Genetically Modified Organisms
Genetically Modified foods are tested over 120 times before they are passed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Genetically modified organisms are inspected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure the safety of the new varieties of plants that are produced. The Animal and Plant Inspection Service regulates the research development by requiring permits for testing of the new varieties. The population of the world is said to reach ten billion by 2050 and with genetically modified foods farmers and ranchers can withstand the growing population and feed the world. Genetically modified foods benefit not only the farmers and ranchers, but the entire population.
By modifying the crops, it gives them genes that make them resistant to damaging weeds, yield killing pests, and other diseases that can wipe out a farmer’s field completely. Pests and weeds can become resistant to some of the traits that are put into the crops. A new trait is always under development for seeds because of the resistance. By developing new traits it reduces they reduce the amount of herbicides and pesticides used by farmers. Promotion of reduced pesticides has been a work in progress for many years and has been increasingly reduced. Scientists have been able to modify plants by adding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which enters an insect such as the European Corn Borer, when it eats part of the leaf, and expands their stomachs and causes them to suffocate. European Corn Borers have greatly impacted Central Illinois crops and with corn being the number one crop for Illinois it is important pests like that are wiped out.
A higher yield in field crops means not only more money for farmers but more food for t...
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...use the plant to soften earlier or to get rotten sooner.
Genetically modified organisms in the foods that are being produced today have no harm on humans or animals. They help the producers of the leading industry in the world create a more efficient way of doing business along with feeding the world. The population will never stop growing and agriculture will never stop. The agriculture industry will soon be 100 percent genetically modified foods because of the demand. It increases shelf life of the foods, creates higher yields, better flavor and nutritional value, and most importantly makes the plants resistant to pests, weeds, and fungi or diseases. With agriculture being the leading industry it is important these crops are raised to perfection. Genetically modified organisms are the best way to make these crops create the yields to fit the demand of the world.
On the contrary, the tools of GE are created to snip nature’s crop by damaging the environment, increasing the number of herbicides and pesticides used and the risk of permanent genetic trash. Monsanto and other companies mention their seeds and food have been tested for safety. But no environment or food safety has been recorded on genetically engineered crops and foods before commercialization. The companies have done the whole enchilada within their level to steal the rights to safe and healthy foods from the societies and consumers. Vandana emphasizes that other organization have told that soybean covered with Roundup crops are additional estrogen and could claim as hormones. Dairy cows that eat Roundup Ready soybeans produce milk with increased fat levels that cows that eat consistent soybeans. Vandana complicates matters further when she writes. “Super weeds could lead to "bio invasions," displacing local diversity and taking over entire ecosystems.” Monsanto and a former life sciences organizations created a method of injecting the toxin producing gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) into corps. This specific BT gene harvest a toxin that restricts insects, and the genetically engineered BT plants and therefore, able to create their own
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.
One of the major impacts genetically modified foods have on us is the health risks that come along with them. Eating these foods increases the likely hood of developing a disease, which is on the raise for not only people but animals as well. What's worse is it can even lead to organ failure in some cases.
According to an article titled “Genetically Modified Foods Eaten” regularly by Linda A. Johnson today, essentially 40% of the foods we eat are genetically modified, unless you eat organic foods and/or you grow your own. Most products containing corn, soil, canola oil, or cottonseed oil contain genetic modification. One of the biggest genetic modification company is Monsanto (Johnson). She goes on to say many Americans don’t even know they are consuming genetically engineered foods. In “Genetically Modified Foods Confuse Consumers” by Mary Clare Jalonick writing in the Washington Times, has talked about how this is because the FDA does not require them to be labeled. Jalonick has said, “Genetically modified foods are plants or animals that have
Agriculture plays an enormous part in having a functioning society. The farming fields in the
The term ‘genetic engineering’ covers several methods of manipulating genetic material, otherwise known as genetic manipulation; recombinant DNA technology and gene therapy in humans (Atkinson, 1998). This technique is not only used for genetic transfer between plants but, genes from non-plant organisms can be used as well. A known example of this is the transfer of the B.t gene found in corn and other crops. The B.t gene, or otherwise known as ‘Bacillus thurngiensis (Bt)’; is a naturally occurring bacterium that creates proteins with crystals that are fatal to insect larvae (Whitman, 2000). These B.t genes have been transferred into the corn, allowing the corn to effectively produce its own pesticides against insects.
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. GMOs can also bear consequences in terms of genetic pollution and alteration through 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.
Plants and animals are injected with hormones and genes from other organisms in order to create something completely different. By doing this the DNA structure is completely altered into something new (Rings). The American Academy of Environmental Medicine proved GMO foods have serious health effects: infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal problems, and organ problems (Smith, Against The Grain Nutrition). By genetically modifying food, it cuts farmers and other producers work in half. With using mutant seeds, food companies are able to produce food twice as fast and much easier. It cuts costs and requires less work. The USDA allows GM foods for human consumption without proper testing. They are aware of the health effects of these types of foods (Rings).
“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.
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.
The U.S. food and drug administration defines the term genetically modified organisms as "used by scientists to denote a living organism, that have been genetically modified, By inserting a gene from an unrelated species". In other words, they describe GMOs as an organism which has been inserted with a gene from an unrelated species. 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. GMOs make the life of a farmer much easier as they do not have to worry about rushing to spray herbicides, keeping 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 start indulging on his organic crops, the worms will cause significant damage before he can react accordingly and eliminate the problem with the use of chemicals.
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!
Our world is growing! Growing in population, that is, but the resources are staying the same. To help with the growth of the population that will be happening in the 21st century, science and agriculture need to work hand-in-hand. They need to stand together to make a break through together, to ensure that everyone has food on their plate. We need to work to have larger yields with the land we have.
Genetic engineering increases the agricultural economy, the yields of agricultural produce, and also causes negative effects on the ecosystem. Genetic engineering enhances plant resistance to drought, salinity, disease, pests and herbicides. The aim is to try and enhance the growth, productivity, nutrient value, and chemical composition of the plants. Chemicals are constantly being developed or improved to enhance the competitiveness and adaptability of crops, and to kill the parasites and weeds that plague the agricultural sector. . This however is not always good as the plant and the pests then become resistant to these new chemicals, defeating the purpose of it being used.
It will change the farming techniques and food processing technology. There are new pest repellant crops introduced to the agricultural field. These pest repellent crops will decrease the channeling of money toward pesticides and workload for the farmers (Connealy, 2013). Furthermore, the usage of pest repellant crops will increase the yield of raw materials from crops and fulfill the needs of foods around the world. Also it could help to stop the starvation around the world if the country is generous enough to help the needy one. Another example of using patented crops is that this type of crops can increase shelf life of food. Increased shelf life of food means more time for the food to expire and consumers can actually save money to buy a product that have little shelf life. It will be a boon for producers and suppliers as it will be easier for transporting around the world any time. In the same fashion, it was said that usage of GMO cotton seeds boosted the yield of cotton in India as fifth larger cotton