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Negative effects of genetically modified crops
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It has been said that within the next 50 years, the world will have to feed the same amount of people as it did in the previous 10,000. If this theory is true, then GMOs can help. There are many opposing thoughts about genetically modified organisms, otherwise known as GMOs. A GMO is a plant, animal, or microorganism whose genetic material has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally, meaning that the human race has created it. Many people have different points of view regarding GMOs. Environmentalists are afraid that GMOs will cross pollinate with other plants and cause hybrid plants that are hard to control. Environmentalists worry that some of the genetic modifications can cause health problems, but the data does not support this concern. Pro-GMO advocates point to increase yields and less harmful pesticide use and the fact that there are no documented adverse health reactions to GMO usage. …show more content…
The answer to this question is not black or white, meaning that it is a simple question that has a complicated answer. There are many things in today’s world that are genetically modified from their original state. Some modified foods are corn, salmon, potatoes, squash, soybeans and many many others. Even something as well-known as watermelon is also genetically modified. GMOs can also provide vitamins that are hard to acquire for some people, such as vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is a serious problem for over 250 million people in the world. Lack of Vitamin A causes blindness or even death. A way to fix this problem is golden rice. Golden rice is Genetically modified to have more Vitamin A and help prevent blindness around the world. This supports that GMOs can not only assist in solving the world’s hunger problem, but in preventing cases of blindness around the
GMO stands for a ‘genetically modified organism’. A GMO is artificially developed by scientists to produce specific results such as sustain life through a drought or produce a greater quantity of fruit per plant (Monsanto Corporation:1999). This practice began centuries ago when plants and animals were selectively bred and microorganisms were us...
Do you know what you're really voting for? Iowan farmer Reg Clause suggests you may not in his column, “Say ‘no’ to GMO labeling.” Reminding readers that general election day has come, he attempts to convince us that a certain law should be voted against. The proposed legislation would mandate all foods that contain genetically modified organisms, also know as GMOs, to display a warning label on their packaging. He argues that this would be detrimental to the good name of these types of foods when they do not deserve to be shamed. I agree that the genetically engineered crops should not be labeled, but not because that would tarnish their name. However, the reasoning for my opinion comes from the perspective that it would not only be impractical
GMO`s are starting to rapidly take over our food supply, but what exactly is a GMO? A GMO is a make up of DNA that is combined forcefully with a plant or animals DNA, and creates a new version of it. Seeing these products sold in stores for the first time people question what the change is from the natural, and organics, because when someone reads GMO they wonder if it is healthy and safe to consume.
The first claim, made by the bioengineering companies creating the GMOs, is that the products are "resistan[t] to insects or viruses, toleran[t] [of] certain herbicides and [have] nutritionally enhanced quality" (Maghari 2). With resistance against pests and tolerance to harsher pesticides, bioengineers claim to be creating a super food that requires less maintenance and costs less. In fact, for many developing countries, this seems a promising start to the end of w...
You might have heard GMO thrown around by scientists or news stations before. It stands for genetically modified organism. This is a relatively new technology that has sparked a huge debate. Organisms are genetically modified by taking genes from one being and transferring them to another being in order to change the qualities of the resulting species. Now this seems like a very good thing, and in some ways it is, but it has some very serious consequences. When humans start to tamper with nature, trouble is never far away. The same is true for genetically modified foods and organisms.
Have you ever asked yourself what is a genetically modified organism (GMO)? In this paper I am going to tell you about GMOs. GMO is any food or animal that has been genetically modified. There is too much GMO in our food. We could cut down on how much food has GM.
In a feeble attempt to cure world hunger scientists developed GMOs, or 'genetically-modified organisms', which are genetically enhanced crop plants created for human consumption, and although GMOs were initially designed to benefit the world, it appears as though they are doing as much harm as they are good. Originally, GMOs were designed to c...
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
The term GM foods or GMO (genetically-modified organisms) is most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques (Whitman, 2000). These plants have been modified in the laboratory to offer desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. Also, genetic engineering techniques have been applied to create plants with the exact desired trait very rapidly and accurately. For example, this is done by the geneticist isolating the gene responsible for drought tolerance and inserts it into another plant. The new genetically-modified plant will now have gained drought tolerance as well.
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.
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.
GMO food can create healthy, nutritious food in greater quantities for the less fortunate. For example, Hadiya is a toddler, born to poor African farmers. Her eyes are a milky white. Blinded from birth because of a cataract caused by vitamin A deficiency in her diet, she will never see her parents, and it is likely that she won’t survive past five years old. This is sadly the case for thousands of African and South-East Asian children, just because they have a vitamin deficiency in their diet. Vitamin A is supplied by
According to scientists, genetically engineering crops contributes to their quality. Crops that have been genetically modified to have a particular trait can decrease the amount of herbicides needed for growing that crop. Additionally, genetically modified (GM) crops can help third world countries, where malnutrition is common. For example, to help diminish nutrient deficiencies in developing countries, “plans were underway to develop a golden rice that also has increased iron content”(Whitman 2). In addition, GM crops can be modified to be able to “withstand the environmental challenges of drought, disease, and insect infestation” (Swenson 1). Growing GM crops can also result in fruits and vegetables that stay fresh for a prolonged period of time and taste better.
Genetically Modified Foods: The Answer to World Hunger. Genetically modified (GM) foods have become omnipresent over the past decade. They are a technological breakthrough that allows humans to manipulate and add foreign genes to crops to enhance desired traits, but they have also evolved into a controversial issue, especially for Third World countries. Some people believe that GM foods not only provide larger yields to feed hungry citizens in Third World countries, but they can also be a source of great nutritional value.
Genetically modified organisms can be plants or animals that have been genetically altered to produce or express a desired characteristic or trait. By genetically altering organisms such as crops, we can eliminate the use of pesticides by making the crops resistant to insects. We can also produce crops that are resistant to floods and droughts. Furthermore, with the use of molecular genetics, we are able to produce foods that are rich in nutrients and supplements. People in developing countries may not be fortunate enough to have a full course meal that contains nutrients from all four basic food groups. However, GMOs can with a little modification provide all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals included in a good diet by simply consuming a genetically modified staple crop such as rice. In addition, by producing crops that are resistant to harsh environmental conditions as well as pests, we would see a rapid increase in the production of food thereby reducing and or!