Since the beginning of the agricultural revolution, the human population on Earth has continued to increase at a rapid rate with no signs of it stopping anytime soon. In response to the growing population, agricultural advancements such as new methods for growing have been made in order to address this issue. However, one advancement continues to be at the heart of a debate that has been going on for several years: genetically modifying organisms. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, refer to organisms that have been genetically modified so that they have favorable traits, such as producing a lot of fruit or producing the largest vegetable. Despite the benefits it could provide, people have argued against genetically modifying crops because …show more content…
They observed that the rats exposed to these diets developed more tumors than those that had not been exposed to the genetically modified corn and Roundup. Thus, the group concluded that GMOs can lead to the development of cancer in humans. With all of this evidence that shows how unhealthy GMOs could be, it seems as if GMO advocates would lose and the argument for banning GMOs seems strong. However, evidence shows that GMOs are actually not as bad as people assert. The phrase “GMO” used by these anti-GMO groups is actually a misnomer. In fact, humans have been genetically modifying organisms since the beginning of agriculture through artificial selection, allowing the large size and varieties of corn and other crops we see today. The corn we see today is massive in comparison to its ancestors due to our ability to harness selective breeding and use it to our advantage in growing crops. Not only that, the animals we see today have been “genetically modified” to a certain degree in order to produce more milk or lay more eggs or provide more meat, and these animals have most likely eaten genetically modified crops. Therefore, nearly every crop and animal in the market has been “genetically modified.” So, people cannot actually eat non-GMO foods since the crops’ genes have been undergoing changes due to human …show more content…
However, the Sprague-Dawley strain of rat has been found to have a high chance of developing tumors, so the increase in tumors observed in the experimental group may not be directly correlated with being fed GMOs and Roundup, according to Scientific American. As a result of the possibly flawed conclusion, inhumane treatment of the rats, and years of evidence that shows animal consumption of GMOs has not produced ill effects, the study was retracted in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. Does it mean that GMOs should be embraced fully? Not exactly. There are many benefits to allowing GMOs into the market, such as being able to survive and last longer and allowing the use of less chemicals aimed to kill pests. In addition, they have been proven to offer the same nutritional value as crops that have not been genetically engineered. But, there is still the danger of the accidental creation of a crop that may produce toxins. As long as the approval of genetically engineered organisms is well regulated before going to your local markets, the danger remains
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...
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.
Whether we should embrace or reject GMOs is a debate that will very likely always be two sided. Their will always be companies that benefit from GMO production, and even if products are labeled people will undoubtedly still eat them. Whether you are for or against GMOs, it’s our right as consumers to know what we’re buying. People have the right to reject being GMO guinea pigs. Jeffery Smith, executive director from The Institute for Responsible Technology and author of Seeds of Deception said, “We think the single most common result of genetic engineering is surprise side effects. Therefore we say it’s not responsible to feed the products of this infant science to the entire population or release them into the environment where they can never be recalled. Someday, we may be able to safely and predictably manipulate the DNA but it’s not today.”
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
A GMO is a plant or animal that has been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. Most of the combinations which are used could not possibly occur in nature on its own. The intention of the process is to create a new beneficial trait such as creating its own pesticide or make it immune to herbicides. This would allow the crop such as Bt co...
...research and decide for themselves whether genetically modifying crops was wrong, the issue would be a much smaller ratio of pros versus against. Referring back to the statement above from “The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMOs”, it would be fairly hard to have something on the shelves of every grocery store if it were not safe or beneficiary to the health of the people. “Corn, rice, canola oil, and soy beans were all among the first to become FDA-approved GMOs during the mid 1990s.” (Hennessey, 2012). Hennessey (2012) then goes on to say, “Today the FDA has approved over 40 seeds and plants for genetic modification.” Whether “The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMO” or the article written by Rachel Hennessey is true, it is evident that not all genetically modified foods are evaluated, researched, or tested properly due to how much controversy there is over one single issue.
Science and technology are rapidly advancing everyday; in some ways for the better, and in some, for worse. One extremely controversial advance is genetic engineering. As this technology has high potential to do great things, I believe the power genetic engineering is growing out of control. Although society wants to see this concept used to fight disease and illness, enhance people 's lives, and make agriculture more sustainable, there needs to be a point where a line is drawn.
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 on 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.
...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
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)
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
“Genetically modified foods are a "Pandora's box" of known and unknown risks to humans and the environment. They have been forced onto the American public by multinational biotech and agribusiness corporations without adequate oversight and regulation by the United States government (Driscoll, SallyMorley, David C).”Genetically Modified Food is food which has been chemically altered by scientists during the production process to give the food more nutrients, better appearance, and a longer shelf-life (Rich, Alex K.Warhol, Tom). The importance of this issue is that these GMO’s can actually have a negative effect in our society in general. It could mutate in a negative way and cause cancer or other diseases. Genetically modified food should be strictly controlled due to its various detrimental effects on the environment, human health, and potentially insect/animal effects.
GM crops also benefit the economy and assist in feeding more people. While we struggle with feeding our population, “The population will continue to grow” (Calandrelli 1) For instance, genetic engineering in agriculture can minimize the cost of producing food. Thus, GMO’s in crops can result ...
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!