Essay on The History of Genetically Modified Foods

Genetic modified organisms, or GMOs, are living organisms that, through the genetic engineering process, have been altered to withstand certain chemicals and increase the nutritional value of the product. In fact, the majority of the foods found at the grocery store are genetically altered. Genetic modification is becoming increasingly popular on farms throughout the United States and moving into other parts of the world due to their increasing yield capabilities and pest and weed control. However, this has been, and continues to be, an extremely controversial topic of discussion in the world of agriculture and biotechnology, as well as health food critics, because of potential environmental and health risks.

In, “Are Engineered Foods Evil?,” Freedman discusses the concerns of scientist on both sides of the spectrum. He discusses the issue of the public being scared of what GM foods can do to our bodies as well as nations that have banned them all together. He provides concerns from renowned scientist who find GM foods to be subsequently harmful over an elongated amount of time and he also provides the viewpoints of renowned scientist who fight the fear with

GM foods are in the middle of many controversial issues; primarily these are addressed by conflicts over the relative pros and cons of GM foods. Major biotech companies like ‘Monsanto ' and ‘Cargill ' are promoting GM foods by focusing only on their beneficial aspects, giving least importance to their negative effects on safety, environment and biodiversity. On the other hand, governmental regulators and nongovernmental organizations, along with some scientists, are strictly opposing this type of blind promotion of GM food by enlightening the people on their negative effects The controversies associated with GM foods include issues such as safety, environmental benefits and risks, biodiversity, and ethical and social considerations.GM foods are implicated for adverse human health risks like people being allergic to it, environmental hazards such as development of super weeds, and pesticide and antibiotic resistance in disease causing organisms. On the other

In the past, there was no such thing as Genetically Modified Foods (GMO’s) because there was no need for a raise in food production. As further years past, the human population began to increase and the introduction of modified foods were accepted. In today 's society most of the

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of genetic modification in foods grown for human consumption. Many opponents suggest that genetically modified (GM) foods can affect human growth and development, increase allergic reactions in persons with allergy sensitivity or cause allergies to develop in healthy people. Proponents of using genetically modified organisms to alter and improve foods claim that there are no health risks to humans and that GM foods are subjected to stricter guidelines and testing than “naturally” grown food. They also claim that genetic modification of food is necessary to produce more drought tolerant, insect and disease resistant crops that can sustain the earth’s growing human population. A recent survey conducted suggests that public opinion is evenly divided on whether or not GMOs should be used in foods for human consumption. This paper looks to discuss the pros and cons of GMOs in food and the reported effects, if any, on human growth and development.

The health concerns seem to be what garner the most disapproval of GM foods. In “A Lonely Quest for Facts on Genetically Modified Crops,” Amy Harmon, quotes an anti GM activist, Ms. Willie, who says that “these fruits and vegetables are not natural.” Consumers argue that they don’t know what is going into these foods chemically, and the health risks over time are unknown. In “The Threats from Genetically Modified Foods,” Robin Mather cites the findings of Professor Cummins of the University of Western Ontario, Cummings announced to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that "there is evidence that [biotechnology] will impact directly on human health through damage to the ileum… [which] can produce chronic illnesses such as fecal incontinence and/ or flu-like upsets of the digestive system" (43). GM foods have been placed unlabeled in grocery stores for years. If one chooses to purchase the goods, one should

Because of the success of transgenic crops like Bt corn, the usage and availability of GMOs has increased exponentially. The number of GM crops produced in the United States grew from 1.45 hectares in 1996 to over 29 million in 2000. This accounts for about 70% of the total GM crops grown in the world (European Commission 2). Similar patterns have emerged from other agriculture-intensive countries like Canada, Argentina, China, and Brazil. Large percentages of products like soybeans (68%), cotton (50%) and corn (28%) are now

There is much controversy surrounding genetically engineered (GE) foods and the use of biotechnology. However, they offer many scientifically proven advantages that could have a dramatic impact on world hunger and our environment in the near future. At the same time, the public is asking many good questions and raising concerns about what long term negative effects genetically engineered foods may have on the population’s health and the environment. Never the less, based on the following list, the advantages biotechnology currently provides, seems to out way the potential disadvantages they could impose on our future.

The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily

Upwards of 75% of food grown in the United States is genetically modified. Meaning that there DNA has been changed to help a specific purpose. There has been a lot of controversy over GMO production. In Europe, GMOs have heavy restrictions or outright bans depending on the country; as of October 3rd, 19 countries have out right banned the cultivation of GMO products. GMO productions should have stricter restrictions with the U.S. government because the health consequences are largely unknown, GMO products are unlabeled and they pose a threat to farmers in their fight against large companies.

Genetically modifying food has caused many controversy around the world for the way foods are modified. Most of the food we eat are canned, fresh, and ready to be eaten. Most of the food has also been genetically modified. Although modifying food has been used for many years, many countries have not adapted or want to genetically modify their foods. Genetically modifying food is a good and bad thing but there will always be different opinions about genetically modifying food, but one thing is for sure, genetically modifying food will increase more and more.

GMO is short for genetically modified organisms which are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. In 1946, scientists first discovered that DNA can be transferred between organisms and in 1983, the technology was first used in an antibiotic-resistant tobacco plant (Clive, 2011). Although the GMO food has advantages such as the higher quantity, higher quality and higher disease resistance, there are some controversies around it. The controversies include whether a GMO food should be labelled or not, the respect to intellectual property and market dynamics, environmental effects of GMO food.

Nearly ninety three percent of all crops grown in America are genetically modified. GMO stands for genetically modified organisms and many parts of the world are finding new ways to genetically modify different organisms from corn to octopus. However, GMOs have both a good and bad side to them. If Americans know what GMOs do to your body, how crops are genetically modified, and what chemicals are used in GMOs; Americans won’t eat- or will think twice before eating genetically modified foods.

“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.

European cultures placed great confidence in knowledge learned through historical experience. Even food practices that were questionable by today’s standards were accepted in Europe of they had been going in for centuries without major incident. Factions of the European public opposed the introduction of GM foods technology, and the majority of European citizens believed more caution was in order. Despite public trepidation, Monsanto continued to stand by its genetic engineering program and planned to push ahead with the introduction of GM foods to the European market. This position was motivated in part by the success of the products in the United States.