Why Gmos Should Be Banned

GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their

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.

Did you know that 80% of the food packages sold in the United States have GMOs in them? Its true! Imagine going to the store simply for a can of beans, or even just a chocolate bar. There may be a good chance that the food product selected contains GMOs.

Many food companies frown upon the idea of having to put labels on their foods because consumers will not want their product if their are too many GMOs in the product. If food companies were forced to put GMO labels on their products they may feel inclined to put less GMO in their products to cause consumer happiness. With labels on the food products consumers will feel more confident with their purchase to consume that food. Which would cause sales to fly through the roof for many food companies, especially organic food companies. GMO labeling influences consumer behavior, “...the majority of supermarket employees believed that the presence of non-GMO labeling influenced consumer behavior in some way, with 52.9% reporting that it impacted all consumers, 17.6% asserting that it mattered to those who were knowledgeable and interested in food without genetic modification, and only 5.9% feeling that their clientele would not be interested because of its demographics.” (Wunderlich). According to a survey done by Wunderlich, Gatto and Mangano where they investigate the current Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) and organic labeling policies and to determine the impact on consumer choice. They found: “There is a need for clearer labeling policies regarding GMO foods. If GMO foods were labeled more clearly, consumers would be able to make more educated purchasing decisions and

About eighty percent of packaged food is infiltrated with harmful substances that is being sold to many people and they do not know what they are even consuming and the detrimental effects it has on them. This is known as a Genetically Modified Organism or a GMO. Genetically Modified Organisms are being sold without it being labeled, so people are not completely informed when purchasing or consuming them. GMOs also have unknown effects and causes that come with it. To protect people from GMOs, the US should ban Genetically Modified foods from being produced and grown in America. Another way to help protect people from eating GMOs is to make all foods sold natural and fresh.

GMO’s or Genetically Modified Food is one of the most controversial topics that have been studied and debated for over 40 years. Scientists on both sides of the spectrum claim that these modified foods are safe for consumption, but also some argue that these foods are toxic and very harmful to human life. GMO’s are genetically modified organisms that are created and added in a lab experiment where DNA are extracted from one gene and added to another plant or animal. This allows the genes to mix with the DNA to create a desired product. For example, bigger apples, larger oranges, taller animals, and plants that can survive the changing climate. GMOs are different from organic food and products because chemicals and DNA modification is not needed for these natural stuff.

GMOs foods have lots of unknown factors coming into play. There are many questions to whether they are safe for us and the crops. GMOs foods have been connected to sterile and dead livestock, and damage to almost every organ studied in lab animals. Labeling might also be costing us more than necessary. Some say we should stop using GMOs altogether, but right now it’s difficult to see what choice has our best interests at heart.

Ever since their entrance onto the consumer market in the last two decades of the twentieth century, genetically modified organisms (often referred to as GMOs) have been getting mixed reviews from the public. Genetically modified consumer products (primarily food) have pushed the barriers of some people's comfort levels. Born out of either a lack of knowledge or a sincere concern for public health or the environment, a consumer rights movement has been planted around the world pushing for labeling of genetically modified food products. This movement has matured in many places to a degree where interest groups have successfully lobbied governments into adopting criteria for labeling transgenic food

Gmos can cause very irrevocably damage towards the environment. And they cause a huge risk of food-based allergies towards the humans. Gmos are also not fully tested to be eaten. The pollen spreads the pharmaceutical genes into the gmo foods supply. They have a lack of consumers due to the creation of ethical dilemma. There is a toxin that fights pest is the caused of the allergies to start. But, gmos affect the younger kids more quicker than older people. The AAEM suggest non-gmos diet for every patient.

The reason this debate is not as large as it should be is because people do not care, simply because they do not know enough to care. Perhaps the reason Monsanto felt the need to release an article was because its owners feared that people would soon become skeptical of GMOs, and that it would cause a decrease in their profit. If more people were educated on the various health, crop, and environmental risks associated with GM, the anti-GMO movement would gain more momentum. If more of the foods not genetically modified started having “non-GMO” labels, people would begin to wonder what the big deal is and become suspicious of those that do not. In the long run, there is a decision to make: whether to let GMOs run their course, or stop them before they have the chance to do some serious

It has been shown that some GM crops can be less nutritious and possibly toxic in comparison to natural food. Because of this, many large countries such as Japan have put bans on GMO containing foods. GM foods are not labeled in the US and other countries so consumers are not monitored for health conditions that may result from long term use. Some reports have also linked GMO to possible cancers. In addition to the health effects, GMO crop technology can affect smaller farmers and our environment. GM crops are too expensive for the smaller farmers to grow, forcing the smaller farms into debt or off their land. This hurts the economy, as farms are disappearing while large GMO food companies are taking over. In addition, the initial drop in herbicide use on GM crops that was reported has now been followed up with a large increase in use due to the resistance that has developed, and farmers have had to use more and more powerful chemicals on crops. These chemicals are toxic to people, livestock and may possibly contaminate the

Fortunately according to Whole Foods, all GMOs will be required to be labeled by 2018. Besides consumers being left untold about which products contain GMOs, the environment is also suffering from the overuse of Roundup made by the Monsanto Company. Plants have been genetically engineered for herbicide resistance. So herbicides can be applied on GMO crops without causing any harm to them. Stronger and newer weeds are developing as they are becoming more resistant to the chemicals, which will needs ever higher doses of herbicides such as Roundup. According to “Herbicide Resistant Crops,” a company in northern California which deals in herbicidal studies, “Herbicides cannot tell the difference between plants that are crops and plants that are weeds. As a result, excessive weed growth forces crops to compete with sunlight and nutrients, which can cause significant losses. Some people feel that it’ll be a waste of money to label products containing genetically modified ingredients.” According to “Hysteria over GMOs…” the author feels it’ll be a waste of money because the FDA has approved GM crops so they must be safe for consumption. The author also mentions that GMOs occurred on almost 400 million acres and no one has ever experienced any problems (Hysteria Over GMOs Web). Even though the FDA approved GMOs, there are many underlying factors that can still cause harm. One example is the studies since the FDA

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

There are roughly sixty countries that require GMO labeling and they do not have the problem that the United States have. Some countries even go as far to ban GMOs and only let some in. They have to go through many processes and tests to examine the effects and quality of the plant and/or product. These countries have lower rates of GMO food purchases and their environment is much cleaner than the United States. Monsanto has always tried its hardest to prevent any law from passing to regulate and label their products. They have spent millions of dollars. They have also threatened to sue the states that have brought up the idea or bill the label. The public has protested and demanded labeling, they believe they have a right to know

The controversy over genetically modified organisms is giving agriculture an undesirable reputation that has to change in order for agriculture to continue to be a thriving industry. Most people don’t understand the actual definition of a GMO, which is why they think these foods are bad for them. A GMO is a genetically modified organism that has been modified for the good of the product, with a goal of becoming a more desirable product. These foods have been changed so that they can get more positive feedback from the consumers without dramatically changing the price of the product. All of these factors add up to why these new GMOs aren’t harmful and they help contribute to farmers’, ranchers’ and scientists’ lives. Most of the crops grown in Southwestern Virginia, or Appalachia are GMO related crops.