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The issue of genetically modified foods
Agricultural effects of genetic engineering
Controversy over genetically modified food
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Recommended: The issue of genetically modified foods
Why are people so fiercely opposed to Genetically modified organisms? According to Shermer, Michael they believe that all genetically organized organisms are unnatural and are controlled by large corporations ”shermer” but some people don’t even know what they actually are. Genetically modified organisms are plants, animals or bacteria that have had their DNA altered artificially. (we don’t)Scientist use two methods to do this. The first method is to use a gene gun to shot genes into DNA and repeat this process until the gene goes where they wanted it to. The second method is more precise where bacteria that has the ability to alter DNA is used to place the gene on the chromosome.”we don’t”According to Miller scientist use this technology to make plants like bt cotton which is resistant to pink and cotton bollworms as well as tobacco budworms who are responsible for one fourth of all insect caused crop destruction. They did this by introducing a …show more content…
According to US Food the US Food and Drug Administration has an extensive screening process for new genetically modified organisms. First the new organism is screened for toxic substances and allergens by a qualified team of specialists. Then the organism nutrients are compared to a comparable organism and if they are not comparable the organism will not be allowed to be sold. (Shermer)Another reason that they are safe is how long people have been tampering with the genes of plants. People have selectively breed plant genes for over 10,000 years.(Shermer) (We p. 57)Lastly there have been over 1700 studies on the safety of genetically modified organisms that all have found them to be safe and the technology for making them has become more precise than ever allowing for smaller margins of error and less mistakes.(We p.57) It has been proven that they are safe over years of testing but they can also be used to reduce the chemical byproducts of
Genetically modified organisms used in food – some might say that this is wrong. Why is that?
According to Ronnie Cummins in “Genetically Engineered Foods Are Hazardous” he talks about a British molecular scientist named Dr. Michael Antoniou that points out how there is “unexpected production of toxic substances” in genetic modification that can be very harmful to us humans. Many people believe that since a couple Doctors have labeled them as toxins, why do we even allow these to be put in the foods that we eat? In an article titled “The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods” by Robin Mather, he has said that the use of glyphosate, a herbicide, can “significantly increase the severity of various plant diseases” which are very hazardous to the environment. In the same article “The Threats From Genetically Modified Foods” Robin Mather has stated that genetic transfers cannot occur in nature and are not as precise and predictable as people say they are. In another article called “Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering” from Issues & Controversies, it has been shown that genetic modification can affect many plants.
Food, everybody has to eat food. In this century there are millions of different foods that can be eaten. But sometimes while Americans indulge in the luxury options of foods, I wonder if they ever really pay attention to how bad many foods are for their bodies. I think everybody should turn to organic foods to help them live healthier lives. The reason that foods are so bad for the body to consume is because foods are packed with GMO’s. GMO’s are “genetically modified organisms” which are plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. These experimental combinations of genes from different species cannot occur in nature, naturally (“GMO Facts,”2014).
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.
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.
Did you know the food that you could be eating right now can be harmful to you? The food that you eat daily can contain GMOs that can contain things that can cause you to have allergies and even cause you to get cancer sometimes. GM crops can be harmful and dangerous for you. Another reason why GM crops are inadequate is because it can decrease biodiversity of plants and crops, and it can destroy rare species of plants. It can harm organisms that you might not mean to kill. Some people may say that GM crops can stop world hunger. IT WILL NOT! Research shows that some GM crops can not meet the nutritional needs of a human being. It will also not help solve world hunger because some GM crops need many resources to be able for them to produce into healthy crops and poor farmers don’t have much resources.
Are genetically modified foods safe? Genetically modified foods are crop plants created for human or animal consumption using molecular biological techniques. These plants have been modified to enhance certain traits like increased resistance to herbicides or improve nutritional content. This process traditionally has been done through breeding, but is not very accurate. Scientists have been using biotechnology to implant the gene that makes the plants act the way they want them to. Genetically modified foods have advantages and disadvantages on the environment and advantages and disadvantages on society. We have to weigh the positives and negatives to see if genetically modified foods are healthy for us and if we really need them.
