsanto was founded in 1901 and began to create herbicides between 1945 and 1976. With the success of the herbicide creations, Monsanto then began to develop plants that contained biotechnology traits known as genetically modified organisms (GMO) or genetically modified (GM) crops (Monsanto Company, 2015). These GM crops are “ used for agricultural purposes into which one or several genes coding for desirable traits have been inserted through the process of genetic engineering“ (Qaim, 2009, p.1). The use and expansion of GM crops continues to rise with the United States being one of the world’s largest leading producers (GMO compass, 2007). GM crops were introduced into society because many believed that this new technology would be able to improve the quality of the worlds food supply (Conner et al, 2003).

Companies and researchers alternate the genetic structure of crops to withstand pesticides, non-GM weeds and insects can gradually develop a resistance to the chemicals. At this point farmers actually have to increase their use of pesticides. These practice causes weed populations to adapt to the herbicide and eventually become resistant to it. Once these superweeds emerge farmers must find a new herbicides and more potent products.

The history of genetically modified organisms – GMOs – in agriculture authentically commenced afore recorded history. Prehistoric farmers have been culling the most productive plants and seeds from their domesticated crops for up to 10,000 years.

GMOs adversely impact the environment by requiring an increasing amount of herbicides. The three most genetically engineered crops: corn, cotton, and soybeans, have had herbicide, more specifically known as glyphosate, more commonly known as Roundup, “increased 10-fold from 15 million pounds in 1996 to 159 million pounds in 2012” (Hoffman). The increased use of herbicide is supposed to kill weeds competing with the actual crops, however, the only thing it does is create weeds that are becoming progressively more tolerant to the herbicides. This creates “superweeds”, requiring an increasing amount of Roundup and causing an increase in the toxicity levels in the glyphosate to kill. Additionally, with the increasing strength of given herbicide the range of organisms that it kills expands, which “decreases biodiversity”, causing ”soil quality to deteriorate” (Pesticides). With a lower biodiversity, the soil is