Genetically Modified Foods Essay

We are keeping our food reliable through the use of GMOs. GMOs can provide food that can be helpful for conditions in the world. They can be manufactured to fit to threatening conditions, such as drought. They can also be used to withstand diseases that have the potential to cause famine. Blights can cost millions in damages, and with new resistance technology being tested we could save millions of dolars and millions of crops. "Blight-resistant potatoes would be one of the first major foods genetically engineered to incorporate defenses against plant diseases, which annually destroy some 15 percent of the world’s agricultural harvest." These foods can even be modified to prevent bugs from consuming or ruining a crop yield. This resistance to famine can help us become less concerned about starvation due to unfavorable conditions. The crop yield can remain the same. Those opposed to GMOs may claim that they increase pestacides and harm the environment. This is completely false. "It is a matter of fact that GM crops have drastically cut the use of such pesticides. GM cotton, containing a built in insecticide, uses 50% less chemical insecticides. In 1998 around 1000 tonnes less insecticide was used in the US cotton belt than before the introduction of GM cotton. That insecticide was mainly sprayed from planes. Only a small percentage reached its target. The rest drifted into the wider environment killing

The issue of genetically modified foods, is Farmers can't harvest seeds. Fundamentally, farming is a simple process: plant seeds, grow crops, harvest crops, and gather seeds from the plants for the next season. Sadly, GMO companies like Monsanto take this last step away from farmers and raise expenses even futher by forcing the farmers to continually buy the premium-priced GM eeds every growing season. In fact, as was shiwn in the Bowman v. Monsanto court case, it is illegal in the US for someone growing a Monsanto crop to harvest the seeds and use them later. The Nowman case went all the way to the unanimously found guilty of patent infringement after he purchased and used second generation Monsanto seeds.

In 1982, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first genetically modified organism. Since then, genetically modified foods have made a huge impact in the food industry all over the world, and today they make up the majority of products Americans consume on a daily basis. Most Americans are unaware what foods are genetically modified, much less know when they are consuming a genetically modified product. Genetically modified foods are plants or animal products that have been genetically enhanced in order to obtain a desired quality such as a resistance to pesticides or disease, size, production and many more. Since the approval of GMOs, foods and crops such as soya beans, corn, sugar cane and several

While it has been shown that GM crops have a few direct benefits, they may also indirectly cause great ecological harm. Some scientists fear that plants enhanced with Bt (a bacterial species commonly used as pesticide) may accelerate the evolution of Bt-resistant insects, which will cause farmers to lose their crops to the bugs (which defeats the purpose of injecting them with Bt in the first place). Farmers are trying to prevent this catastrophe by using non-resistant bugs from conventional crops to mate with resistant bugs, but this will only delay the inevitable (“Altered Food”). Another issue caused by GMOs is ‘gene flow’. Gene flow is when genes from GM plants spread to non-targeted organic plants from pollen through wind or pollination. The pest- and disease-resistant genes from GM crops can flow onto weeds, giving them the same immunities the crops have. Neither of these two scenarios have many real occurrences presently, but experts believe it is only a matter of time before modification creates the issues it was intended to prevent (“Altered

The issue of producing and consuming genetically altered foods is controversial. Changing the natural content of plants and animals has negative impacts. For instance, genetically altering the DNA of plants or animals have a possibility to create allergens into a food, which results in allergic reactions. Environmentally, genetically modified crops have disadvantages. Plants can be modified to be pesticides and herbicide tolerant. Hence, when plants are sprayed with chemicals, those chemicals contaminate the surroundings. Besides, the chemicals are toxic to some pollinators, this results in the reduction of pollinators, which contributes to the decrease in genetic diversity in crops. The reduction in genetic diversity of plants disrupts the

Firstly, genetically modified seeds permanently contaminate the environment through cross pollination. It is the nature of plants to cross pollinate and spread their genes, but this means the harmful genes of genetically modified organisms are also being spread. Even organic food cannot be deemed 100% free of genetically modified organisms, because they are potentially contaminated. GMOs are essentially ‘contagious’ but we are unable to quarantine them. This makes it difficult to avoid GMOs by means of an organic diet, and increases the need for labelling. Also, genetically modified seeds do not increase crop yields. Contrary to the belief of many Canadians, they instead work against ending world hunger. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development report stated that “GMO crop yields were highly variable and in some cases, yields declined. Whereas sustainable non-GMO agricultural methods used in developing countries have conclusively resulted in yield increases of 79% and higher.” (IAASTD, 2009, p.8) Genetically modified organisms serve no beneficial purpose to our environment. Genetically modified organisms serve no beneficial purpose to our

