A genetically modified organism, also known as a GMO, is a food that has had its genes altered to produce a desired effect. GMOs were created by Herbert Boyle in 1973 at Stanford University. Some examples of crops that have been genetically modified already are soybeans, corn, and canola. Many countries sell and produce GMOs, including Argentina, Canada, China, the United States, and Germany. Today, there are big companies that promote the research and produce GMOs. One of the biggest companies is called Monsanto. Monsanto, and the other companies, produce GMOs today because they believe that they can benefit the world. GMOs are used today primarily by farmers, who can have their crops modified to help them grow. This was one of the reasons GMOs were invented. However, GMOs were not only invented to help farmers’ crops. They process of altering foods was invented because genetically modifying foods could have possible beneficial effects to all people. One positive attribute of GMOs is that they can help farmers grow their crops. Many GMOs today are modified specifically to be able to kill insects. In fact, they are modified to produce a substance on their own that will kill insects. This is called bacillus thuringiensis, or BT for short. There are many good things that have come of this. Firstly, farmers do not have to buy and use other insecticides or pesticides, which will overall help their income and even the environment. Another reason GMOs help farmers grow their crops is that they can be modified to help kill weeds. In this case, rather than there being a “weed killer” inside of them, like the insecticide, the plants are modified to do something different. “The two biggest uses for genetic modifi... ... middle of paper ... ...lp grow their crops with made- in insecticides like BT. In addition, some GMOs have plant killer immunization, especially to the weed killer glyphosate. However, there is a chance that the weeds may gain these good properties through gene flow and that insects will become immune to BT. Likewise, GMOs can help feed the world, especially poor countries like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Nutritional value can be given to certain crops, which would in turn benefit the people eating the crops. However, there is always the chance that these countries would become dependent on the creators of GMOs, which are big and powerful companies like Monsanto. Everyday farmers in any country, including these poor countries, might not be able to afford GMOs, either. GMOs may end up being for only the wealthy people of the world when they could be helping everyone.
The word GMO stands for Genetically-Modified Organism and can also be referred to as Genetically Engineered foods, Genetically Modified Foods, and Biotech. Genetically engineered foods are created when one desired trait is isolated and introduced to another plant by inserting the certain gene. The process, considered genetic breeding, and is much more precise than the regular breeding. While GMOs have been in food for 20 years, currently, the controversy and genetically engineered farms are larger than ever. 82% of Americans want GMOs labeled, but majority fail to understand them (Swanson). 90% of all US grown corn, canola, soybeans, and sugar beets have DNA bits from the lab (Woolston). The United States is the top GMO growing country with 70 million hectares of land dedicated to these farms. (Lee). These modified crops and plants for human and animals are created mainly for withstand herbicides or to produce an insectide. “No GMO traits are on the market for bigger yields, drought resistance, enhanced nutrition or any other consumer benefit” (Burnham). Overall, GE foods’ main purpose is to save money for large corporations.
The first claim, made by the bioengineering companies creating the GMOs, is that the products are "resistan[t] to insects or viruses, toleran[t] [of] certain herbicides and [have] nutritionally enhanced quality" (Maghari 2). With resistance against pests and tolerance to harsher pesticides, bioengineers claim to be creating a super food that requires less maintenance and costs less. In fact, for many developing countries, this seems a promising start to the end of w...
Because of the increase in population, products need to be manufactured in a faster and more efficient way, and with genetically modified foods, the food is larger in size and quicker to harvest. Another advantage of GM foods is that it uses less fertilizer and less water and is more resistant to insects, diseases, frost, and drought. Consumers would not want to eat food that has been treated with pesticides because of possible health hazards and growing GM foods can help eliminate the use of chemical pesticides. Plants that are genetically engineered to resist strong herbicide will help prevent environmental damage by reducing the amount of herbicides needed. This will benefit both the companies and the environment because the production cost is reduced and the danger of agricultural waste run-off is limited. As more land is being used for housing instead of food production, crops need to adapt to locations unsuited
What are GMOS exactly? According to the Non-GMO Project they are, ”“genetically modified organisms,” are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding.” (Non-Gmo) It is important to know this because they have a direct effect on the lives of every American. They are in most of the foods you eat, and you don’t even know it. There have been groups who have pushed the issue of putting GMO labels on the products that we buy, but somehow that situation has been avoided. The negative effects of GMOs can be seen in results of studies done on animals and humans. The studies on animals show organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility. In humans they saw that the GMOs stayed in their systems for very long periods of time which made new bacteria’s grow and the toxic insectides that GMOs like corn produce were not able to exit the body quickly.
