The Pros And Cons Of Genetically Modified Corn

“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 foods processed in the United States, and genetic modification of crops is extremely common on classic Minnesota farms. Crops such as corn and soybeans or even papaya and zucchini are viable for genetic modification. 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 genetic modification really is, or that the idea has been around for many years. GMOs are used to control pests and weeds. Therefore, through changing the genetic makeup of the plant, modifications allow for advancements of new technologies that account for the applicability of specific chemicals, as opposed to dated Non-GMO farming techniques.

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.

The history of corn can be dated back to the beginning of time, but the use and value of corn had been unnoticed until it was introduce by the Native Americans. Where corn had seemed to be a big part of their everyday life from, being in myths, legends, and for a huge portion of their diet corn was an essential component. "when the Europeans had touched base to the New World during the late fifteenth century, the Native Americans had introduced corn what they had called maize to the Europeans .This crop was then later on grown and adapted from Canada to southern South America very quickly, which then began to form the new basis of the New World civilization" (Leventin & McManhon, 2012). The way corn has been changing and revolutionizing throughout time has been both fascinating and drastic. Rather than conventional corn being grown, it is genetically modified corn that have been dominating today 's crop industry and farming but the question remains as to how the various types of GMO corn has influenced the way it is grown and used and what its ramification are.

Corn and beans, wheat and canola, carrots and potatoes can all be genetically modified. In America, over 80% of processed food contains GMOs (Baragona). The reason behind genetically modifying organisms is to produce more with less. With the world expected to add another 2 billion people by 2050, demand for food and clothing will increase by at least 60% (Baragona).

In his article “No, You Shouldn’t Fear GMO Corn” published at Slate.com in 2012, Jon Entine argues that genetically engineered crops pose no harm to health or environment, and the conclusion Caitlin Shetterly made is absurd and holds no water.

This is where the word genetically modified food comes into place. Genetically modified food or more commonly known as GMOs, is where small amounts of hereditary material (DNA) from different organisms have been added to the original crop or plant which is to be modified through the new addition. The overall topic of GMOs is very hot, there are many individuals who believe in them and there are those who do not support the idea and believe that ramifications are a great risk for the future and should be put a stop to immediately. As of now, the GMOs that are available today have been given hereditary qualities to aim to preserve from bugs, resilience to pesticides, or enhance the crops quality. Practically every food item that can be found in our local grocery store, such as apples, corn and tomatoes are all

Genetically Modified Organism or GMO is an organism that has been altered genetically. There are many possibilities for altering an organism such as growing conditions, quantity, or even scientific breakthroughs. Many choose a side over this heated debate, whether GMOs are safe or if they are harmful to humans. Currently about two-thirds of all items in the supermarket is GMO(Corn The Miracle Crop). GMO promise increase crop yields, lower costs, and less herbicides and pesticides. Altering the organisms genetics could negatively affect the organism resulting in an unstable product. Researchers have found that an unstable product can result in poor crop production, decrease in nutritional value, toxic and

The idea of changing natural processes to produce an “ideal” crop raises concern amongst environmentalists. Extracting bacteria from soil and inserting it into an entirely different species may appear unethical because of the changing of natural processes. Genetic engineering promotes producing a type of crop that is not susceptible to pests, but carries the risk of decreasing genetic variation (Green Peace). Once a crop is perfected, farmers then mass produce that specific crop, and the different variations of the crop are lost (Green Peace). Another concern regarding the use of the Bt protein is the increased risk of allergies (Smith). The transgenic protein comes from bacteria in the soil, and thus raises the concern of allergic reactions to the corn. Consumers are worried that the cry protein injected into Bt corn could have allergies unknown to them because of the cry protein’s characteristic of an extended digestion time. Consumers are also skeptical that genes of this antibiotic resistance could somehow be introduced to other bacteria in the soil, and possibly infect consumers with this bacteria. A major ethical concern of genetically modified crops, specifically Bt corn, is the lack of knowledge of the long term effects these crops have on humans and other organisms. Consumers are uninformed about the

