Gmo Research Paper
Genetically Modified Foods
Someone out there has probably wondered why their tomatoes which they bought at a supermarket, taste different than the tomatoes at a farmers market. Well to answer that curious person, the tomatoes from the supermarket are most likely Genetically Modified. Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) are organisms in which genetic material (DNA) have been altered in a way that is not natural. Basically they are inserting genes of another species into their DNA, the process is known as biotechnology. 45 percent of corn and 85 percent of soybean are genetically modified. Fulton states that “some 70-90 percent of processed food is genetically modified and has been that way for years” (“Politics Heating Up Over…”). The first GM plant was produced in 1983, an antibiotic resistant tobacco. In 1990 the first GM cotton was produced, from then on scientists and farms have tied to make everything genetically modified. It is important for people to understand what they are eating and how it was made. 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.
There are many pros and cons for GM foods, which is why there is a debate whether people should have the choice to eat them or not. Some of the negative portions of genetically modified foods like how harmful they could
Someone out there has probably wondered why their tomatoes which they bought at a supermarket, taste different than the tomatoes at a farmers market. Well to answer that curious person, the tomatoes from the supermarket are most likely Genetically Modified. Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) are organisms in which genetic material (DNA) have been altered in a way that is not natural. Basically they are inserting genes of another species into their DNA, the process is known as biotechnology. 45 percent of corn and 85 percent of soybean are genetically modified. Fulton states that “some 70-90 percent of processed food is genetically modified and has been that way for years” (“Politics Heating Up Over…”). The first GM plant was produced in 1983, an antibiotic resistant tobacco. In 1990 the first GM cotton was produced, from then on scientists and farms have tied to make everything genetically modified. It is important for people to understand what they are eating and how it was made. 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.
There are many pros and cons for GM foods, which is why there is a debate whether people should have the choice to eat them or not. Some of the negative portions of genetically modified foods like how harmful they could
Cited: Fulton, April. "Politics Heating Up Over Labeling Genetically Modified Foods." www.npr.org. National Public Radio, 17 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. Hu, Wuyang, et al. "Consumers ' Food Choices with Voluntary Access to Genetic Modification Information." Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 54.4 (2006): 585-604. Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Mar. 2012. Hu, Wuyang, Michele Veeman, and Wiktor Adamowicz. "Labelling Genetically Modified Food: Heterogeneous Consumer Preferences and the Value of Information." Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics 53.1 (2005): 83-102. Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web. 28 Mar. 2012. Kaplan, Jeffrey. "Playing Genetic Roulette With Our Food." Reclaim Democracy. N.p., Sept. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. <http://reclaimdemocracy.org/food_and_health/genetic_roulette.html>. Lapan, Harvey, and GianCarlo Moschini. "Grading, Minimum Quality Standards, and the Labeling of Genetically Modified Products." American Journal of Agricultural Economics 89.3 (2007): 769-83. Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web. 1 Apr. 2012. Scatasta, Sara, Justus Wesseler, and Jill Hobbs. "Differentiating the consumer benefits from labeling of GM food products." Agricultural Economics 37 (2007): 237-42. Biological & Agricultural Index Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web. 1 Apr. 2012.