A GMO is a plant or animal that has been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses, or other plants and animals. Most of the combinations which are used could not possibly occur in nature on its own. The intention of the process is to create a new beneficial trait such as creating its own pesticide or make it immune to herbicides. This would allow the crop such as Bt co...
Genetically modified foods can have many positive effects on the world. We can use fewer pesticides by inserting a pest resistant gene into the gene of plants. Farmers use many pesticides over and over to keep the insects from eating their crops. This is usually a high costing process and time consuming. When the plants receive water the excess water runs into another source of water and when that happens it picks up the chemicals that the pesticide had left on the soil. By injecting a gene into a crop to make it resistant to the pesticide we can use fewer pesticides and clean up the contamination that they cause, we can save money, and we can also harvest more crops. Weed killers is also a problem but there reason and solution is the same thing as the pesticides. Another positive is that you can protect plants from diseases. Many fungi, viruses, bacteria can cause a plant to die. Genetically we can modify a plant so that if a plant became intertwined with a virus it could still survive, and when you can protect the plant you will increase your chances for a healthy harvest. Another way to increase your food supply is to take a gene that can help a plant survive cold weather, drought or salinity tolerance. When you have a frost many plants die from being in the cold, or when you have a drought. So again we have another reason to save money and crops from being wasted. For many places when you have a bad harvest the price of the fo...
First, lets get a good understanding of what GMOs are. A GMO is a genetically modified organism. That means that is DNA (or its genes) have altered or modified to make it better, more nutritious, durable, resistant to certain things, and more. So why were GMOs created? The answer to that is simple, they wanted to make their crops durable. That means that they are genetically modifying their crops, giving them insect resistance, virus resistance, and herbicide tolerance.
GMO stands for genetically modified organism. It is a technique that allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that are unfamiliar to nature. [Whole Foods] Genetically modified organisms were first created in 1983 when a tobacco plant was altered to resist anti-biotics and later in 1990 when genetically engineered cotton was successfully tested. This was a breakthrough for the biotechnology era of agriculture since it allowed the manipulation and creation of food. The six multinational giants that currently dominate the agricultural market include: Monsanto, Dow, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, and DuPont. [Chemical Cartel] Together these companies have gained government approval, “particularly insect repellent traits and herbicide tolerance for crops, to help farmers improve their crop yields while keeping costs low.” [Moore, 2011] It would appear that these companies might just have the answer to farming problems and potentially world hunger. They seem to have revolutionized the farming industry and the food industry, as we know it.
GMOs have their pros and cons, but in terms of their effects on biodiversity, the technology is almost solely negative in how it affects the environment. Genetically modified food can damage agriculture as it allows for less restraint on chemical usage which leads to stronger weeds and weaker soil. The crops can easily spread their genetically modified genome through the wind. GMOs damage living organisms by making nasty insects stronger and vital insects weaker. GM foods are correlated with the decline in mammal and bird health, and the introduction of GM animals like salmon poses a threat to the ecosystem of wild fish.
In this day and age, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have become a topic of large interest in the media. GMOs are defined as an organism whose genetic structure has been altered by incorporating a gene that will express a desirable trait (Dresbach et al. al. 2013). Often times, these traits that are selected are either beneficial to the consumer or producer. Currently, GMOs are being created at a higher rate than ever before and are being used in the foods that we eat.