While there isn’t a consensus on whether genetically modified crops are dangerous to human health there has been an increase in the amount of research that has been done with genetically modified crops. With GMO technology scientists have the ability to insert genes that would allow crops to increase yields, grow in more diverse climates, and even have increased nutritional values. If these technologies become reality then the stress that agriculture puts on the environment could be reduced. Useable farmland is also decreasing from erosion, increasing salinity, and a decline in soil fertility GMO crops could be a viable solution to increase food production and decrease the amount of land required to farm crops. (Ritzer & Dean, 2015) Though without the long term studies being performed by independent scientists people like Stephen Trinkaus owner of Terra Organica are worried that, while GMO’s haven’t caused anyone to get sick directly, they could still be linked to the increase in allergies and

Food industrys know GMOs are bad for your health, the problem is If farmers do not spray their produce it would financially collapse the food industry around the world. In 2003, it was estimated that if we didn’t use herbicides and other chemicals to kill the weeds and pests than it would have cost us $21 billion dollars. Of this, $7.7 billion would have been spent on other forms of treatment, and we would have lost $13.8 billion because of less yield or crop being produced.

The good thing about genetically modified foods is that they are cheaper. Genetically modified organisms will grow faster which can turn into a unfavorable thing. In the late 1900s , the agriculture corporation monsanto begant to sell corn engineered to include a protein from the bacteria bacillus thuringiensis, better known as bt this bacteria wasn't new to agriculture- organic farmers spray it on their crops to kill certain insects (document f) .They can break away from lands in several countries growing freely and wildly . Monsanto insecticides ruined other plants this evidence shows that shouldn't put insecticides in other plants. I will say genetically modified organisms is very important to the debate. Why? Well Farmers made the mistake expanding the use of genetically modified crops, gmos may reduce the impact on farming. Gmos help the earth in an unhealthy

Trends and correlations between the foods we eat, and the disorders we are developing are rising tremendously. Some would even use the term "epidemic" when looking at the data comparing the use of genetically modified food, like corn and grain, as well as the meats eaten, and the increase of neurological disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Pesticide and the engineering done to plants to be able to resist the pesticides, are causing detrimental damage to not only the people and animals consuming them, but the environment and ecosystem around them as well. The companies responsible for the production of these pesticides and

The amount of money channeled through the purchase of pesticides and other chemicals have been the major setback experienced by many farmers across the globe. The introduction of GMOs has proven to produce the answer to this puzzle as farmers now have the ability to farm crops that require minimum attention when disease and pest control concerns arise. This is because of their ability to fight major diseases and are resistant to pests that otherwise would have attacked them.

Genetically modified crops can also contaminate other crops, including those intentionally grown without GMOs, affecting many farms in

The GMO business is corrupt. Organic farmers next to GM farms are accused of using their pesticides and herbicides. As stated in the previous paragraph,

GMO’s can also bring up controversy with Environmental Groups. GMO’s are modified for herbicide resistance. According to the Organic Center’s Critical Report on The First Thirteen Years, herbicide use has increased 15% worldwide or by 383 million pounds in the US alone since the introduction of GM crops (Benbrook, 2009) . The IUCN also states “Another criticism ... is the extensive cultivation of uniform, high yielding crop varieties that has led to the replacement and

Natural food production is becoming less common as new ways to improve plant development are being discovered. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are showing up more often in the agricultural industry. Scientists are creating ideal plant genes in order to maximize production and ultimately, profit. Companies are placing patents on their genes in order to keep other farmers from planting and selling them. If cross-pollination were to occur from a GMO farm to an organic farm, the latter would be sued for possession of the patented genes. It does not matter how the genes got there; if organic farmers have seeds containing the patented genes, they can and will be sued. Companies like Monsanto are winning court cases against small farmers every day. Organic farmers are losing business as they become susceptible to large companies. They should not have to pay for what nature does. GMO farmers and patent owners should be held legally responsible for the cross-pollination of crops because of the negative effect it has on organic farmers.