The genetically modified corn, also known as BT corn has been washing into rivers and Streams and is producing byproducts and other harmful things. The BT corn was mainly planted to kill off some of the Corn Borer bugs, but in the process, it also started to kill Caddisfly’s. It started to kill them because it got clogged in the rivers and either polluted it or it destroyed the eggs. The adult Caddisfly’s died from eating the GT corn pollen that had a lot of different kinds of bug poisons. The Gt corn was later removed and tested for thoughts on better use and safety in the future.

Michelle Schoffro cook, PhD, DNM, Clinical Nutritionist. Michelle states that “according to research published in the Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Scientists found that the genetically-modified corn was linked to liver and kidney damage in animal” (Schoffro). In other words what Michelle is saying is that there is proof that GMOs could cause some damage to the animal’s organs. These so called GMOs are modified genetically so that they can produce their own pesticides and therefore they are immune to any plague. Studies show that some of those pesticides are toxic to humans. Some of those toxins are the Bt-toxin and Roundup Ready which are now found in corn, cotton and soybeans. These two pesticides have been linked to severe health risks. Studies conducted on animal have shown that GMOs can cause damage to their liver, kidney, and the male’s reproductive organ damage and spleen damage. This should make us wonder, if these modifications on the food have a drastic effect on animals, then we must assume the same thing could happen to us. In the same matter, now that these pesticides and toxins are built in the plants they cannot be washed off, which means that they are being consumed. This leads us to the conclusion that we are eating a food that could kill

Bt-corn is an example of a genetically modified organism, or in other terms a GMO. A GMO is an organism that has been genetically altered through molecular techniques alerting small parts of its genetic material. The main purposes for the use of GMO products is to increase its protection to pest, pesticides, or to just improve the overall quality. They have even come so far to resist the crops to drought and/or frost. The process of GMO’s has been done to many organisms, such as potatoes, corn, sweet corn, soybeans, and many more. The FDA is the organization that regulates GMOs, and considers the products resulted from GMOs is equivalent in nutrition than that of traditional crops. In the 1980’s, we discovered that pieces of an organism could

People oppose the use of any genetically modified crops because they are harmful and unatural. According to Northwest Resistance Against Genetic Engineering, Genetic engineering can make foods that were once safe to eat a threat to people with allergies. Because this process is unpredictable, new substances can develop in engineered foods. The FDA knows this and does some testing, but there are no guarantees. Besides the new allergies, inserting genes into plants and animals can cause existing genes to react in unknown ways, including reduced nutritional values and changes in organism quality. Some people argue that they do not want their food treated, they want natural food! Another thing that they are saying is that by engineering plants

Many varieties of genetically engineered crops have been designed to decrease the need for chemicals, particularly pesticides. Herbicide-tolerant varieties are among the most widely used type of genetically-modified crop, which enables farmers to use a single herbicide to eradicate weeds rather than rely on a cocktail of pesticides and herbicides. Eliminating weeds in this fashion also decreases the need for soil tillage, which can negatively impact soil ecology. (Ford,

“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.

One industry that plays a vital role in our society is the agricultural industry. The agricultural industry is responsible for the growth of all our valuable crops such as cotton, corn, fruits, other vegetables etc. These crops are planted and then gathered to be sold to consumers. These primary resources are important to our daily lives because they are valuable sources of food and clothing, which are highly needed for our survival in life. Over time, it has been discovered that genetic engineering in plants can be an alternative way to “alter a plant’s genetic makeup” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Why would we want to alter a plant’s genetic makeup? Well, the main reason is to “produce a desired characteristic or weed out an undesirable one” of a plant (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Approximately “75% of processed foods contain at least some genetically engineered ingredients” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). In the United States, soy beans, cotton and corn are among the many crops that are genetically modified to “resist common herbicides” (Nutrition &