GMO Corn Pros And Cons

922 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Genetically engineered food pros and cons essay

GMO’s are essential parts of society and are eaten everyday by billions of people. Unfortunately the majority of people never ask what a GMO is, and what is in one. Essentially a GMO is a crop that has been modified to be resistant than its non-modified counterpart. The enhancement of desired traits has usually been undertaken through breeding, but normal breeding methods are slow and are inaccurate. Genetic modifying, on the other hand, can create plants with the desired trait very quickly and rarely fail. With the rapid increase in the world’s population, GMOs can be the answer, but there are still problems that organizations like Forbes and Greenpeace have pointed out, such as the safety factor, moral issues, and outright cost of the process. However GMO’s are already used on farms and are found in almost every grocery store. GMO corn is the most abundant GMO crop, with 40 different types of it. This is because corn is America’s most abundant crop, and our entire economy depends on it. With GM corn, it will become easier to mass produce corn. Different types of GMO corn can increase herbicide tolerance, pest resistance, and nutrient availability. However GMO’s contain some cons such as health risks and Economic concerns. Weeds are known to be a bad sign for farmers and gardeners alike. Weeds take all the nutrients from the intended crop and prevent the plant intended to grow from growing. This is a highly tedious and expensive task. For some mass produced crops such as corn, it is not cost-effective to remove weeds by physical means, so farmers will often spray large amounts of herbicides to kill weeds, which also is time-consuming and expensive. Sometime the herbicide is so strong that is ends up killing the plant as well. C... ... middle of paper ... ...e gap between the rich and the poor even more and create an even bigger problem than the one it’s trying to fix. This would be financially disastrous for farmers and third world countries who cannot afford to buy GM corn seeds every year to replenish their stock. GM corn is as you can see the way forward, and as of right now the only option. Data has proven that the current claims about GM corn good and bad are both to be accounted for. Over time once these disadvantages are fixed GM corn could be the answer to our overpopulation, environmental problems, and economical problems as well. It has been stated that genetic engineering is the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous potential benefits. With more time and research maybe the current faults in the GMO plan will fade, and GM Corn will become accepted by everybody.

Show More
Related

  • Weed Kill Experiment Report

    1307 Words  | 3 Pages

    The most effective weed kill was found by examining how fast and effectively each weed kill treatment killed its group of seventeen weeds which were separated into one of three foam boxes over a period of five days. The most successful method was found to be one of the natural methods, boiling water. The next best method was the herbicide and then the least successful method was the vinegar solution which killed none of its weeds.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of GMO

    1119 Words  | 3 Pages

    Genetically modified? That alone should be a cause for alarm, and have you wondering, what exactly is in this that I am eating? Yet every day millions of American’s choose to load up on food filled with GMO’s, and not even know it. First we must understand what GMO’s are. GMO’s are any organism whose genetics has been altered using genetic engineering. We should not be tampering with nature, and should try to grow organically as much as possible. There has not been enough research on GMO’s to know the potential long term effects it can have on us, so this is why GMO’s should be banned.

    Read More

  • GMO Labeling Essay

    1763 Words  | 4 Pages

    The word GMO stands for Genetically-Modified Organism and can also be referred to as Genetically Engineered foods, Genetically Modified Foods, and Biotech. Genetically engineered foods are created when one desired trait is isolated and introduced to another plant by inserting the certain gene. The process, considered genetic breeding, and is much more precise than the regular breeding. While GMOs have been in food for 20 years, currently, the controversy and genetically engineered farms are larger than ever. 82% of Americans want GMOs labeled, but majority fail to understand them (Swanson). 90% of all US grown corn, canola, soybeans, and sugar beets have DNA bits from the lab (Woolston). The United States is the top GMO growing country with 70 million hectares of land dedicated to these farms. (Lee). These modified crops and plants for human and animals are created mainly for withstand herbicides or to produce an insectide. “No GMO traits are on the market for bigger yields, drought resistance, enhanced nutrition or any other consumer benefit” (Burnham). Overall, GE foods’ main purpose is to save money for large corporations.

    Read More

  • Gmo Pros And Cons

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    When we genetically modify an organism, we are creating an entirely new species. This can mean disaster for the surrounding natural organisms. These GM crops, which have been created to fight pests and weeds, can easily win in a competition for survival. Long-term effects include endangering these unmodified species, or even driving them to extinction. Another problem is that consumers don’t know when they’re eating GM foods. You might be allergic to fish, and then you go grocery shopping. You buy tomatoes to use in your dinner that night, with no knowledge that they have fish genes that can trigger your allergies. Allergic reactions to these modified foods are just another issue that comes up when GMOS come into play. Also, when we buy these foods, we’re supporting big industries that have patents on all these crops. The fact that people can patent crops just because they stuck some new DNA in them doesn’t make sense to begin with, but furthermore, the local, organic farmers who don’t want to, or can’t afford to pay these industries to use their patented crops are losing business.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms Changing our Climate

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Genetically Modified Organisms”, or in other words GMO, is a method of altering mirco-organisms which include plants, fish, yeast, bacteria and mammals. These organisms have been engineered with increased carbon capacity and a smaller need for nitrogen fertilizers. These organisms are made from the DNA of bacteria and the DNA of other plants and animals. Thus genetically diverse, these various combinations cannot naturally happen in nature. All GMO’s are created to defy any herbicide or insecticide it comes in contact with. GMO’s are the origin of genetically modified foods that we see every day.

