It is like something out of a sci-fi movie; Scientists injecting genes from an animal into the genes of a plant in order to create one super crop. As weird as this may sound, it is exactly what’s going on now, and these super crops are known as Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs. These crops are becoming more and more accepted in today’s agriculture business. This type of bioengineering is being used to yield more crops and curb the effects of herbicides. But the risks in using GMOs may far outweigh the benefits. GMO foods are becoming increasingly available and are a threat to our health and our agricultural system.
Basically GMOs are organisms that have had their genes altered through bio-engineering. These plants and/or animals have their genetic makeup changed, usually in a lab, in order to add or remove certain characteristics. Genes from other animals, viruses, or bacteria are artificially inserted into organisms in order to create new organisms that would not occur naturally. Corn, for example, has been genetically modified to produce its own pesticide and resist herbicides. Nearly 70% of all the corn grown in the United States was modified in this way. (Smith) And if you look at the ingredient list of almost any packaged food, you’ll see that there is corn in almost all of it. Corn is also the main ingredient in much of the feed given to farm animals, such as pigs and cows. So no matter what you eat, it is almost certain to contain some amount GM (Genetically Modified) corn. These new types of crops have some people to refer to them as “frankenfoods” a play on the fact that these foods are essentially created a lab by scientists. This new food technology helps farmers yield more crops than ever before, and in turn make more money. Recently there has been much debate as to whether GMO foods are safe for our planet or our bodies. Agricultural