GMO: “Why is it legal?” “Is it considered safe amongst consumers?”. Those are the two frequently asked questions. If GMOs are used on farms, are consumers rights and health at stake? GMOs are bad because they can cause health problems, environmental damage, and violation of farmers and consumers rights. The lack of GMOs labels plays a major part. How will consumers know what they're putting in their bodies? GMOs are used in 80% of processed foods. Yet, consumers fail to begin living “healthy” lifestyle, the consumption of GMO will drastically affect them.
“Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe” (Non-GMO Project, pg 2). With the lack of labels, Americans don’t know what they’re really putting in their bodies. It may not affect them now, but, later on in life. In the beginning, GMOs were seen as something harmless. “Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their owns hands and chasing to opt of the GMO experiment” (Non-GMO Project, pg 2). You would think with the increase of GMOs, Americans would
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Due to usage of chemicals, the growth of bugs and weeds increased rapidly. Which is the reason why both can be difficult to get rid of. However, the more chemicals are put down to “kill” them, the more they are produced. “GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture, and are developed and sold by the world's biggest chemical companies” (Non-GMO Project, pg 3). Now, with companies who make GMOs, they have the right to sue farmers. The reason why is if their crops are contaminated with GMOs, it affects them financially. To sum up everything, GMOs are pretty much a threat to farmers and consumers. Especially, for farmers who pretty much rely on their crops financially. Not to mention the health of consumers are at high risk due to the amount they are putting in their bodies on a daily basis. So, would you be more cautious of what you purchase
In 1994, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first GMO, Flavr Savr tomato, for sale on grocery store shelves. Uninformed, the people continued buying and consuming the “normal” grocery store products. However, as the number of GMOs in markets increased, the world noticed a higher number of cancers, food allergies, and antibiotic resistances. One reason for creating GM crops is due to the fact that big corporations gain huge profit. In “10 scientific studies proving GMOs can be harmful to human health”, Arjun Walia passionately asserts that genetically modified organisms are extremely detrimental to a person’s health. I agree with Arjun Walia’s claim because a plethora of studies show the negative effects of genetically modified organisms. The world should eliminate the creation of genetically modified organisms because the products ruin the environment, cause economic issues with
According to Andrew Pollackmay in his article “Genetically Engineered crops are safe, Analysis finds”, "Use of insect resistant crops has clearly led to a decrease in the spraying of chemical insecticides. These are corn and cotton containing bacterial genes that make up the crop resistant to certain insects" (Pollackmay 2-3). This infers that GMO crops are resistant to insects, which helps to prevent cancerous insecticides, it means that it is safe to the consumer. In conclusion, GMO crops are safe to the consumer, since it prevents the use of harsh, cancerous chemicals in farms and houses.
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
GMOs should be banned and prohibited from being in the United States. Due to the GMO products not being labeled, people are consuming something that they thought was something different. People are buying things that they think are natural and fresh when they really could be infiltrated with chemicals and things to make them last longer. If America bans GMOs from being sold in the country, being produced in the country, and if Americans become more educated about the harms of GMOs, America can be a lot safer and not have as much unknown problems. People shouldn’t eat foods that are not natural, that can cause unknown problems. When something is being consumed, they should be allowed to know what they are eating. If thirty-six countries have already banned Genetically Modified Organisms, America should be the thirty-seventh country to do
“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
Not only are GMOs harmful to humans they affect many other communities. “GMOs are also responsible for killing off bees, bats, butterflies, and other pollinators, whose bodies are unable to handle the onslaught of altered DNA and chemicals that are characteristic of GMO technologies”(Bensen). This shows that GMO is not only an issue for humans but it directly affects the insect and animals communities around the plants. These are living organisms that these plants need for pollination. GMOs and the pesticides used on these crops to fight off the insects and weeds is creating more powerful weeds and insects called “SuperWeeds” and “SuperBugs.” “And this built-in resistance has allowed farmers to indiscriminately spray chemicals like Roundup on their crops without worrying about killing them. But this system is now failing, as the weeds and pests targeted by GMO technologies have mutated and developed resistance to crop chemicals and Bt toxin” (Benson). These chemicals are effective for a short period of time However these chemicals become ineffective, the offspring of the insects can be immune to the chemical. This creates a need for a new and stronger chemical mix. GMO seeds and destroy the soil and kill beneficial
