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biotechnology and genetic modified food
the issue with genetically modified foods
the issue with genetically modified foods
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Robert M. Hutchins, known for his contributions to philosophy, said that, “A civilization in which there is not a continuous controversy about important issues is on the way to totalitarianism and death.” While I do not necessarily agree with the former, or the latter, for that matter (no rhyme intended), it is imperative for us, as people, regardless of nationality, to ask questions. On the topic of important issues are genetically modified foods. The specific tangent on genetically modified foods is the question of whether or not genetically modified foods should have mandatory labeling. Instead of being a staunch absolutist and deciding so hastily on the matter of GMOs, the merits and drawbacks of this issue need to be discussed.
Like any contemporary moral issue, there are parts of the issue that are black and white with the rest of it being one huge gray area needing to be properly defined, and the issue of GMOs is no different. One of the facets on the gem of GMOs is the question of putting mandatory labels on genetically modified foods. Groups that are in favor of mandatory labeling such as Greenpeace International, for example, argue that consumers, regardless of awareness towards food have the right to know what is inside their food. Greenpeace International, “…emphasize[s] unknown health risks, such as allergic reactions, and environmental risks, such as pest resistance and loss of biodiversity, and denounce the absence of long-term studies investigating those risks” (Dannenberg 374). Before I go any further, I need to enlist the help of a deontologist. For our purposes I will call him, “No Exception” Evan.
After telling Evan about Greenpeace’s position on genetically modified foods, he said that, “Under n...
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...ndatory GMO Labeling.” Editorial. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 11 Nov. 2013, 3rd ed.: 13. 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Dannenberg, Astrid, Sara Scatasta, and Bodo Sturm. “Mandatory versus Voluntary Labelling of Genetically Modified Food: Evidence from an Economic Experiment.” Agricultural Economics 42.3 (2011): 374. 5 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
De Tavernier, Johan. “Food Citizenship: Is there a Duty for Responsible Consumption?” Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics 25.6 (2012): 897. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.
Kaste, Martin. “So What Happens If The Movement To Label GMOs Succeeds?” GMO Labeling. KUOW. 94.9, Seattle, Washington, 17 Oct. 2013. Radio.
Phillips, Diane, and William Hallman. “Consumer Risk Perceptions and Marketing Strategy: The Case of Genetically Modified Food.” Psychology & Marketing 30.9 (2013): 741. 23 July 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
A substantial percentage of the work on the ethics of genetically modified food has primarily centralized on its potentially nocuous effects on human health and on the rights to label
Though every major scientific regulatory oversight body in the world has concluded that GMO foods are harmless, the public remains deeply suspicious, fearing that such food may cause cancer or allergies. Caitlin Shetterly, one of the worried public, wrote an article in Elle magazine, claiming that genetically modified foods could cause allergic reactions, and that consumers face unknown and unacceptable risks from new, yet-to-be-identified allergens that our government’s monitoring program, compromised by industry, is not designed to pick up. The evidence Shetterly provided was the subsidence of her symptoms of eosinophilic disorder after she stripped all corn from her diet, which convinced her the cause-and-effect between eating genetically modified corn and the allergic reactions. She tried to prove her arguments by interviewing a ran...
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.
A very valid point brought up by Clause (Say ‘no’), Hemphill, and Banerjee (both G.M.O. and the U.S.), is that consumers already have an easy and effective option to steer clear from GMOs: buying organic products. Through Hemphill’s and Banerjee’s article, we are informed that United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “presently offers an organic certification for crops and processed food products, which by definition prohibits the use of GMO ingredients” (Page 455-466). This is certainly a label that has the ability to help concerned customers know exactly what they are eating. The co-authors call this solution the “Voluntary Labeling Strategy.” There is, however, one issue with this: not all products that don't contain GMOs qualify as organic. The resolution lies in an upcoming proposal from the U.S. Food and Drug administration (FDA). It's called “Voluntary Guidelines” and it allows, but doesn't force, GMO-free products to display a label of their own. I believe that this is a much smarter option than labeling every item containing GMOs because it is not binding by law, which would provide consumers with all of the benefits they need to choose the right foods for their preferences, while saving on all of the unnecessary extra costs discussed
The technological advances are increasing each year, and electronics are not the only things upgraded. The food eaten in the United States has also been touched by science in the form of GMOs. Although GMOs have been in the US food industry for almost twenty years, consumers should have the right to know what is in our food with mandatory GMO labeling.
