In 1994 the first genetically modified organisms (GMO) have been put on the shelves in grocery stores. Since then there have been debates about the environmental impact, health risks, and ethical concerns. It has now been 22 years since GMO have been used for commercial agriculture yet there isn’t any clear regulations on them. GMO should be regulated so that we can avoid potential health and environmental damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer declared a reason for regulation on GMOs. The declaration, by the member of the World Health Organization, came as a defense of potential health risks created by genetically modified products. Michael Specter, an author of an article published under The New Yorker, describes how the research agency declared glyphosate to be a likely cause for cancer. …show more content…
According to the Library of Congress, the FDA “would treat foods derived from GMOs like those derived from conventionally bred plants.” Loose constriction on GMO’s will allow private agricultural biotechnology corporation to freely experiment on commercial products, which can become problematic. Since large scale GMO based agriculture is relatively new, we don’t have sufficient scientific data on how to combat potential risks. In an excerpt from the Vermont Law Review, about government regulations of GMO’s research shows that “at least ten species [….] of weed plants [became] resistant to glyphosate in more than twenty states.” There is a direct correlation between the introduction of these pesticide resistant weeds and the introduction of GMO. These now “superweeds” will slightly change the local environment and become a problem for natural and or organic farmers. With stricter regulation, more time could have been spent to review the possible outcomes and this could have been
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Show MoreShe goes on to deface a fourth misconception that GMOs are linked to rat tumors. To prove this inaccurate, she simply tells the reader that the study was rigged and few rats were used. Also, the rats that were used were very susceptible to tumors – not allowing for accurate feedback in the study. Her fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight points are going against the thought that GMOs increase glyphosate levels in the human body and therefore increases one’s chances greatly of having a disease or disorder. Layla tells us that this is not true whatsoever.
Summary: Genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s were introduced in the nineties. Now GMO’s are planted on a half billion acres of land. Before GMO’s, farmers saved their seeds, which increased genetic diversity. Farming is now rules by a company called Monsanto, which created agent orange. In the late twentieth century they turned over to GMO’s.
Recently there has been a boom in the development of natural farms and an increase in farmers markets across the country. If more people were to shop proven organic every month then the percentage of disease, cancers and illnesses would decrease rapidly. That is so the food companies can keep GMO’s a secret about the poison in your food. These corporations don’t want you to know what you 're consuming on a daily basis. Owning over eighty percent of the world food sources Monsanto can legally say whatever they want to on their food packaging such as “organic”, or “all natural”.
One of the benefits of GMOs in agriculture is the viability of sustainable food production. A potential problem with GMOs is the possibility of cancer from high nitrogen and other chemical pollutant levels. These are caused by synthetic pesticides, potential waste problems, and genetically modified foods. I find the argument for non GMOs to be more persuasive because it avoids the potential of cancer, allergies, antibiotic resistance, pesticide exposure, and environment
Genetic modification is the alteration of an organism's genes to acquire desired characteristics (Kracht para 1). Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are in over 70% of products produced in the United States, especially since most contain traces of corn, soybean, rice or canola, which are some of the popularly grown genetically modified crops. (Steinhauer and Strom para 20). Currently, companies are not required to label GMO-containing products, however, some people are pushing to make it a requirement (para 3). Products containing GMOs should not be labeled because products manufactured in the United States have been modified in one way or another, therefore, the FDA should not require GMO labeling.
After learning about Monsanto’s past involvement in the dumping of harmful PCBs, a myriad of ethical concerns arise when examining Monsanto’s genetically modified soybeans. A serious issue is whether or not genetically modified crops (GMCs) are safe for human consumption; thus, making it unclear if GMCs are good or bad. This is especially frightening when considering that the FDA is supposed to require changes in food products to “[meet] the criteria of reasonable certainty of no harm, but when you genetically engineer a food which can cause untold differences in that plant, they don’t require anything.” (Robin, 2008, (3)) As a result, Monsanto’s soybeans were allowed on the market despite inadequate testing and served as a complement the “Round Up” herbicide.
