ARE GMO’S SAFE TO EAT? Genetically modified foods, otherwise known as GM foods, have been the source of enormous controversy for the past several decades. Both sides of the debate for and against GM foods bring empirical evidence to the table in an effort to disqualify the opposition, and it is clear that much is a stake for the companies and people involved. But what does this mean for the average consumer? When the politics are shunted aside, people still want to know if what they’re eating is safe, and good for (or at least neutral to) our environment. In this essay, I will attempt to shed light on these questions with hard facts and separate the political fictions from truth. To do so, I will first explain what …show more content…
A brief explanation from Learn.Genetics.Utah.edu will help illustrate: Technology now allows us to transfer genes between organisms. For example, the tomato plant 's beetle resistance relies on a gene from a bacterium (Bacillus thuringiensis), which scientists inserted into the tomato plant 's genome. This gene, called cry1Ac, encodes a protein that is poisonous to certain types of insects, including the beetle. How is this done? Gene transfer technology is simply a sophisticated version of a cut-and-paste operation. Once the desired gene is identified in the native organism 's genome, it can be cut out, transferred to the target plant, and pasted into its genome… Once the new gene has been introduced, the plant can be bred to create a new strain that passes the gene from generation to generation. (pp 8,9) Another type of genetic modification, developed more recently, uses radiation to cause mutations in crop seeds. Mutations, as a rule, cause negative effects to occur in plant life and usually end up killing the plant. But occasionally, mutations will cause the plant to exhibit beneficial characteristics. According to New York Times journalist, William J. Broad, “The mutations can improve yield, quality, taste, size and resistance to disease and can help plants adapt to diverse climates and conditions” (pp8). Are GM Foods safe to eat? One of the biggest questions people are left with, given the most recent scientific
GM foods are in the middle of many controversial issues; primarily these are addressed by conflicts over the relative pros and cons of GM foods. Major biotech companies like ‘Monsanto ' and ‘Cargill ' are promoting GM foods by focusing only on their beneficial aspects, giving least importance to their negative effects on safety, environment and biodiversity. On the other hand, governmental regulators and nongovernmental organizations, along with some scientists, are strictly opposing this type of blind promotion of GM food by enlightening the people on their negative effects The controversies associated with GM foods include issues such as safety, environmental benefits and risks, biodiversity, and ethical and social considerations.GM foods are implicated for adverse human health risks like people being allergic to it, environmental hazards such as development of super weeds, and pesticide and antibiotic resistance in disease causing organisms. On the other
“When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” – Ursula K. Le Guin. No matter what good some people believe they are doing, everything seems to come with a consequence, and the question is whether or not the good overpowers the bad. Many experts argue that Genetically Modified foods are actually beneficial to, not only people, but animals, plants, and the world overall. Some experts even state that, not only are they beneficial, but that they also protect the environment and aid food productivity. Most farmers actually recommend GMO’s because they are easier to grow, maintain, and tend to be more profitable; however, countless other experts have come to realize that GMO foods are untested, unsafe, and unhealthy. Studies indicate that
In the past few years, farmers in the Midwest have produced Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which are found in soils to grow their own crops. Farmers infuse these pesticides and herbicides in food to last longer. Within the majority of biodiversity in GMO’s, farmers incorporate GMO ingredients found in food packages at supermarkets. There has been an intense debate about farmers growing GMO that could potentially endanger consumer health. Farmers invest their time and energy, convincing consumers that GMO foods are safe but still might be hazarded risk. Consumers are anxious as to whether they should consume or not. I realize that consumers are buying healthy foods and that is where Non-GMOs comes into play. In my potential bias, I find that GMOs are unsafe because the foods contains more pesticides found in food products, which causes adverse health effects in consumers.
GMO’s are living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated or changed in a laboratory. GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, most GMO’s are common in foods today. The process of creating a genetically modified organism is fairly new, but it is now commonly used, and becoming more frequent in America's everyday meals. When scientist create a GMO, they are creating a hybrid or a modified version of an organism that would not naturally occur in nature. The reasoning behind this is to create a new organism that can withstand diseases, have drought tolerance, or bring more benefits to the consumer. One major question most people have is; “Are GMO’s safe?” The answer to that is NO. Most developed nations consider
“Should We Care About Genetically Modified Foods?” by John N. Shaw appeared in Food Safety News issue of February 1, 2010, as a feature under the health section on the controversy between the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (Also known as GMO, genetically modified organisms). The main idea of this article is to inform people of the benefits of GMOs . The author, John Shaw received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 2007, where he was a “leadership scholar.” In addition to his studies, he has worked as a research assistant with Food Law LL.M. Director Susan Schneider, interned with Wal-Mart Government and Corporate Affairs division, the Arkansas Attorney General Public Protection Division, and with United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. John has a passion for Food Law, sports, and outdoors. In the article, he states, “ I submit that I am no scientist; merely an interested student.” According to the article, he is passionate and has done sufficient research about the topic to support his argument.
