Persuasive Essay: Should GMO Be Banned?

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Over time, the human species has applauded themselves for their advances in things like science, technology, medicine, and engineering. However, with every step forward is a step back – many people have become resistant to the changes that the future brings, and many are afraid that these scientific advancements are giving us too much power and ultimately uprooting us from our relationship with nature. This love-hate relationship has most recently been cast upon GMO 's, as there 's been a lot of controversy about whether or not they 're something that we should ban entirely. Many people who are strongly opposed to GMO 's dislike them because they don 't have a full picture of the facts, or are simply misunderstanding the meaning of the term. …show more content…

GMO 's provide us with the increased amounts of food that we need to feed an constantly growing population. As Nobel Prize laureate, Dr Norman E. Borlaug puts it: "There is no evidence to indicate that biotechnology is dangerous. After all, mother nature has been doing this kind of thing for God knows how long,". (Tervil Okoko, AgBioWorld) GMO 's have been around for far longer than people give them credit for – and in fact many of the foods we 've grown to love today like apples, bananas, grapes, and potatoes have all been modified for ease of human consumption. GMO 's reduce the amount of land needed in order to plant crops, as they produce crops of the same size with more yield than non-genetically engineered food. GMO 's allow for more nutritious, resilient, and better tasting food. There are currently no credible studies proving that the use of rDNA can lead to health defects in humans, and genetically engineered foods go through more rigorous testing than non-GMO 's. Contrary to the statistics, GMO 's are currently being developed to reduce pesticide use through intrinsic pest resistance – and a German study that was published on PLOS even concluded that “On average, GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68%” (Wilhelm Klümper & Matin Qaim, PLOS). GMO 's can even help us fight back against climate change, as it allows the creation of crops resistant to severe weather – like droughts, which California (one of the best sources for crops in the nation) is currently experiencing with no particular end date in sight. Additionally, because of the aforementioned factors, GMO 's can be used to fight back against world hunger. They 're produced in mass quality, are cheaper, and more durable than non-genetically modified foods – in short, they 're an incredibly

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