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Using biotechnology to solve the food crisis
Genetically Modified Organisms affecting farmers
Genetically Modified Organisms affecting farmers
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Recommended: Using biotechnology to solve the food crisis
In association with health risk caused by utilization of biotechnology cross splicing of DNA and GMO foods, biodiversity is also adversely affected by some of these same harmful pollutions into the environment. The Monsanto Company, known as the “dominant player in commercial genetically engineered (GE) crops, is the creator of the pesticide, called Roundup Ready” (“Eight Ways Monsanto Fails At Sustainable Agriculture”). Claiming that Roundup Ready “allows farmers to reduce overall herbicide use as well as environmental protection,” some researchers state what Monsanto does not share is that the use of Roundup Ready additionally comes with a price and has genuinely refrained the development of sustainable agriculture in several ways (“Promoting Pesticide Resistance”). …show more content…
Glyphosate, the chemical herbicide used in Roundup Ready, was pristinely created to kill off excess weed growth amongst farmer’s crops. Instead, by 2011, the genetically altered crops developed glyphosate resistance associated with Roundup Ready crops known today as the “Super Weed” (“Promoting Pesticide
There are many issues regarding the raising and producing of various livestock animals, and the use of pesticides on various types of crops. The movie Food.Inc does a good job explaining these issues, but in a very biased way. It makes agriculturists look like terrible people, when this is not the case.
According to Monstano’s website they are an agriculture company that helps supports farmers. They claim to do this by producing seeds that help farmers increase yield while saving the environment. This is a great business model as they produce seeds that are resistant to herbicides, which eliminate weeds from farms. This is such a great business model as they also produce the product that eliminates the weeds. In order to eliminate seeds from a farm, a farmer must buy Monsanto’s seeds, as well as their herbicides. However these seeds do not occur naturally in nature, like many bacteria who have evolved to acquire antibiotic resistance, these seeds are genetically modified by humans. A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques such as recombinant DNA technology. Recently GMO’s have come to the forefront after many years, as people are starting to learn more from independent studies. However Monsanto has tried to cover up these studies in order to stop laws about GMO labeling to save the company. Monsanto has been linked to many different acts of corruption over the past decade, including using bribery to pay a politician from another country to try to stop legislation over GMO labeling. After clearly taking part in acts of corruption over a long period of time, Monsanto needs to be punished for their actions that are hurting the American public and environment.
From a pipe dream of the son of two immigrants comes one of the largest chemical engineering companies of our time. John Francis Queeny was born in Chicago in August of 1859. It is hard to believe that a man with only six years of public school education created such a vast empire. In 1871 the Queeny family was devastated by the Great Chicago Fire, the buildings that his father owned and rented out were, of course, totally destroyed, thus ending the rather comfortable life of the Queeny family. John was forced to drop out of school and find a job. After little avail he finally found employ at the drug Firm of Tolman and King for 2.50 a week. (Forrestal 12).
In an argument, the lawyer representing Monsanto Company stated that the amount of arable land around the world is quickly dwindling. This means that it is time to take extra drastic measures to improve food safety throughout the world. Genetically modified seeds and related chemicals offer the best solution for such food safety concerns and thus the company was right to make such investments. This idea comes from recent realization of a robust population boom throughout the world, an inability for traditional agricultural practices and seeds to withstand changing climatic systems. Modification of the seed’s genetic material to withstand climatic and other environmental threats seems to be a viable solution to the challenge.