There is much controversy when discussing the topic of Genetically Modified Organisms. Whether it may concern moral or ethical factors, there always seems to be considerable arguments either defending or arguing against GMOs. Based on research, GMOs prove to be extremely present in our food supply worldwide. Chemical engineering, fertilization, as well as other methods of manufacturing come into question when formulating an opinion on GMOs. Due to the manipulation of biotechnology that effectively yields products like GMOs, the public is not only susceptible to whatever side effects that may come with chemically altered produce but also the mind boggling conscience of consuming food that isn’t necessarily “all natural” or “natural”.
In my paper, I will be addressing the ethics of genetically modified (GM) foods. I will be exploring the opinions and beliefs on GM foods from multiple perspectives. This will include perspectives from the U.S.A. and other countries that have employed them. With this, I will use experimental data and surveys to analyze how certain groups of people view GM foods. This will include how income status, gender, college education, and knowledge of public safety and nutrition affect the people’s opinions of this subject. If these individuals view them as ethical will be addressed, and how different methods to improve them will also be discussed. In addition, how the legal system has addressed this issue currently and in the past will be examined,
There is more than one side of the debate about whether the usage of genetically modified foods (GMO’s) is good or bad for you. One claim is that GMO’s are bad for you. To begin with, GMO’s are not safe for humans. According to nongmoproject.org, they state that “more than 60 countries around the world, including Japan, Australia, and all of the countries of the European Union, all have restrictions and bans on GMO’s being produced and sold” mainly because they are causing health problems in those countries. Another reason that GMO’s are not beneficial is because they are causing environmental damage to countries that rely on them. According to nongmoproject.org, they claim that, “Over 80% of all GMO’s
If I had to decide if I am pro-GMO or anti-GMO, I would choose that I am pro-GMO. The three reasons I think GMO foods are safe to eat are to prevent people from hunger, health, and benefits for farmers.
Lately, regardless of where anyone looks whether at their local market or in their local grocery store, there is someone selling GMO/GE foods. Numerous individuals do not think twice about what they buy, but as the trend of GMO’s/GE’s continue, these individuals might have to think twice about the effects. However, depending on how they use the GMO’s/GE’s, they have been shown to have both beneficial and damaging effects. Scientists though, continue to look towards the future of food where one day they believe the benefits will out way the dangers and these individuals will not have to fear GMO/GE crops. Nevertheless, the opinion on whether GMO’s/GE’s hold the keys to a truly beneficial or truly dangerous future, remains split.
When it comes to the topic of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), most of us will readily agree that consumption of GMOs will cause long-term health concerns. A number of people who have been consuming GMOs have recently suggested, that GMOs are safe to consume because they have better nutrition’s than organic foods do. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of are GMOs beneficial for human consumption?
Genetic engineering is the application of modern technology and molecular biology tools to alter the characteristics or traits of an organism. It is a genetic splicing technique of biotechnology that allows scientists to inject a DNA removed from one organism into another. The alteration occurs through the addition of new genetic material or deletion of an existing genetic characteristic. In crops, genetic engineering is used to create pest and disease resistance plants, drought resistance plants, improve the crops yield and the characteristics of their products (Braux, 2014). Another aim of genetic engineering in plants is to increase the level of amino acids in plant seeds. Increasing the number of amino acids greatly improves the diet of human population and domestic animals that rely on plant seeds as a source of food. In animals, the purpose of
Genetically modified organism (GMO), are also known as transgenic crops or genetically modified crops. These transgenic crops has a novel combination of genetic material via the use of the modern biotechnology. The sole purpose of creating genetically modified crops is to introduce new attributes that do not exist in plants or to enhance the present trait for better production, more yield and crop quality. In transgenic plants, genes or a gene is inserted via artificial method instead of traditional method of pollination. The inserted gene sequence (known as the transgene) may come from another unrelated plant, or from a completely different species: transgenic Bt corn, for example, which produces its own insecticide, contains a gene from
In today’s world, there are many topics of high significance for us to discuss and learn about. I believe genetically modified (GM) foods and organisms (GMOs) is one of those topics. Do you know what they are? If you do, do you know if they are good or bad for us and do they affect the environment? When it comes GM foods the public has very strong views and it is in part due to the unanswered questions, or because the answers are not the ones one hoped for. Having enough information about a subject becomes crucial for us to make certain decisions, in particular if it involves our health and environment. In this global debate, one part of the public argues GM foods have not been studied long enough for us to decide if they are harmful to our health, and in the long run if it might also affect our environment.
Genetically modified organisms are living things that have had their DNA modified in some way – either removed, manipulated, or added from another organism. Before the technology was created and explored, trait selection by humans had been accomplished through breeding plants and animals with the desired characteristic. This process is difficult to control, because one specific gene is not being targeted, but an entire genome. The development of the technology increased the level of specificity when creating the desired trait, and is easier to control. Genetic modification also allows genes from different species to be combined. Most commonly, plants are modified to add resistance to pesticides, herbicides, climate changes, and even add nutritional value.