“Actions speak louder than words” but in this case results speak louder than words. Just because the labels say it’s safe, is it? How can something that’s only recently been discovered be considered safe when we don’t know the long term outcome? Hearing that my food has been ‘Genetically Modified’ just sounds messed up from the start. Our countries people are trusting what they consume by words spoken by people they’ve never even met and people who are only out to make lots of money with whatever it takes. Do you really think that the business owners running the food system actually eats the average food that is in a grocery store? Doubtful. Largely between 1997 and 1999, genetically modified food ingredients suddenly appeared in 2/3rds of all US processed foods
In the U.S., GM foods have received little public opposition; this is largely due to the fact that food manufacturers are not required to label their products as containing genetically modified ingredients for fear of confusing consumers. Due to the lack of evidence that genetically altered foods are harmful, the Food and Drug Administration considers GM foods to be “generally regarded as safe” (known as GRAS) and no special labeling is required (Falkner 103). In the U.S., genetically modified crops are monitored by t...
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.
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 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. This has created a large amount of debate on local, national, and international levels about the safety of genetically modified foods to human health. There are many angles that have been taken from different groups about this issue. Some believe it is harmful to our health with one source stating that, “mice eating GMO corn had fewer and smaller babies (Jagelio 2013).” Without testing on humans how are we to know these harmful effects aren’t impacting our health and reproduction. Other groups see GMOs as being both beneficial and having no impact on human health. These individuals site that , “Since GMOs were introduced into the food supply almost 20 years ago, there has not been one documented case of any health problem in humans, not even so much as a sniffle, linked to GMOs (Entine 2013).” They have also found GMOs to be beneficial to human health. Dresbach et. al(2013) found, “The biotechnology of gene splicing allows for the opportunity of creating plants that will produce food that is more nutrient dense.” With so many different views that all cite different information about GMO’s impact on human well-being, the question remains how GMOs affect human health?
The labeling of food made with genetically modified plants and produced from animals fed with genially modified food is completely voluntary. So basically the American consumer has no way to make informed choices. If by any chance any of these products cause adverse side effects in the future Americans are completely at the mercy of the retailers. The public has no way to make informed decisions of whether they want to eat genetically modified food or not. Upon further research I found out that there are over 40 plants varieties that have completed the federal requirement for commercialization. These approvals include foods with drugs in them, fish, fruits and nuts that mature faster, and plants that produce plastics. (NERC 2005)
Of course people are going to oppose for genetically modified foods because they are much more favorable in quality and production potential. These foods are chemically designed to be high quality bred foods, the best of the best. Ismail Serageldin, speaking on behalf of the World Bank, called the use of GM crops "crucial" to developing countries in the twenty-first century. He said such crops "could be a tremendous help in meeting the challenge of feeding an additional three billion human beings, 95 percent of them in the poor developing countries, on the same amount of land and water currently available." He is right in his statement as it is true that these foods will be able to sustain the people on this earth. But I say, for how long? If we already have a lot of people, and we put more food on the planet, the number of people on earth will increase even faster! Then we find ourselves fifty years later with probably 15 billion people, no space, and limited on potentially harming food. It will be the same situation we are in now, but worse!
...sed by ignorant assumptions. It is fine, even good, to be skeptical of this technology, but at least do some research to be able to intelligently express valid reasons for being against it. I also think the public needs to be much better informed about GMO. I don’t see how public opinion can be trusted when an astonishingly high percentage of the population can’t even adequately describe what a chromosome is. The more one knows about this subject, the more likely I think he or she will be supportive of the technology. In conclusion, I would advise to not let irrational fears cloud one’s judgment concerning the wonderfully powerful possibilities of agricultural biotechnology. I am among many people who wholeheartedly advocate exploration of the amazing potentials of GMO, and I think with time, many others will change their minds and embrace this technology as I have.
Genetically modified foods most commonly refers to the plants, which has been modified in the laboratory to enhance improved nutritional content and aimed traits created for human beings and animals. With progress in various types of technology, especially in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists have changed the way in which food is grown and made, raising questions about the methods, their risks and possible effects. It is not a secret that GMF-ed foods have spread out rapidly to the whole world. GMFs have raised concerns over their own beneficial in that they are resistant to diseases, produces greater yields, and it improves the nutrition of foods making the people unaware about their effects. Every time we go to any grocery stores or supermarkets, we would not know whether the vegetables, fruits or even meats being sold are genetically modified. To make this situation worse, most consumers do not pay much attention to what they are eating, when they are actually consuming modified foods.