The most wonderful activity a human being can experience is new flavors and foods. For example, the first time a person tastes a delicious juicy piece of prime rib or a delightful hamburger with cheese and ham, his world is never the same. However, since the beginning of the twentieth century, the production of food has been supplemented by science. This has triggered an angry dispute between the people who support the advances of biotechnology and people who love nature. In order to understand the controversy, we have to know the meaning of genetically modified foods. With new technological advances, scientists can modify seeds from a conventional seed to a high tech seed with shorter maturation times and resistance to dryness, cold and heat. This is possible with the implementation of new genes into the DNA of the conventional seed. Once these "transgenes" are transferred, they can create plants with better characteristics (Harris 164-165). The farmers love it not only because it guarantees a good production, but the cost is also reduced. On the other hand, organizations such as Greenpeace and Friends of Earth have campaigned against GMO (“Riesgos”) because they think that they are negatively affecting the earth (Gerdes 26). Both the advocates and the opponents of genetically modified foods have excellent arguments.
This report explains genetically modified food (GMOs) and discusses the benefits and risks associated with the consumptions of GMOs. Genetically modified foods (GMOs) are foods that have been genetically altered using engineering techniques. The most common technique used today is called recombinant DNA technology; this technology combines different molecules from different plant species to create a plant with a new set of genes, a hybrid plant. Another recombinant DNA technology being used is recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) an artificial growth hormone; this hormone is being fed or injected into cows to improve milk production. (ThefreeDictionary)
Genetically modified (GM) foods have become omnipresent over the past decade. They are a technological breakthrough that allows humans to manipulate and add foreign genes to crops to enhance desired traits, but they have also evolved into a controversial issue, especially for Third World countries. Some people believe that GM foods not only provide larger yields to feed hungry citizens in Third World countries, but they can also be a source of great nutritional value. For example, researchers have developed a strain of golden rice containing high amounts of vitamin A and numerous other vitamins and minerals. Additionally, GM crops are laced with herbicides and pesticides, and therefore reduce the need for chemical consumption. Opponents of GM foods claim that they pose a threat to the health of consumers and that these crops could eventually cross-pollinate in an unregulated fashion or lead to the growth of superweeds and superbugs resistant to the herbicides and pesticides woven into the genetic fiber of the crops. Developed nations should promote research and monitoring from an ethical point of view and financial assistance through philanthropic ventures in order to limit environmental and health risks. They should also make sure that limited cultural displacement will result from the introduction of GM crops and that instead, a better livelihood and well-being through collaboration will emerge. Hence, GM crops should be introduced only provided that the developed nations assume the ethical and financial responsibilities for the environmental, health, and social consequences that attend this new innovation.
It is evident that the majority of American farmers utilize biotech seeds, because of the risks that the insect resistant and herbicide resistant traits help reduce. GMO's make the life of a farmer much easier as they do not have to worry about rushing to spray herbicides, to keep weeds out, or worrying about insects damaging crops and having to spray pesticides. For instance, Brian Scott a farmer in Indiana, when corn root worms starts indulging on his organic crops, the worms will cause a significant damage before he can react accordingly and eliminate the problem with the use of chemicals. These corn root worms won't affect Scott's insect resistant GMO corn because the pesticide is always in the plant. In addition, the GM corn was created only to harm a small group of insects and this allows for other beneficial insects to survive and assist the crops, since Scott did not have to spray pesticides. Farmers use GM crops mainly because of a reliability issue, not only are biotech plants easier to maintain, but they are less likely to cause a devastating loss. To a point where even insurance companies will provide farmers with lower premiums. Troy Rausch, another Indiana farmer, states "... when you're delayed by a couple weeks by rain like we were this year, the GM traits come in awfully handy for weed control". The GM traits are of much benefit to Rausch as they eliminate the need for him to utilize his time and combat against pesky weeds. The use of GMO's in the agricultural space eliminates many risks that would be common in conventionally bred
Genetically modified organisms can be plants or animals that have been genetically altered to produce or express a desired characteristic or trait. By genetically altering organisms such as crops, we can eliminate the use of pesticides by making the crops resistant to insects. We can also produce crops that are resistant to floods and droughts. Furthermore, with the use of molecular genetics, we are able to produce foods that are rich in nutrients and supplements. People in developing countries may not be fortunate enough to have a full course meal that contains nutrients from all four basic food groups. However, GMOs can with a little modification provide all the amino acids, vitamins, and minerals included in a good diet by simply consuming a genetically modified staple crop such as rice. In addition, by producing crops that are resistant to harsh environmental conditions as well as pests, we would see a rapid increase in the production of food thereby reducing and or!