The Pros Of Genetically Modified Foods Controversy

A major upside to GMOs is fighting world hunger. People also need to realize that the world population is increasing rapidly (Baragona).The only way that we will be able to support the growing population is to produce more food while still using the same amount or less resources. Farmers can do this by through the use of GMO’s. GMO’s have certain traits that non-GMO organisms don't have that can make crops produce more food and resources while using less water and

Dating back to hundreds of years ago, our ancestors were able to selectively breed with each other to create different plants and traits. They would do these through crops to produce a much larger amount in a shorter amount of time. Our ancestors were much advanced just like we were without the use of technology. They had to experiment in order to adapt to the environments they lived in. GMO’s are a positive powerful tool in helping modify plants and animals in order to better be adapted to the

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines genetically modified foods as: “foods [that are] derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism” (WHO, year). GM foods are constructed and distributed because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer. For a GM food to be of theoretical benefit to the consumer and society as a whole, it should: increase crop yields due to the introduced resistance to pests and disease, enhance the nutritional

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

One of the greatest accomplishments since 1982 is the invention of GMOs. They were first approved by the FDA in 1982 for Humulin, insulin that has genetically engineered E. coli bacteria. The thinking behind GMOs was to develop crops that were resistant to pests and diseases in addition to improve nutritional content. GMOs have helped numerous people around the world. They have made farmer’s crops have better yields and a more successful growing season. GMOs are beneficial and should be promoted because they are more economical and they increase productivity in agriculture; however, the opposition believes GMOs potentially cause health issues.

With numerous developments plaguing agricultural production, the implementation of Genetically Modified Organisms, commonly referred to as GMOs, is best suited to be used in food manufacturing. It is estimated that by the year 2050, global food production must increase by seventy percent. However with current practices in place and the limited expansion of farmland due to urbanization, such production rates are nearly impossible to achieve. The use of Genetically Modified Organisms seems to be among the only feasible options to rapidly increase food production and thus aid in this crisis which plagues even though most developed countries, such as the United States. Specifically in the United States, the use of Genetically Modified Organism

“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that

GMO's are simply an addition to the long list of alterations made to the balance of nature. At its surface, GMO's seem to represent food as it's meant to look ripe, shiny, and never corrupted by pests, and these claims aren't wrong. GMO's bring a variety of benefits to the table. They increase resistance to cold, protect from select pests, and can even be used to transfer vital nutrients to other organisms. Various regions, such as Eastern Asia, have greatly benefitted from the use of GMO's, as prominent food, such as rice, lack nutrients necessary for growth and survival. GMO's have also helped farmers grow crops with more ease and less expense. However, these GMO's pack a price. Genes can be transferred to unintended targets, and pests who grow resistant to these GMO's may breed, causing an epidemic. Moreover, scientists believe that the

Scientist promised GMOs (genetically modified organisms) would up the nutrition value in food, would increase drought tolerance, and increase yield. In the 30 years of GMOs not once has a new beneficial genetic trait arrised, yet GM (genetically modified) foods are still on the market; for example, Golden Rice is supposed to be genetically modified to contain

Erik Vance found that a “Green Revolution” had existed before the introduction of GMOs; people wanted to increase the traits of crops (such as wheat) associated with human consumption to compensate world population growth. By using GMOs, pesticides and herbicides weren’t necessary to fulfill this concept, and they were also less harmful to consumers and the environment. GMOs are also much less expensive than repeatedly buying chemicals to put on crops, making it easily accessible to poorer countries. Also, by genetically modifying crops, they can tolerate the effects of natural disasters and have much higher survival rates than those of unmodified crops. Flood-proof rice is already in effect in some countries, and with positive results. Countries considered to be poor can grow rice totally submerged in water for up to two weeks, and because the genetics of the rice were altered directly in rice fields and not labs, government agencies tended to scrutinize much less (Erik). With the protection against natural forces, crops could be grown virtually anywhere, and may even eliminate other weather-related issues such as drought and long periods of below-freezing weather. GMOs can also help crops and livestock withstand disease. “Several international institutes are developing apples with resistance to dozens of different diseases including fire blight, apple scab, and powdery mildew” (ABC). Countries

These improvements are possible due to the genetic modifications done to the crops, by inserting genes and toxins from other plants and organisms some crops are now resistant to plagues without the need of pesticides. Of course, some will probably disagree on the grounds that toxins in the food we eat isn’t much healthy, but as researches have shown there is no evidence to prove that these toxins are a hazard to humans. The president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, Pamela Bailey states that “In fact, there has never been a single credible scientific study showing GMOs to have harmful effects on humans, animals, or our environment” (Bailey). In other words, there has been quite a few scientific researches but so far there hasn’t been any concrete evidence showing that GMOs are any hazard to humans, animals, or the environment. Therefore, until the day that GMOs are presented to us as a potential hazard I don’t see why we should stop using them if all they’ve done is improve the production of crops and help underfed countries

One of the biggest advantages of agricultural biotechnology lies in its economic efficiency. GM crops are financially beneficial to both the farmer and the consumer. Due to their resistance to pests, viruses, and adverse climates, genetically altered crops produce much larger yields than organic or conventional crops. For example, studies show that if no insecticide is used, a GM crop known as Bt maize has a 48% higher yield than non-modified maize varieties

“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.

Genetically Modified Organisms actually do have favorable qualities among producers. First lets identify the reasons as to why farmers and many companies are hopping on the GMO bandwagon. A proposed benefit of GMO foods is that they have the potential to produce higher crop yields, which could essentially feed more people in underdeveloped parts of the world (geneticallymodifiedfoods.co). GMO’s are also seen as a more economical option because of the reduced need of pesticides and herbicides, which should increase the farmers profitability margins, saving them money in the long run. Another proposed benefit of genetically modified food is the ability to improve food quality. Take bananas for instance, many bananas that are imported into the United States

GMO foods are not the most healthy or honest foods, but they are the most helpful. Many fruits and vegetables are engineered to be resistant to bugs and diseases that could cause famine. This helps farmers all over the country by giving them a better harvest. Also, non-sanitary soil has become a large problem in some places around the world. The soil made it harder for crops to grow in certain environments. To solve this problem, scientists could take a gene from a plant that can live in these conditions, and plant it into another crop’s genome. This would make the crop that