Genetically Modified Foods
Genetically modified crops are harmful to humans and the environment and shouldn't be used. Agriculture should proceed in harmony with nature and nature only. That is why some people have decided to buy organically grown food. From their experiences with organic food, they believe that the organic system can be economically practical. This system also provides a wide range of environmental and social benefits, and most importantly, it enables consumers to make a choice about the food they eat. According to Diana Brander, an American biology teacher, we should have the choice of the type of food we eat.
But at a time when sales of organic food are soaring, a development in agriculture is removing an essential choice about the food we eat and raising important questions about the future of our food and our environment. Genetically modified crops are proven through the USDA to be a key factor that will increase yields through techniques which are simply an extension of traditional methods of plant breeding.
The fundamental difference between traditional and genetically modified plant breeding is that genetic material from one species of a plant, bacteria, virus, animal, or fish is inserted into another species, which under natural circumstances could not breed.
We do not know the long term consequences for human health and the environment of releasing plants bred in this way. We are assured by the USDA that the new plants are tested but unless a genetically modified crop is proven to be hazardous or unsafe, there is no reason to stop its use. There may be some problems that aren't evident for quite sometime that could harm the environment they are in.
We are told by the USDA that genetic...
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...has brought tremendous benefits to mankind, but there is a danger, especially in areas as sensitive as food, health, and the long term future of our environment. We put in all our efforts into establishing what is technically possible without thinking about the long term affects it may have on humans and the environment. Many people believe that we should stop and ask those important questions.
Obviously we all have to make up our own minds about these important issues. Many people have no interest in eating any genetically modified foods. The organic food industry is becoming larger and larger as people become more aware of what they are consuming and the environment around them. Consumers should be aware of the harmful effects that genetically modified crops produce. Genetically modified crops are harmful to humans and the environment and should not be used.
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.
Most people would claim that they would rather buy (X) organic food products than food that has been genetically modified (X). Organic foods are grown in a way that does not harm the environment at all. They are much healthier that in-organic products as they have little to no chemicals added to them. But it is easier to buy genetically modified produce without even realising it. Organic fruits and vegetables are more expensive and not as easy to find.
When growing genetically modified foods, companies use a ton of different pesticides to increase their growth rate and size. What you don't realize it that when you eat those foods or even around them, you're consuming all those unknown, harmful pesticides. If those are damaging the land where they grow, imagine what they can do to your body. Some areas where these foods were grown is not usable now due to problems within the soil. Once the ground gets like this, it takes awhile for those chemicals to leave the soil for plant life to begin to grow again.
If people really knew what they were putting in their bodies when they ate, they probably would not want to eat it anymore. People don’t even know where their food is coming from, let alone know that their foods have been genetically modified. There are huge issues regarding the consumer’s health when eating these foods. For example, the animals wellbeing is not considered, and the environment is at risk. The United States food industry has become corrupt in so many ways; therefore, the consumer should buy from local farms to improve their health and ease their conscience.
Genetically modified crops have many potential advantages regarding the raising of agricultural productivity and reducing the need for pesticides that are known to be bad for the environment. GM (genetically modified) foods are already a large part of the Americans life; however, does the benefit of biotech outweigh the risks? (Cost and Benefits, 2014, pp. 155-170)
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.
“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.
People might disagree with my view on genetically modified foods by saying they can harm the environment, make antibiotics less effective, and are too expensive. All these problems may occur if the science in GMO’s get used incorrectly but if used correctly it could end world hunger. GMO’s might also cost more money but they have already been enhanced to have better texture, flavor, resistance to pests, and better value for everyone who consumes them. The Herbicide, insecticide, fertilizer, crop insurance, and rent all cost the same.
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.
To this day, there has yet to be found any evidence against genetically modified organisms to causing bad health in humans, people seem to think if you consume any product with genetically modified organisms that you will develop cancer or other illnesses; this has been scientifically proven wrong, and we can thank false advertising for that.
We should allow the the Genetically modified foods to be sold in public grocery stores, and we should sell it to farmers. First of all, genetically modified foods are better for the environment because the do not need insecticides. "Insecticides generally have a broad spectrum, and they kill lots of different types of insects, not just the pests," said study author Michelle Marvier of Santa Clara University in California(National Geographic). This can cause animals to struggle in their natural habitat and even become endangered. This is important because, foods that have no pesticides are healthier for us and the environment in which they are grown.
Genetically modified foods is one of the most controversial issues around the world. GMOs (genetically modified foods) are defined as organisms that have had their genetic materials altered in a way that does not occur in nature. Doing this is supposed to improve both the quality and shelf life of most agricultural products. GMO’s have spread worldwide concern with both health and environmental effects. Both of these concerns brought up a lot of controversy. People across the world are asking questions on the environmental and health effects that these foods will have on us and the world we live in. There are both advantages and disadvantages that genetically modified foods will have on our country.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are becoming a greatly debated topic in many countries. New Zealand, Switzerland, France, and Japan are just a few of the countries that have decided to ban the use of GMOs. Genetically modified organisms are organisms that have been scientifically altered through their DNA. The controversy arising from the use of GMOs is whether they are safe enough to use long-term. Since GMOs have only recently come into our food supply, not enough long term research has been acquired to determine the effects it has on our society. There are many different views on the disputed topic of genetically modified organisms, but the three main views are to ban GMOs completely, to use GMOs without restriction, and to use GMOs in our food supply but regulate and label them.
Genetically modified crops and food involve the deliberate altering of the genetic material of plants and animals that have caused concerns over the environmental and economic issues that this technology affects. A genetically modified organism 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. Around 57 percent Americans believe that GMOs are unsafe to eat, meanwhile only around 37 percent think that they are safe. All around the world, people have been discussing the PROs and CONs of genetically modified organisms leaving a whole group of people wondering which side to believe. According to the online article, 10 Reasons to Avoid GMOs,
Even though genetically modified organisms were created to grow more food there are negative aspects to these types of crops that are harmful to humans and animals. Therefore GMO’s should be studied more because there are positive impacts but harmful side effects.