Introduction
Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) were first introduced over 20 years ago, but that doesn’t mean consumers know what GMO’s are and the benefits and drawbacks of them are.
This study was conducted in order to appropriately justify an answer to the questions:
Do South African consumers know what genetically modified and organically grown foods are? Are they making informed choices about what they eat?
These questions must be answered as it is important to determine whether consumers are well informed on factors which affect their health.
This report shows the result of a survey conducted to determine the basis, strength and extent of what South African consumers know and how they feel about genetically modified food. The actual South African consumer awareness of the difference between genetically modified foods and organic foods were investigated to determine if consumers in a broad sense know what they are. In addition, consumer action and behaviour is assessed to see whether their purchases are influenced by their knowledge of genetically modified foods. Finally, the source of consumer information is questioned and consumers’ thoughts on how they believe South African consumers could be further and correctly informed on genetically modified foods.
Hopefully this research survey will focus respondents’ attention on genetic alteration and allow them to become more aware of the fact that they must become informed about their food purchases. Though spread of
When consumers are shopping for foods to feed their families, they should be able to identify by reading labels what they are purchasing. Some people suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, allergies or other diseases requiring them to have a strictly regulated diet. Consumers should be
As Gliessman, an agricultural researcher, says in Agroecology, “conventional agriculture is built around two related goals: the maximization of production and the maximization of profit. In pursuit of these goals, a host of practices have been developed without regard for their unintended, long-term consequences” (3). The industrial food industry has created a process to produce as many crops as possible in the quickest amount of time to put onto the market. The several ways utilized to achieve these goals are those that are harmful to the consumer. Two main threats are genetic modification, and chemicals. These issues are a spark of concern in addressing the health of consumers. Food industries often try to tantalize their audience with the promise of untouched, pristine produce when in reality these foods are heavily tainted by pesticides or are genetically modifieds. “One will find this obliviousness represented in virgin purity in the advertisements of the food industry, in which food wears as much makeup as the actors. If one’s whole knowledge of food from these advertisements, one would not know that the various edibles were ever living creatures, or that they all come from the soil… “ (Berry 147). People are informed little about the pesticides that we often ingest from products like these and little do people know the negative effects of GMOs.
John Robbins, author of The Food Revolution states that “if genetically engineered plants were designed to reverse world hunger, you would expect them to bring higher yields. But there is increasing evidence that they do just the opposite”. Numerous studies have shown that GM crops do not have a higher yield production, but in fact have at times shown a lower outcome. In 2000, “research done by the University of Nebraska found the yields of GE soybeans were six to eleven percent lower than conventional plants” (Robbins). Evidence that GM foods are not the answer to world hunger continues to pile up. Former US EPA and US FDA biotech specialist Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman acknowledges that GM crops are not beneficial to solving world hunger: “as of this year [2008], there are no commercialized GM crops that inherently increase yield. Similarly, there are no GM crops on the market that were engineered to resist drought, reduce fertilizer pollution or save soil. Not one” (“10 Reasons Why we don’t Need GM Foods”). Genetically modified corn is a product that has been modified to the extreme in recent years. Here, you can clearly see the physical differences between organic and GM corn. In response to Monsanto’s statement, eighteen African delegates clearly objected, noting that it would undermine their capacity to feed
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.
Importantly, there is a current controversy concerning whether genetically modified foods should be labeled as such or if it is an unnecessary extra expense. Indeed, some individuals believe that if a product is genetically modified then it is potentially dangerous to a consumer’s health causing birth defects, increased risk of cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s disease (Greenpeace, n.d.). Therefore, based upon this predisposition they believe that a label should be placed on every product that is genetically modified, since it is the consumers right to know if a product has been exposed to harmful chemicals and pesticides. Contrariwise, others believe that labeling genetically modified foods is not needed, since there is presently no viable
Zinn’s text introduced me a whole different view of, “The First America” story, throughout my education, every text that I encountered in school was a sugarcoated version of the actual story. While reading his texts it was very disturbing with his vivid descriptions of the experiences that the Indian Americans went through when Columbus arrived to their land, North America.
There are few laws regulating genetically modified organisms due to the fact that they have not been around for a long time. No long term testing has been concluded, therefore there is no scientific conclusion when it comes to the safeness of genetically modified organisms. Compared to other countries, the United States regulations on GMOs is relatively favorable towards their development. According to the Library of Congress, a series of polls conducted from 2001 to 2006 found that the publics understand of biotechnology technology, which produces these genetically modified foods, was relatively low, and that consumers were relatively unaware of the extent to which their foods included genetically modified ingredients (United States). Sixty-four countries around the world require labeling of
Due to the rigorous testing of GMFs to make sure they are not toxic, the government has approved several genetically based foods since 1994. While we are constantly being told that their testing is thorough, very little long-term testing has been carried out to understand what possible effects they could have on both the environment or human health (refer to the article Genetically Modified Crops Safety Assessments: Present Limits and Possible Improvements for more information on the matter). Moreover, the fact that it takes ten years to approve a genetically engineered food should make us feel comfortable, but overall there are still varying results in relation to long-term effects of these foods. The citizens with this knowledge are uncomfortable when buying foods, as they do not know which products to avoid. There are 64 countries that have already made GMF labelling a legal requirement, while other countries (such as the United States) have recently passed this
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
In this brief, the reader will see how organic and genetically modified organisms are viewed and interpreted. They will see the “facts” about the genetically modified organisms and organic organism, and how producers and consumers view this. The reader will be able to understand what is actually happening to genetically modified organisms and organic organisms during the production and when it is getting processed. They will also learn about certified organic and the USDA organic and how each one is determined in the production. Everybody has an opinion about organic and GMO and believes which ones are better. The reader of this paper will also learn the differences between organic and GMOs and the pros and cons of each of them. After reading this paper the reader will be educated on what to buy at the grocery store between organic and GMO. Organic and GMO will always be a topic that has controversy.
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.
The article contains necessary information to support why GMOs are more beneficial than harmful. The author believes that, “consumers should weigh the positives with the negatives and embrace this innovative process.” In the article, the author provides information about GMOs to be concerned about but successfully gives
A new kind of foods called the genetically modified foods has been creating a quiet revolution in the American market for the past several years. Scientists are able to produce these new foods by transferring genes from one organism into another across species boundaries. This new technique has been developed to improve the shelf life, nutritional content, flavor, color, and texture of foods. Since 1994, about 45 genetically modified foods such as tomato, corn, soybeans, canola, and potatoes have been marketed in the United States. About two-thirds of foods that are processed in U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. So, we the people are consuming these foods without realizing the fact that they are not produced naturally.
With an ever-growing population and the problems of world hunger, there has been a high demand for an increased food supply and a better food supply. Technology has been called upon to meet this challenge. The advent of genetically engineered foods, sometimes called transgenic crops or genetically modified foods, is not a new concept, but the controversy over it is. Can these "frankenfoods" be harmful to humans? What are their effects on the environment? The following paper will focus on such questions as well as providing a better understanding of what genetically modified foods are and how they should be regulated.
Standard Deviation Abstract QRB/501 Standard Deviation Abstract Standard Deviations Are Not Perverse Purpose: The purpose of this article is to illustrate how using statistical data, such as standard deviation, can help a cattleman choose the best lot of calf’s at auction. The statistical data used in these decision making processes can also help the cattleman with future analysis of the lots purchased and existing stock.