Arguments Against Gmos

Imagine sitting around the dinner table on a Friday with your family, looking at the wonderful food you're about to eat. What you don’t realize is that there’s not only good food but herbicides as well. Genetically modified organisms are any organisms that have been modified genetically. Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are made to produce more meat out of a product and to mature the product faster. Genetically modified organisms are a very controversial subject all over the world because of the effects caused by the product and the herbicides in them as well. People who support GMOs usually support it because it makes the product cheaper and don’t think about the consequences of it. I am against GMOs because they cause diseases, more herbicide use, and
after asking multiple times the manufacturers still refuse to use labels. To start off with, over long periods of time GMOs can cause deadly diseases. According to Jeffrey Smith, “ The percentage of americans with 3 or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years.” This time frame is from 1996 to 2005, GMOs were put out in the market in 1996 making this time frame perfect for research. Lovetoknow also stated, “ IGF-1 has been linked to a higher risk of certain cancers, including double the risk of developing breast cancer.” IGF-1 is in 17% of our beef, so 1 in 5 times you eat beef you’re doubling the risk of getting breast cancer in the long run. Many of these GMO are inserted behind the ear and dissolve into the skin (Steroid Hormone Implants Used for Growth in Food-Producing Animals). The disease from GMOs aren’t worth the long run risk of these deadly diseases like cancer. Not only do GMOs cause these diseases, but the extra herbicides used on them also have a negative effect on the human body. Secondly, the use of herbicides are an effect of GMO crops, these herbicides also get consumed by the consumer, us. Jeffrey Smith also stated, “ Between 1996 and 2008, U.S. farmers sprayed an extra 338 million pounds of herbicides on GMOs.” The extra herbicide use is a result of having roundup ready crops. Roundup is also known to cause birth defects in amphibians, embryonic disruption, organ damage in animals, sterility, hormone disruption, birth defects in humans, and cancer (Smith). Herbicides also cause plants to form resistance to herbicides over time causing them to become “super plants” ( Encyclopedia of Public Health) . According to LoveToKnow, “ 90 percent of the soy grown around the world goes into animal feed.” Therefore 90% the food we feed our animals to be processed and eaten by us are feed with GMO crops with traces of herbicides in them. Not only are these herbicides bad but most people are unaware of it because the FDA doesn’t require labeling of GMO products. Third, Michigan doesn’t require any labeling of GMOs making it almost impossible to find out if the food you’re eating is safe. Consumer Reports National Research Center did a survey of 1,004 people, out of the 1,004 92% said they wanted labeling (Consumer Reports). So if 92% of the people want it then why doesn’t the FDA require it? Many people believe they are trying to hide something. According to Smith, “The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, doesn’t require a single safety study, does not mandate labeling of GMOs, and allows companies to put their GM foods onto the market without even notifying the agency. “ 64 other countries around the world require labeling but not the U.S. Requiring labeling should be a given right. People need to know what’s in their food but some say their grocery bills will rise. Although there are many people who disagree with GMOs, there are also many who support them.
Supporters of GMOs and people who disagree with requiring labeling of certain products, worry about grocery bills rising. Requiring labeling on products will bump up the price to pay for the labeling, or this is what many people believe. This is true however, labeling will only raise the price by 1 penny for an average family (Consumer Reports). Annually the price will rise about $9.20 for a family of four (Consumer Reports). To know what's exactly in your food, it will only cost a penny a day. In my mind this is totally worth the cost and will help prevent the negative side effects of GMOs such diseases.
I am against GMO products on the market because it causes more herbicide use, deadly diseases, and after asking multiple times the manufacturers still refuse to label GMO products. With more and more GMOs herbicide use has skyrocketed and with more herbicide use comes all the negative side effects too. Herbicides, such as roundup, are known to cause birth defects in amphibians, embryonic deaths, endocrine disruption, and organ damage in animals. With GMOs on the market negative side effects are almost a
guarantee.