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.
Even now, people are constantly enraptured by the possibilities that science and technology offer, while neglecting their duties towards nature and the earth.
This is an unreasonable decision because the harms are inadequate which could mean there could be much harm like toxicity and allergic reactions which means that GMO is not safe and should not be in the market till all the advantages and disadvantages are figured out.
Pamela Ronald, a plant geneticist, presented a Ted Talk “The case for engineering our food”, Ronald points out that engineered genetics for our plants is not harmful, yet better for our environment and health. “Now, genetic modification is not new; virtually everything we eat has been genetically modified in some manner”(Ronald).
Some people have raised concerns to the topic about genetically modified foods, but there are pros and cons to both sides. People worry about their lives being in danger from consuming genetically modified foods and the allergic
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.
...y modified organisms can not only infiltrate our ecosystem and threaten the natural processes but they can also impose health risks for the living in various areas. In closing, it is important to be aware of the benefits and limitations of genetically modified organisms. The real question is do you want them in your life?
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.”
The genetic engineering of foods has, in one sense, been in existence for hundreds of years. The first time Gregor Mendel bred different varieties of pea plants to observe the various traits present in their offspring, the concept was born. Today, genetic engineering has developed into one of the most complex and advanced fields of scientific thinking, all the while provoking many questions and acquiring many opponents along the way. While there are compelling arguments presented for each side of the issue, the simple fact is that genetically modified (GM) foods are a reality, especially in the United States, as they are already present in many products that are consumed on a daily basis. Just as the market for GM foods has increased, the level of opposition has increased as well, even up to the point of terrorist action against producers, growers, and sellers of genetically modified foods. So the question is posed, will GM foods be the future or the failure of our agricultural system?
Genetically modified foods are developed by combining genes from two different organisms which alters it's DNA and do not occur naturally. Biotechnology is relatively new so like most people, I turned to research to argue this issue with facts. In my opinion, genetically modifying foods have more harmful effects than they do beneficial. I am against their use because it creates safety risks for our health and animals, it can damage the environment and we have to deal with the total costs.
gives us the right to do so. Before we go on any further, it is
The main focus of the article is not to completely oppose genetic manipulation of crops but to point out the adverse health effects these crops can possibly have on both humans and environment. The article cites
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.
Of course people are going to oppose for genetically modified foods because they are much more favorable in quality and production potential. These foods are chemically designed to be high quality bred foods, the best of the best. Ismail Serageldin, speaking on behalf of the World Bank, called the use of GM crops "crucial" to developing countries in the twenty-first century. He said such crops "could be a tremendous help in meeting the challenge of feeding an additional three billion human beings, 95 percent of them in the poor developing countries, on the same amount of land and water currently available." He is right in his statement as it is true that these foods will be able to sustain the people on this earth. But I say, for how long? If we already have a lot of people, and we put more food on the planet, the number of people on earth will increase even faster! Then we find ourselves fifty years later with probably 15 billion people, no space, and limited on potentially harming food. It will be the same situation we are in now, but worse!
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.
middle of paper ... ... Also, even though this process is beneficial by producing positive effects on plants, there is still a chance of it producing uncertain effects of genetically modified products to the environment as well as the human health. Genetically modified organisms can contaminate our environments and the big issue here is once it starts to spread, we as humans are unable to stop either the good or bad effects. The spread of antibiotic resistance, the creation of dangerous novel pathogens and diseases,the loss of biodiversity in farming, unsustainable agriculture, and the creation of new viral diseases through transfer are all harmful components of genetic engineering. This process is also considered a disadvantage because it offends religion when it questions whether man has the right to manipulate the right and coarse nature.