Background information
Genetically modified organisms are basically any plants or animals that have been genetically engineered with DNA from bacteria, viruses or other plants and animals.
They’re not safe. They’re banned in more than 60 countries. However, they are approved in the United States because of an experiment done by a company who would benefit from the sale of genetically modified organisms.
Solution
They should be allowed but they must be labeled.
Reasons from source 1 (https://www.downtoearth.org/label-gmos/gmo-foods-should-be-labeled)
“We have the right to know what is in our food” especially since:
“As of 2011, 88% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered as are 94% of soy, 95% of sugar beets, 90% of canola oil, 90% of cotton, and about 80% of Hawaiian papaya. Also, this spring marked the first planting of GMO alfalfa”.
Reasons from source 2 (http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/)
“Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies have been able to obtain patents with which to restrict their use. As a result, the companies that make GMOs now have the power to sue farmers whose fields are contaminated with GMOs, even when it is the result of inevitable drift from neighboring fields. GMOs therefore pose a serious threat to farmer sovereignty and to the national food security of any country where they are grown, including the United States”.
Reasons from source 3 (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carole-bartolotto/why-genetically-modified-food_b_4039114.html)
“The bottom line is that we have a product in our food supply with unknown health and environmental implications. At the very least, we should have these foods labeled. However, try as we might, we cannot make that happen in the U.S. Even though 9 out of 10 people want them labeled, the biotech companies and food manufacturers do not”.
All three of these sources are very qualified and credible sources. They come from official and legitimate websites.
These reasons would help solve the problem because this way the consumer has the choice of buying the genetically modified organism. Even if they’re not banned entirely, labeling the product gives the consumer the choice because we have the right to know.
Things that would limit the effectiveness of the solution
If these GMO’s were allowed in the market, some people might buy them thinking that they were beneficial to their health when in reality they’re harmful
Work Cited:
Source 1
"GMO Foods Should Be Labeled." Down to Earth. N.p., n.d. Web.
Source 2 "GMO Foods Should Be Labeled." Down to Earth. N.p., n.d. Web.
Source 3
Bartolotto, Carole. "Why Genetically Modified Foods Should Be Labeled." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Oct. 2013. Web.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
GMO stands for genetically modified organism. The general molecular genetics techniques are used to create and experiment with slicing and dicing DNA into whatever is chosen. The method is commonly used for creating pharmaceutical drugs, agriculture and experiencing with medicines. Glofish, a genetically modified organism, was created using ordinary zebra fish embryo inserted with jellyfish DNA. The fish normally black with white strips now is a fluorescent bright color.…
- 739 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This also affects international trade and global relations. Introduction Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) GMO is the abbreviation for Genetically Modified Organisms, which is an organism whose genetic DNA has been changed using genetic production methods. Methods used are known to result from combinations of genetic material, also known as recombinant DNA technology which uses the DNA particles from different bases. The DNA formed is then relocated into an organism, which gives it new adapted genes.…
- 8881 Words
- 29 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)/Genetically Engineered (GE) foods are the result of laboratory processes which artificially insert genes into the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of food crops or animals. There are many arguments both in favor of and against mandatory labeling of GMO/GE foods. Whether or not to require labeling of GMOs or GE foods also involves the debate over the risks and benefits of food crops produced using biotechnology. However, the overarching argument is consumers have a right to know what is in their food, especially concerning products that can cause allergic reactions. According to the Campaign for Healthier Eating in America, Genetically Modified (GM) foods are linked to toxic and allergic reactions, sick, sterile, and dead livestock, and damage to virtually every organ studied in lab animals (http://www.responsibletechnology.org). Because there is no scientific evidence that GMO/GE foods do or do not cause health issues in humans (because there have been no long-term studies), consumers may or may not be being harmed by GMOs. However, the safety of GMOs has been questioned by other countries. In fact, they are banned by food manufacturers in Europe and other countries, but, present in the majority of meats, produce, diary and processed foods in the United States (US). Many consumers in the US have no knowledge that they are consuming GMOs. If they did, it is now known if, similar to Europe, many would prefer to not consume GMO/GE foods. However, without proper labeling, the big issue of concern is, they do not know how to avoid them if they wanted to.…
- 856 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Genetically modified organisms are made moving the DNA from one species to another. DNA contains genes which code for proteins. For plants and bacteria; restriction enzymes are used to cut a DNA segment from a desired gene source and a bacterium plasmid. They are joined using ligase enzymes and inserted into the plant chromosome or host bacterium. For animals the recombinant DNA is injected into an embryo and transferred to a recipient mother. The organisms will now express a new protein. Proteins determine form and metabolism. Genetic engineering changes the natural DNA of living things, cutting across species boundaries.…
- 1189 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
How would you feel if I told you that the food you're eating was made in a science lab? Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are the outcome of a laboratory process where genes from the DNA of one species are extracted and artificially manipulated into the genes of an uncorrelated plant or animal. Crops are often genetically modified to be resistant to pesticides so farmers would be able to spray them without harming the crop itself. However, there are many consequences regarding consumers’ health and environmental problems. Many people question the safety of consuming genetically modified organisms. Companies should acknowledge that their product is genetically modified by placing a label on the product because customers have a right to know. Furthermore, there are several serious health complications that may rise to the consumer. And finally, genetically modifying organisms should be limited by being placed in a controlled environment to prevent contamination with other species because it can be harmful to the environment in several ways.…