Until the government creates mandates for issuing labels on foods that contain genetically modified ingredients, there are measures that can be taken by common citizens and supporters of GMO labeling in order to keep Americans safe in the meantime. Since “study after study points to potential health risks” (“Whole Foods Market”), supporters need to raise awareness amongst the rest of society in order to generate a large group that can begin to press the government to create a law to handle the issue. It is in “the state’s interest [to] protect consumers from false or potentially misleading communication or prevent consumers from suffering unwitting harms” (Adler). Moreover, the government must be the one to put an official end to the lack of
It is common today, to relate our health to the foods we eat. If you’ve ever heard the saying, “You are what you eat”, then you must ask yourself a very important question- How do you know what you are, if you do not know what is in your food? With the skyrocketing concern about genetically modified foods (GMO’s), consumers are wanting food that has been genetically modified to be labeled. According to dictionary.com a GMO is, “an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering, so that its DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there”. In her article, “Genetically Modified Food: A Modern Term for Old-Fashioned Husbandry”, Tiffany Snider claims that the cost of labeling genetically modified foods outweighs
GMO labeling is important because there is uncertainty in the safety of GMOs, which indicates a need for long term monitoring, therefore labels are needed to facilitate monitoring by the scientific community and diagnosis by healthcare professionals. The point being made here is that, while the technology of GMO appears to be safe and has been in use commercially for nearly 20 years, it is nonetheless prudent to watch for problems (Dahl). In their scholarly article titled “’Does Contain’ vs. ‘Does Not Contain’; Does it Matter which GMO Label is Used?”, John Crespi and Stephan Marette quote statistics showing that “…21% of Americans feel that GM foods pose ‘serious safety risks’…”, and that the percentages for European nations range from 30%
In a world where healthy eating is always a fad, GMO Labeling is a hot topic. There are several misconceptions about GMOs. Products containing GMO's should be appropriately labeled because inappropriate marketing strategies could defer possible consumers, appropriate labels could help advocate understanding that GMO is not a negative additive and consumers have the right to know what is in their food. A GMO is defined as “an organism whose genome has been altered by the techniques of genetic engineering so that it’s DNA contains one or more genes not normally found there.” Research involving human consumption in GMOs has been in place since 1980, the FDA approved funding for GMOs in 1982. Even though they were approved in 1882, products containing GMOs did not hit grocery stores until late 1994.
“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.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO/s) have evolved enormously during the last decade. With the evolution of GMOs, comes the natural argument for and against them. Most of the arguments that are taking place are directed towards the health of human beings. It is still unsure what the long-term effects of consuming GMOs will have on humans, but only time will tell (Nodoushani, Sintay, & Stewart, 2015, p. 139). Other arguments that are being made are the effects that GMOs will have on the environment as well as the argument of requiring labeling of all Genetically Modified Foods. In this paper, I will discuss the benefits of Genetically Modified Organisms which include the health benefits, environmental benefits and the benefits of labeling,
With all of the controversy surrounding GMO foods, a topic that always arises is the subject of labeling. Labeling has been a matter of discussion for years and surprisingly, a consensus has not been reached. In the labeling argument, big organizations that oppose labeling claim that mandatory labels would increase costs. Supporters of labels meanwhile, argue in favor of the consumers’ right to know of just what it is that they are consuming. The debate of cost over right to know seems to be what fuels the persistent war between supporters and opposers of labeling. While there is huge opposition, labeling GM foods is a necessity and needs to become a reality in America.
Everyday, Americans eat approximately 2,000 pounds of food a year. A substantial amount of Americans eat plenty of foods that contain GMOs. Today, there are many controversies about whether GMOs are good or bad. GMOs are in fact a great advancement in today’s society, of course there will always be people who object to it. Something that might be almost guaranteed is that a majority of Americans have no idea what the consumption of GMO product can do to one’s body. Something that all Americans should ask themselves is, “What happens if I eat foods that contain GMOs”. Many think that since they had it once, and nothing happened, then the issue isn’t a big deal. There are in fact many terrifying consequences of putting GMOs in foods, not just for Americans, but for the environment also.
Wohlers, A. E. (2013). Labeling of genetically modified food. Politics & The Life Sciences, 32(1), 73-84. http://dx.doi.org/10.2990/32_1_73
Consumers should know what they are eating and given the choice to buy it or not. According to (Colin Carter and Guillaume Gruere, 2004) from University of California, Davis, if mandatory labeling was required processors would be exposed to political pressures and negative publicity. At first this may cause a loss for producers. However, once consumers are better educated and there is better information on GMOs, consumers’ minds will change. In return food and processing companies will not be at a great loss. Also, since most processed products are made with corn or soybean it would not be that much of a price difference for consumers (Carter). The only time price will differ is for natural