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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.
To begin, In the U.S.A, Americans have been using genetically modified food since the early 1990’s according to “GMOS” 101 by Alisa Blackwood. The reason for
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Tom Parrett in the article “GMO SCIENTISTS COULD SAVE US ALL FROM HUNGER, IF WE LET THEM” stated, The United Nations and experts say global food production will have to double by 2050, at which point the world population is expected to have grown from 2 billion today to well beyond 9 billion. That’s just 35 years away, and there will be no new arable land then”. In short, the population is increasing tremendously and we are going to find ourselves with less land to be able to have these massive growing operations. A possibly valid argument, but what about individual farming? Individuals can still farm on their own, and we can prepare for the land problem by reducing the number of preoccupied buildings.
Why we should ban GMO’s? In GMOs 101 Stephen H. Howell, director the Plant Sciences Institute at Iowa State University, stated “Other GM plants, such as Roundup Ready corn, were created to survive the spraying of the herbicide Roundup, which kills weeds and would normally kill the plant, too”. It tells how some crops were made to survive herbicide sprays that would normally kill the plant, like Roundup. Think about that for a minute, the plant can withstand round up, which is deadly to humans, should anyone really be consuming
Food is an essential part of everyday life without it one could not survive. Every day we make choices on what we put in to our bodies. There are countless varieties of food to choose from to meet the diverse tastes of the increasing population. Almost all food requires a label explaining the ingredients and the nutritional value allowing consumers to make informed decisions on what they are consuming. However, many may not be considering where that food is coming from or how it has been produced. Unfortunately, there is more to food than meets the eye. Since 1992, “ the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ruled, based on woefully limited data, that genetically modified foods were ‘substantially equivalent’ to their non-GM counterparts” (Why to Support Labeling). GM food advocates have promised to create more nutritious food that will be able to grow in harsh climate conditions and eventually put an end to world hunger in anticipation of the growing population. There is very little evidence to support these claims and study after study has proven just the opposite. GM crops are not only unsafe to consume, but their growing practices are harmful to the environment, and multinational corporations are putting farmers out of business.
The process, considered genetic breeding, is much more precise than the regular breeding. While GMOs have been in food for 20 years, currently, the controversy over genetically engineered farms is larger than ever. 82% of Americans want GMOs labeled, but the 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.
According to an article titled “Genetically Modified Foods Eaten” by Linda A. Johnson today, essentially 40% of the foods we eat are genetically modified, unless you eat organic foods and/or you grow your own. Most products containing corn, soil, canola oil, or cottonseed oil contain genetic modifications. One of the biggest genetic modification companies is Monsanto Johnson. She goes on to say many Americans don’t even know they are consuming genetically engineered foods. In “Genetically Modified Foods Confuse Consumers” by Mary Clare Jalonick, writing in the Washington Times, she talks about how this is because the FDA does not require them to be labeled.
Fans of GMOs say we will be able to feed more people because farmers can grow more food because their crops are more resistant to the environment. GMOs also put less stress on the environment, by using less chemicals, and less tilling. Because they require fewer pesticides, land and water, GMOs help keep food production costs down resulting in lower prices for consumers. Some GM foods have a longer shelf life, allowing it to be transported to other countries who don’t have nutrient rich food. Better nutrition in the foods such as vitamin A-enhanced rice, or "golden rice," that is helping to reduce global vitamin A deficiencies. Another benefit is that scientists have engineered plants to produce vaccines, proteins, and other pharmaceutical goods in a process called "pharming."In addition to plants there are some genetically modified animals, such as a salmon, that grows much faster than the non-GMO salmon. But with many benefits comes many concerns. In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. There are concerns over the fact that GMOs may lead to allergy risks, or even cause new allergies, although this has not been proven.Modified organisms may interbreed with natural organisms. This could lead to the extinction of the original organism or to other unpredictable environmental effects. Crops built to survive weed killer could breed with a weed and create a “superweed” which would be more resistant to pesticides, and it
Genetically modified foods or GM foods are foods that have been changed to improve the size of the product and to progress the efficiency of food production. Genetic engineering can be done on both plants and animals and are processed to make the desired characteristics that are required for selling. Genetically modified food has become a controversial topic because people have different viewpoints on which type of food is better for their health. Many protests were created to ban genetically modified foods because of the harm that it caused to the people and the environment. Although people have different opinions towards this topic, there are numerous advantages and disadvantages in producing and consuming genetically modified foods.