Monsanto is a multinational agricultural and agrochemical biotechnology corporation based in America and is the largest producer of genetically engineered seeds. Monsanto argues that using science and newfound research to create genetically modified food is necessary in order to save our world from starvation. Eduardo Blumwald, a professor of cell biology and employee for Monsanto, says that genetically modified food could be “the only viable solution we have for our future” (Ostrander 24) where it is predicted that the temperature and population will soar. Blumwald argues that without genetically engineering food to produce under high temperatures with little water, the world could potentially starve in this predicted future. Yet regardless of “biotech industry promises, none of the GMO traits currently on the market offer increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit” (“GMO Facts”). Instead, Monsanto genetically modifies food to resist RoundUp, a pesticide the company has created to kill any plants or bugs other than the genetically engineered crop. According to the World Health Organization, this pesticide “is a probable human carcinogen” (“GMOs”) due to glyphosate, a
Everyone has likely already heard the name Monsanto, the largest seed distributor in the world. Nearly fifty percent of all seeds in the world are owned by only three corporations. These companies account for trillions in fertilizer, pesticide, seed patents and herbicide sales annually. These companies have been building a seed empire within the food industry for over thirty years now and they have plans to patent every seed with biotechnology. Thoreau wrote in his book, “The condition of the operatives is becoming every day more like that of the English; and it cannot be wondered at, since, as far as I have heard or observed, the principal object is, not that mankind may be well and honestly clad, but, unquestionably, that the corporations
As a farmer, there are many issues that arise due to ignorance or hazards. Roundup Ready cropping is one of those issues. The issue of Roundup Ready crops is a hot topic right now due to a little bit of ignorance and the potential hazards involved. Roundup is a herbicide with the active ingredient called glyphosate (“Farmers Relying on Herbicide”). When Roundup is applied to any type of vegetation, the chemical kills the plant in a week’s time. Roundup was created in 1996 by a chemist at Monsanto, an agricultural company (“Resistance Warning”). This new product would soon be the answer to many farmers’ prayers.
Thesis Statement: Research suggests that GMO's (genetically modified organisms/products) could be harmful for people and the environment because of their potential to produce new allergens, increase toxicity, decrease nutritional value, and increase bacterial antibiotic resistance. Bakshi, A. K. (2003). Potential adverse health effects of genetically modified crops. Journal Of Toxicology And Environmental Health,Part B, 6, 211-225. Retrieved from http://globalseminarhealth.wdfiles.com/local--files/nutrition/Bakshi.pdf This article is one of the pioneering research papers that addresses the potential negative impact of genetically modified crops.
GMOs can also bear consequences in terms of genetic pollution and alteration, from 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. With all of the controversy surrounding GMO foods: health versus biodiversity; benefits versus dangers; pros versus cons, a topic that always arises is the subject of labeling. Labeling has been a matter of discussion for years and surprisingly, it is a hot debate that is still full of life.
Monsanto is an agricultural organisation which specialises in biotechnology and genetically modifying organisms such as plant seeds. It was the first company to genetically modify a plant cell with the aim of creating better, stronger breeds of crops and plants in order to make agriculture more productive, efficient and overall sustainable which is vital for poorer countries and the population of the world as it is growing at a rapid rate. The Food and Agriculture organisation of the UN states that if the global population reaches 9.1 billion by 2050 then food production will need to rise by 70%, and production in the developing world will have to double. [https://www.populationinstitute.org/resources/populationonline/issue/1/8/] (Online) (accessed 12 May 2014). However, genetically modifying organisms seem to be very controversial as there are many people who believe that GMOs are unethical and are a health risk to people and the environment.
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 food’s, or GMOs, goal is to feed the world's malnourished and undernourished population. Exploring the positive side to GMOs paints a wondrous picture for our planet’s future, although careful steps must be taken to ensure that destruction of our ecosystems do not occur. When GMOs were first introduced into the consumer market they claimed that they would help eliminate the world’s food crisis by providing plants that produced more and were resistant to elemental impacts like droughts and bacterial contaminants, however, production isn’t the only cause for the world’s food crisis. Which is a cause for concern because the population on the earth is growing and our land and ways of agriculture will not be enough to feed everyone sufficiently. No simple solutions can be found or applied when there are so many lives involved. Those who are hungry and those who are over fed, alike, have to consider the consequences of Genetically Modified Organisms. Food should not be treated like a commodity it is a human necessity on the most basic of levels. When egos, hidden agendas, and personal gains are folded into people's food sources no one wins. As in many things of life, there is no true right way or wrong way to handle either of the arguments and so many factors are involved that a ‘simple’ solution is simply not an option.
Opponents of the use of genetically modified crops believe that their use will have a detrimental effect on the environment. One of the biggest concerns is that cross pollination will cause the introduced genes to be incorporated into the genomes of other plants. This could result in “superweeds” that are resistant to herbicides and are extremely difficult to eradicate. There are also concerns that bugs could be affected as well. Some believe that there is a possibility that crops transformed with genes that increase pest resistance could harm essential pollinators such as bees and butterflies. On the other hand some fear that pest will become resistant to pesticide that are engineered into crops.