Ever since their entrance onto the consumer market in the last two decades of the twentieth century, genetically modified organisms (often referred to as GMOs) have been getting mixed reviews from the public. Genetically modified consumer products (primarily food) have pushed the barriers of some people's comfort levels. Born out of either a lack of knowledge or a sincere concern for public health or the environment, a consumer rights movement has been planted around the world pushing for labeling of genetically modified food products. This movement has matured in many places to a degree where interest groups have successfully lobbied governments into adopting criteria for labeling transgenic food
Controversial issues across the United States don’t stop at civil rights and liberties, instead they work their way up to the white house step by step. While the rest of the nation is watching Congress stress over the issues of same sex marriage and abortion laws, a smaller population of the country is simply fighting for the truth behind their nutrition. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) have been a topic of controversy since before the 1980 court case between genetic engineers and the U.S. Patent Office in which the court ruled in favor of the genetic engineers claiming "Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine,
I’m not the first person to say this, and I’m sure I won’t be the last. We don’t know if a few years down the road, something could go wrong with the GMOs. There’s a possibility for them to mutate, or for your bodies to develop new bacteria’s that could depend on the GMOs. And once removed from our body, there could be some major issues. This is all hypothetical of course, and maybe not realistic. It’s just my mind throwing random ideas and “What If” situations. But if you think about it, it could happen. I’m sure that I’m not the only one thinking these things, and I know I’m not the only one concerned about my health. If people want to consume GMOs, then that’s their business. But we all have the right to know what’s going into our bodies.
Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s, are organisms that have had genes from a different organism implanted into their own genetic code in order to produce a new result (“Genetically engineered foods”). This practice has elicited polar responses across the globe, for a multitude of reasons. Besides the obvious reason, being the morality of changing an organism's DNA for human benefit, one frequently noted problem is the monopolization of GMO’s by the company Monsanto, whose name is nearly synonymous with GMO’s due to their involvement with these crops. Monsanto has been at the center of many controversies regarding GMO’s, and is even considered to be ranked third to last for reputation among all major American companies (Bennett). Most
GMOs, (genetically modified organisms) have been a topic of interest in the social eyes for years. Since they’ve been created, many people have voiced and written about their opinions on GMOs, and whether they are dangerous or not. Created to expand the genetic diversity of crops and animals, many don’t know whether GMOs are good or bad, and neither do researchers. Though there hasn’t been any evidence claiming whether GMOs are good or bad, it has certainly not stopped the public from creating their own opinions. Since no one knows the truth behind GMO, it has opened a window of opportunities for companies including Monsanto to voice their support of GMO, while other companies like the Non-GMO Project voice their
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
Much of the public concern surrounding the safety of GMOs stems from the process of actually creating them. This is admittedly not a natural process, which is a surefire way to raise critic’s eyebrows in doubting their safety. However, there is no evidence that supports these myths. The Committee on Genetically Engineered Crops, The National Academy of Science, and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Recourses all agree after extensive testing and observation that there is no additional harm in the consumption of GMO food. The research conducted in animal studies, as well as chemical analysis of the crops, show no indication that GMOs are negatively affecting human health. The next allegation hurled at GMOs is that they may have
It has been almost 20 years that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been in American’s food supply. As much as 80% of all packaged foods contain GMOs (Genetically Modified Foods: Get the Facts). Although scientists have concluded evidence of a correlation associating GMOs to hazardous health issues in animals, these products are still deemed safe for human consumption according to the standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Interests in their potentially harmful risks to humans have recently spiked triggering over twenty-five countries to become GMO-free regions by placing a partial or total ban on them. Organizations such as National Center for Biotechnology Information and the Institute for Responsible
Take Notice—It May Open Your Eyes. On a bright sunny 81-degree day, taking a small road trip headed southwest in Minnesota, one could not help but see some differences in the vast fields on either side of the highway—fields upon fields of corn, wheat, and beans. What catches ones’ eye, however, is the plumpness of one field to the withering and wimpy appearance of the field right next to it. The reason, one can conclude, such as myself, is that the green and plump field is that of a GMO crop. That fact stirs the brain with questions of: Are they safe? How do consumers know what they are eating? Are the foodstuffs labeled as such? Finally, how do we perceive them to be affecting the economy; the health of the people,