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.
Meanwhile, detrimental effects of GM seeds might outweigh their benefits. There is lack of researches that can gauge the long-term effects of GM seeds on humans and animals’ health. Critics blame glyphosate which is the main ingredient of Roundup herbicide for causing harm to farmers’ health and also the surroundings because of its lasting residues. In addition to the drawbacks of GM seeds, organic farmers stated that GM products will contaminate their conventional seeds and the combination between those seeds can create mutative one which poses a threat to the
The audience that my paper would pertain to would be Scientists. In today’s society many scientists have been researching the positives and negatives of GMO products. These scientists are involved in this topic due to the intense debate and amount of new information that had yet to been discovered. The reasons many scientists are interested in this topic would due to many saying there are health risks that come with eating GMO products. The views that these professionals hold that will help me would be their position or authority on the subject. Also their view on the subject can also help when needing a valid opinion on the subject.
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.
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.
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.
...M crops will escalate the cost of farming, causing many small farmers to potentially loose their businesses. As GMOs continue to affect human life and the environment, it should be mandatory for products to be labeled if they are genetically modified, thus giving consumers the right to make their own decision. With the list of health risks and environmental issues rising, the use of GMOs should be banned as a method to increase food supply and continue a natural approach to eliminate all risks.
An English doctor, named Arpad Pusztai, did a study on rats being fed genetically modified foods. His study found out that rats that ate genetically modified potatoes had pre-cancerous cells, smaller brains, smaller livers, smaller testicles, and damaged immune systems. After finding this out, he then changed the eating habits of the rats by interchanging between feeding them organic potatoes and genetically modified potatoes for two weeks at a time. He concluded that whenever the rats ate the organic potatoes, their symptoms disappeared, but when the rats ate the GMO potatoes again, the symptoms reappeared. Pusztai study isn’t the only that proves that GMOs are harmful. Other studies have also shown that GMOs are linked to reproductive problems, immune system problems, accelerated aging, gastrointestinal distress, and dysfunctional regulation. This proves that GMOs have a serious effect on our
GMO’s stands for genetically modified organisms. The reason why I am pro for GMO’s is, because it is not dangerous, it is safe to eat, and no one has gotten sick from it. I actually myself ate some GMO’s and so does everyone that I know and they are fine. GMO’s has been on the market for the longest time, so if they were a health threat we would know by now. 88% is used in the United States. I agree with the people in the video that are for GMO’s not only because they have a degree but because they had facts to prove that they were right unlike the others they had nothing to back them up. It also speeds up production and evolution, develops crops with higher yield, and less fertilizer. It may not be natural but not everything that is natural
The most wonderful activity a human being can experience is new flavors and foods. For example, the first time a person tastes a delicious juicy piece of prime rib or a delightful hamburger with cheese and ham, his world is never the same. However, since the beginning of the twentieth century, the production of food has been supplemented by science. This has triggered an angry dispute between the people who support the advances of biotechnology and people who love nature. In order to understand the controversy, we have to know the meaning of genetically modified foods. With new technological advances, scientists can modify seeds from a conventional seed to a high tech seed with shorter maturation times and resistance to dryness, cold and heat. This is possible with the implementation of new genes into the DNA of the conventional seed. Once these "transgenes" are transferred, they can create plants with better characteristics (Harris 164-165). The farmers love it not only because it guarantees a good production, but the cost is also reduced. On the other hand, organizations such as Greenpeace and Friends of Earth have campaigned against GMO (“Riesgos”) because they think that they are negatively affecting the earth (Gerdes 26). Both the advocates and the opponents of genetically modified foods have excellent arguments.