GMOs are considered to be the next agricultural “innovation” as some would say, but this is incorrect. They think that GMOs are a way to feed everyone on earth. Giving them the nutrients that they need to grow in conditions that most plants can’t live in, while not causing harm to physical and environmental health. They are wrong. GMOs do more harm than good.
Recently a French court said that the claims made by Monsanto which are about the environmental friendliness and biodegradability of glyphosate are false advertising. Meds Nes published that in the last 20 years scientists were documenting the consequences of glyphosate. They have noticed its presence in our food, in the water we drink and even in the air. They have found that people who are suffering from neurological disorders were found with higher levels of glyphosate in their bodies.
Monsanto has introduced a wise alternative of planting crops to farmers with its products, known as transgenic seeds and herbicide Roundup. At first, the company states that the biotech seeds will help farmers save time to kill insects and save money to pay for insecticides (“Monsanto,” 2015). However, the statements become contradictory when the company increases the price of soybean seeds by 24% (Baird, 2015), causing farmers to pay more, as they were prohibited to save GM seeds due to the 101 utility patents (Smith, 2010). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate three ways in which Monsanto leaves negative impacts on farmers, food consumers, and the human health. This paper will focus on seed monopoly, control of the global food supply,
Labeling GMOs The labeling of GMO food is pure common sense, and we should have that information just like we have calorie count. Genetically modified foods are increasingly controversial as they become more widespread. The U.S. manufactures more genetically modified (GM) foods than any other country (Streker). Sixty-one countries, including most developed countries, require labeling of genetically modified foods except for the United States (Burgaard).
Genetically modified foods have been receiving a lot of unjustified hate from the media recently. This is unjustified because GM foods are superior for three main reasons; They produce far more food than un-altered crops, the negative environmental impact is decreased, and the overall quality of GM foods is increased. This should be far more than enough to debunk the myths of GM foods being bad. The consumer, being anyone from an industrial farmer to a small family, can rest assured buying, eating or growing
What do a tomato, soybean and a french fry have in common? They are all some of the most commonly genetically modified foods sold on the market today. By using the genetic information from one organism, and inserting or modifying it into another organism, scientists can make food crops stay fresher, grow bigger, and have the crops create their own pesticides. Nevertheless, the technology to modify genes has surpassed its practicality. Genetically modified foods need to be removed from everyday agriculture because of the threat they pose to human health, the environment, and the impact on global economy.
Sometimes we are aware of the fact that we are consuming GMO products (it says on the label), but in many cases, for instance in restaurants we are not sure of the quality and origin of the ingredients which are in our plate. Even though the development of herbicide and pesticide meant lower costs at the beginning, this wasn`t the case by all means. Bugs have become prone to this spray and manufacturers had to increase the amount of the content, meaning more poison for the consumer. This spray cannot be easily washed away or it doesn`t affect just the surface of the ingredient, it enters deep below the surface and therefore causes loss of quality. GMOs affect our health, destroys the quality of our food and pollutes the environment.
For years, the health and safety of genetically modified foods have been debated and researched by scientists, but the question still stands: should genetically modified foods be allowed for consumption? The process of genetic modification involves inserting a gene from bacteria or a virus into an organism where it would normally not be found. The purpose is to alter the genetic code in plants and animals to make them more productive or resistant to pests or farming techniques. Genetically modified organisms, more commonly known as GMOs, have been a controversial topic of debate for a number of reasons. The ethics behind genetically modified foods come into question due to an abundance of short and long-term effects from the process, many of which are still unknown today.
Why are genetically modified products harmful? Though genetically modifying crops may increase crop output, there are several health risks that outweigh this positive point. There is currently no requirement by the FDA for GMOs to be labeled. This is a negative, because if you do not want to purchase GMOs, you cannot know for sure what you are purchasing. You must look for foods with a seal stating the food is “Non-GMO Project Verified,” otherwise you may consume genetically modified foods.