    Read More

  • Gmo Persuasive Speech

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    How many of you hear the words “genetically modified food” and immediately think “BAD”? How many of you scorn the idea that genetically modified foods are useful? How many of you have been manipulated by the media to think that all biotechnology is evil? Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are organisms that have been genetically spliced to achieve a certain trait. As the demand for a larger food supply is increasing due to population growth, the benefits that GMO foods provide are being hailed as the only solution to the food crisis. However, many people are making inadequately informed decisions, and are pushing them to the back shelf. I will inform you on why genetically modified organisms may be the only way to a stable, safe future for the less fortunate.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Non Gmo

    633 Words  | 2 Pages

    To begin with, there is too much Gmo in our food. We should make less foods with GMO and grow more foods on farms. Also a lot of people prefer non GMO foods over GMO foods. If we also make more of our food on farms we can get more people to get jobs. “ GM critics also worry that transgenic crops could harm wildlife and cause lasting damage to fragile food chains. GM crops harm wildlife. Since some birds and small mammals feed on these crops they will soon disappear. They will disappear because they are making the crops

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay: The Value Of Genetically Modified Organisms

    1926 Words  | 4 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a highly debated topic all around the world. Someone from each side of the debate has an argument as to why GMOs should or should not be produced. Unfortunately, many others who are consuming these genetically modified products do not know that they are eating them and they do not know what they are. According to The American Heritage Dictionary online edition, a GMO is “an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered by the insertion of a modified gene or a gene from another organism using the techniques of genetic engineering.” For example, corn had been modified to withstand herbicides giving farmers the ability to spray their crops with much more pesticides. In return, these pesticides

    Read More

  • What Are The Pros And Cons Of GMO

    906 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eating is extremely important, it is also important to eat healthy. Most Americans eat without any concerns; they are not questioning or researching what they are feeding themselves or their family. A lot of that has to do with their financial stability, not having the time to prepare a meal due to their time-consuming work schedule, also lack of knowledge and education on what they are consuming. In this bibliography, I will go over all three articles and explain what they are about.

    Read More

  • Essay On Gmo Food Pros And Cons

    1107 Words  | 3 Pages

    GMOs have their pros and cons, but in terms of their effects on biodiversity, the technology is almost solely negative in how it affects the environment. Genetically modified food can damage agriculture as it allows for less restraint on chemical usage which leads to stronger weeds and weaker soil. The crops can easily spread their genetically modified genome through the wind. GMOs damage living organisms by making nasty insects stronger and vital insects weaker. GM foods are correlated with the decline in mammal and bird health and the introduction of GM animals like salmon poses a threat to the ecosystem of wild fish. GMOs can also bear consequences in terms of genetic pollution and alteration through contamination and mutation to adaptation to evolution to species extinction. Indeed, some claims are not well supported and may require testing, like genetic alteration through consumption or the validity of correlating animal health deficits with GM feeds. However, overall, GM foods clearly affect the world negatively in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem impacts.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms

    859 Words  | 2 Pages

    Scientists have been changing genomes of plants and animals by integrating new genes from a different species through genetic engineering, creating a genetically modified organism (GMO). Consumers in America have been eating GMOs since 1996, when they went on the market. There are benefits to genetically modifying crop plants, as it improves the crop quality and increases yield, affecting the economy and developing countries. But there are also negative effects from GMOs. Consumption of GMOs has various health effects on both body systems of animals and humans. GMOs also affect the environment, ecosystems and other animal species. The cons outweigh the pros in the case of GMOs.

    Read More

  • Genetically Modified Organisms are Safe

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this day and age, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have become a topic of large interest in the media. GMOs are defined as an organism whose genetic structure has been altered by incorporating a gene that will express a desirable trait (Dresbach et al. al. 2013). Often times, these traits that are selected are either beneficial to the consumer or producer. Currently, GMOs are being created at a higher rate than ever before and are being used in the foods that we eat.

    Read More

  • Negative Effects of GMOs

    846 Words  | 2 Pages

    If crops were affected by droughts, disease and insects, having destroyed many acres across America’s Midwest region, the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) would not be beneficial in regenerating new crops. Genetically modifying foods (GMOs) “are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding” (nongmoproject.org). Most research done has concluded no positive benefits in using GMOs. There are serious health risks associated with eating GM foods based on scientific research done around the world. The purpose of GMOs are to increase production of crop yield and reduce pesticide use but research says otherwise. If farmers wanted to continue using GMOs to produce crops, labeling should be mandatory to allow consumers to have a conscious choice whether or not to eat GM food. Through research it has been proven that the use of GMOs to increased production of crops during a time of drought or disease have no benefits, just risks.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Foods

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ence of GM crops is that genetic modifications can develop proteins in plants which a consumer could be allergic to. For example, one of the most common allergies is with the peanut. What would happen if peanut proteins interlace into tomato seeds? Then people with peanut allergies would not be able to eat genetically modified tomatoes. There are many reasons to stop the production of GM food. It can produce serious long-term nature accidents, but there is no way to know much about it until is too late (“GM Food” 2).

    Read More

  • The Benefits and Risks of Genetically Modified Foods

    862 Words  | 2 Pages

    Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a cause of continuous debate. What would be the purpose of producing genetically altered food? Many argue that GMOs could prove to be very beneficial, the use of GMOs could lead to advances in medicine, and agriculture, and they could also prevent famine in poor underdeveloped countries. Genetic modification offers many benefits: pest control, disease resistant crops, drought resistant crops, no use of insecticides, nutritional beneficial foods, and less contamination. This is only a short list of the many benefits offered by the used of GMOs. With so many benefits why are we opposed to such a miracle? (NERC 2005)

    Read More

More about GMO Corn Pros And Cons

Open Document