- 941 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Genetically Modified Organisms, also known as GMOs, are “living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering,” (The Non-GMO Project). While genetic engineering has the capability of being beneficial to our society, The Non-GMO Project argues that it “creates unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods,” (The Non-GMO Project). GMOs are very prevalent in our contemporary food industry; The Non-GMO Project website states that “in the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food,” (The Non-GMO Project). New traits are introduced to…
- 1519 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the Agricultural Industry, GM foods are one of the biggest debates. There are so many reasons as to why GM foods are very controversial. Not only do they bring upon us many pro’s and con’s and are a well talked about topic in politics. The biggest issue is not whether or not we should genetically modified foods but rather if we should label it. In the United States, it is not a law that one must state if their food product is genetically modified or not. It should be labeled for many reasons but lots of people find ways not to label GM foods. In today’s paper the matter of whether GM foods should be labeled or not will be discussed as well as, mandatory and voluntary labeling, the government’s policies and many more information.…
- 1726 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Without a doubt, GMOs prove necessary to support the world’s vast and growing population. While I acknowledge that others may feel differently about GMOs, statistics demonstrate that “we need to grow 70 percent more food by 2050” (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN). Furthermore, GMOs are extremely important…
- 962 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Ninety-two percent of Americans favor labeling genetically Engineered (GE) food because of a lack of knowledge about GMOs (Gay). Consumers Choice Counsel stated that if GMO food is beneficial, then the producers should be willing to have it labeled (Gay). Consumers have the right to know the content of their food, and the circumstances under which it was produced. Bacteria has become resistant to antibiotics, since antibiotics have been added to animal food, and is also used for plant breeding (Gay). Pharma crops, produce made with medicinal drugs, if consumed, could endanger that human’s life. Pharma crops, though beginning with a good intent, have many possible dangerous outcomes. Pharma crops were found growing in soybean fields, because the year before ProdiGene had them there for testing (Gay). Ventria Biosciences planned on moving to Missouri for growing Pharma rice, but a brewery and a food company, besides many rice farmers, opposed it (Gay). Why should the average individual know if their food contains GMOs? Some could possibly have allergic reactions (Gay). StarLink corn was found in food. The EPA had only said it was good for animal food, not human consumption. StarLink, even though the FDA denies it, is believed to cause…
- 1194 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Regarding the claim that GMO’s are still “new” and thus impossible to deem safe, GMOs first appeared in labs about 30 years ago and 1,700 safety studies have been published since then. GMO’s by themselves cannot solve the world’s food problems, but they can boost crop output. With population growth and climate change, GMOs can ensure the world is food-prepared when the world’s population is estimated to increase by two million more people by 2050. The claim that all research done on GMOs are done by Big Ag is a blatant lie. There have been hundreds of independent research over the decade that support the safety of GMOs, and at least a dozen of scientific and medical groups, like the American Association for the Advancement of Science, have stated that GMOs approved for market are safe.…
- 556 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources and combine them into one molecule, creating a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into…
- 1725 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
During a time in the world where unemployment is at record highs and the cost a food has become staggering, farmers and businessmen alike have sought out new forms and methods of growing food. One of these methods has been using genetically modified crops. Most people do not even know what GMO’s are, where they come from, and how eating these foods are affecting their bodies.…
- 1051 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
How many times have you eaten something without reading the ingredients label? In 1982, Genetically Modified Organisms were approved for human use1 and eventually mass produced to the public as FLAVR SAVR Tomato in the late 1990s.2 Many may think that GMOs will end world hunger, but it is killing us rather than saving us. If food companies continue to advertise GMOs as the savior of America’s hunger problems, the country is in for a surprise. Any food product being sold to the general public should be removed and banned because GMOs contribute to the rise of illness, contaminate the plants in our organic farms, and humans were not made to play god.…
- 713 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
There is a war occurring over the consumer's’ right to know more about the food they eat. In countries across the world, producer transparency is being demanded by consumers who know very little about where their food comes from. Many countries have now banned Genetically Modified Organisms(GMO) , including more than half of Europe. In the United States, there is a battle going on over the subject of labeling GMO’s. labeling GMOs is not the best option for the country’s economy or the people of this country because consumer’s lack of understanding of what a GMO really is.…
- 561 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
One reason I believe GMOs should be labeled is because they contain DNA and proteins from other plants, fruits, and animals. Mixing proteins and DNA that comes from something else can cause allergic reactions. According to ¨GMOs - Pros and Cons¨ by Dr. Keith Kantor, “genetic modification often mixes or add proteins that weren’t indigenous to the original plant, causing allergic reactions in the human body.” When organisms are genetically modified, proteins are added that weren’t originally there. This has potential to cause serious allergic reactions that could be life threatening.…
- 614 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays