...The Pros and Cons of Genetically Modified Organisms The demand for food will continue to grow each year and will always be continuous. Farming is one of the methods for producing food established by our ancestors many years ago. The farming process is still in use today and its techniques are pretty much the same. It is more industrialized and is on a much larger scale due to the high demand of food and food products. This high demand creates the opportunity for companies to develop new ways of producing crops more efficiently while making large sums of profits. One controversial technology is the process of genetically engineering modified seeds, also known as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are made with engineered materials with the goal of improving the original organism. They can then be used to produce GM food. This new technology has a wide range of possible benefits, from helping farmers, to improving food, to helping the environment. Genetically modified food may even one day be used to help solve world hunger. However, it also has its dangers and risks, which need to be considered along with its benefits. The fact that not everything is known about GMOs, and that large corporations use it to make a profit, is scary for many people. The recent technology of genetically engineering crops, which involves modifying their genetic structure, has led to benefits for farmers and everyday people; however, there are also numerous concerns due to the fact that the...
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...humans and that we shouldn’t tamper with the DNA of other organisms created by nature. Although many studies have been carried out, none have given us the suspicion or the proof needed to say that they are harmful to our health or to the environment, they may be the only solution we have to feed the rapidly growing population and to protect our crops from the unstable climate. Most crops harvested in the USA are GMOs, 88% of all the corn, 93% of the soy and 94% of the cotton and almost all cows are fed with them, yet Americans do not have health problems because of this. According to some scientists GMOs have subtle, long-term effects on man’s health and it will take a while for us to notice them but there is no reason to believe this and already more than thirty years have passed since we started eating genetically modified food. A group of agricultural...
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...proponents of GMO labeling believe, GMOs actually bring with them many benefits, some of which are already being seen. With the increase of genetically modified corn and soybeans in the united states, the amount of chemical usage has been greatly reduced, and farmers have made more money because they don’t have to buy pesticides (Lusk and Miller 2). GMOs also have promising benefits for solving the problems of the future. Out of the 7.5 billion people in the world today, nearly 1 billion are starving. The number of starving people is estimated to increase to an amount of 10 billion by 2050 (Mosely 578). The United Nations estimates that in 2050, the world will need to have increased its food production by 70% to keep up...
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...Watch out! GMO potatoes are taking over the market`s shelves GMOs are taking over the world. One sentence which provoked horror everywhere. Many people are unfamiliar with this abbreviation, but others are leading a cold war against it. What does GMO stand for? GMO or Genetically Modified Organism is applied to any food or meat which has been genetically modified through its growth or cultivation. In other words, vast industries are merging DNA from various species in order to increase production and decrease costs. Sure, it turned out just fine for the moneymakers, however this is on the cost of ordinary people who tremble upon the fact to go in the markets and examine and study every label which enters their shopping card. Every fruit, veggie...
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...consumption of GMO salmon. Deemed the AquAdvantage salmon, its formation was the result of numerous genetic technologies that were introduced in BIS 101. Genetic engineering allowed the insertion of a growth hormone gene from the Chinook (King Salmon) into the AquAdvantage salmon. In addition to that growth hormone, a promoter from the ocean pout, which could withstand harsh environmental conditions, was also placed inside. In contrast with the normal salmon, where its growth hormone gene is not able to be expressed during colder conditions. As a result, the promoter allowed the expression of the growth hormone gene to permanently be on in the AquAdvantage salmon (Stockton, 2015,...
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...GMO labels are unnecessary because genetic modification is safe, beneficial, and regulated by the FDA. Genetic modification is not a new concept because modification dates back to the 1700s. (Kracht para 1). For centuries, scientists and farmers use artificial selection and crossbreeding, both forms of genetic modification, to obtain the desired traits of crops or animals (para 1). Consequently, no known risks have appeared from the consumption of GMOs or the genetic modification of crops. According to 500 different research groups studying GMOs, there is no evidence that GMOs cause any risks to the environment, organisms, plants, food or consumers (Van Eenennaam 20). Furthermore, the American Medical Association (AMA) reported that the possible health risks of genetically modified crops are no different than those of other crops or organic foods (20). Moreover, genetic modification is beneficial in that it creates food that can be more nutritious than organic food. For instance, genetically modified rice contains more iron than organic rice, to fight anemia (Brody 2). Additionally, to...
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...In the middle of all the controversies, there is an unclear difference between the scientific-assessed risk of GMO use and the perceived risk as it is influenced by cultural opinion and governmental regulation. Because of these variable opinions and risk evaluations within different countries of GMOs, it leads to issues in import and export of GM crops to other countries. Agriculture markets across the world have very different views of the risk associated with GM crops so this leads to usage or rejection of GMOs in specific countries. Because of this, rejection of GMO usage in developed countries would stunt the growth of biotechnology to many other developing countries. This would also make a developing country that was potentially expanding...
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...The Non GMO Project is a stakeholder in support of labeling GMOs. The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices. They are known for their butterfly Non-GMO Project verification seal which indicates that the product bearing the seal has gone through their verification process. The seal was created in the absence of mandatory GMO labeling. The verification is “an assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance” (GMO Facts). The Non-GMO Project argues there is a growing body of evidence connecting GMOs to health problems, environmental damage, and violation of farmers’...
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...Benefits of Genetically Modified Crops Genetically modified crops (GMOs) have been around for a long time. The first time the world was introduced to this world changing form of crop was in 1986. This is when a GMO for of tobacco was tested in Belgium. Not far after, in 1987, the first GMOs were introduced to the United States. The two GMOs that were introduced were tobacco as well as tomatoes. In 1992 the FDA declared the altered crops "not inherently dangerous", so they don’t need special regulations (1). The list of benefits that follow suit with GMO not only help the farmer but also the consumer. GMO crops are known to produce bigger yields. This allows the farmer to get more efficient use out of his land. Iowa State University observed 377 fields that grew Bt corn (GM) and non-GM corn. The fields with GM seeds yielded 160.4 bushels corn per field, while crops grown from fields of non-GM seeds yielded 147.7 bushels of corn per field (2). Genetically modified crops are also known to have better texture flavor, and nutritional value compared to non-GMO crops. For example, in Asia, many people suffer from the lack of many key vitamins. One of those is vitamin A. The majority people cant afford to eat properly, so scientists created a GMO version of rice to help supply the people with this vitamin they were missing. They took a gene from a carrot and implemented it into the common white rice, thus creating golden rice. It is a cheap way for the people of Asia to get vitamin...
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...2015 How Are GMOs Affecting the Environment and Our Health? Food has been one of the basic needs since the birth of a person. History shows that the production of food only consisted of hunting, harvesting, and farming. During these times, it usually took a long time before these foods arrived at the dining tables of families. However, today, technology has allowed the mass production of food. Unfortunately, the market has taken advantage of technology, not letting us know how food is made, leading to the birth of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are widely used in most foods today. Though most people are unaware of this, GMOs even exist in some of their favorite food products. Many reports tell that diseases, such as E-Coli and Salmonella, have been caught from GM-foods. Furthermore, researchers and doctors believe that GMOs carry a huge risk; although, some scientists claim that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption. GMOs should be banned because they have a negative impact on human health, and potential risks on the environment. Although GMOs were only introduced in 1996, the side effects can already be seen: there have been increased allergic reactions, antibiotic resistant bacteria and other toxic hazards. While these side effects of GMOs may seem minuscule in the grand scheme of things, the lasting effects can be much more drastic. More and more children are having life-threatening allergies, which can be contributed to increased GMO intake. Children...
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...Good afternoon judges, opponents, and audience members. We, as the affirmative side believe in the resolution as stated before: ‘Be it resolved that Genetically Modified Organisms should be banned”. Rebuttal: If I recall correctly, my opponent has stated that GMOs would reduce the use of herbicides. I argue that GMOs can pass their herbicide-resistant genes onto other species such as weeds. This would potentially result in “superweeds” that are becoming more immune to genetically modified crops which would result in farmers having to use more herbicides. To back this up, a study released by Food & Water Watch finds the quick adoption of genetically engineered crops by farmers has increased herbicide use over the past 9 years in the U.S. Summary: As my colleague Tianna has mentioned, GMO’s should be banned because there is a lack of research about the...
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...Bioengineering Joseph Merritt Instructor Mr. Ott Capella University June 20, 2016 After conducting my research on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), I came across Papayas which is a fruit grown in many tropical countries however, papaya cultivation is being threatened by Papaya Ringspot-Virus, a disease that is sharply lowering yields. In the late 1980s, the University of Hawaii began developing a papaya cultivar resistant to Papaya Ringspot Virus. To do this, certain viral genes encoding capsid proteins were transferred to the papaya genome. These viral capsid proteins elicit something similar to an "immune response" from the papaya plant. These new, genetically modified papaya plants are no longer susceptible to infection; allowing farmers to cultivate the fruit even when the virus is widespread.Independent laboratory testing results released today reveal widespread contamination from the world's first commercially planted genetically engineered tree, the papaya, on Oahu, the Big Island, and Kauai. Contamination was also found in the stock of non-genetically engineered seeds being sold commercially by the University of Hawaii. The first virus resistant papayas were commercially grown in Hawaii in 1999. Transgenic papayas now cover about one thousand hectares, or three quarters of the total Hawaiian papaya crop.Genetically modified papayas are approved for consumption both in the US and in Canada. Several Asian countries are currently developing transgenic papaya...
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...GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS _____________________ A Position Paper Presented to Mr. Jesse R. Songcayawon, Ph. D. History Department Adventist University of the Philippines _____________________ In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course General Philosophy _____________________ By Krishnalyn Precious Jewel Castro Rosedelle Colot Jedd Fabroa Dean Carlo Fajilan Joan Mary Hidalgo Julius Anthony Hiphip Myrtle Magalang Mark Anthony Mayorga Ruiz, Mike I. INTRODUCTION A. BACKGROUND As the population of the world continues to increase, it will be accompanied by an increase in the demand for food. Food is one of the most vital needs of the world we live in. In the old days, ancient people kill for food to survive. Today, some people mark it as piece of extravagance and whatnots. Food feeds our hunger and in turn, gives energy for the daily activities we humans need to do in order to get through the day. Also, it forms connection within another human being for it is shared along the dinner table and have food as the topic of the night. Basically, food is the demand and supply which runs the world: be it in the developed country where food is made even luxury and be it in the developing country where food is seen as a staple for survival. Since the total acreage planted is no longer increasing, unless new production technology is adopted, such an increase in demand that is unmatched by an increase in supply in the world food market will raise...
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...Foods; Choosing Organic Choose the Best Farmers are the main source of food production within the US, as the country’s population begins to grow; a concern arises. Will the farmers be able to produce enough food to feed all the mouths? According to Monsanto (producer of genetically modified seeds) and biotech food scientists’ the answer is no. As scientist research and move genes from one organism to another, they develop GMOs. The resulted product, GMO seed, are being introduced to farmers as a crop enhancer and pesticide to accommodate the rapidly growing countries need for a larger food supply. Modern genetic engineering is the ability to identify and splice genes from one kind of organism into the DNA of another. Modern genetic engineering as altered agriculture forever. Splicing and cross-pollinating have been and currently are the two most commonly used methods when growing GMO filled crops. Ingesting the genetically altered foods versus the all-natural foods (containing no built in pesticides) is a choice we, as a country, should not have to make. GMOs Genetically modified...
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...Why GMO’s are Beneficial Are genetically engineered/modified organisms dangerous, neutral, or beneficial to human health? Genetically Modified Organisms have been used for thousands of years, dating back to the times where farmers were using techniques such as grafting. Studies have shown that opposition to GMOs are on the rise. Despite the many negative connotations of altering the genetic material of a plant, it has been statistically proven that GMOs have not posed harm to human health (Digging for seeds of truth in GMO debate). Through the utilization of GMOs, humanity has the opportunity to benefit our health through creation of potential vaccines, ability to create a sustainable food source to end human hunger, and the ability to create more nutritious disease and pesticide-free foods. GMOs have been very helpful in creating vaccines for many diseases. For example, during the 1980s, humanity was blessed with the first genetically engineered vaccine to fight STDs. Benjamin Hall of University of Wisconsin and then-postdoctoral researcher Gustav Ammerer fused a gene-controlling antigen that fought HIV and Hepatitis into yeast cells. With this biotechnology, they were able to create one of the first vaccines to fight Sexually Transmitted Diseases (A Triumph of Biotechnology). This has proven highly important, because without the use of such technology, this life-changing vaccine would not have been created. In another case, INB Biotechnologies of Philadelphia created...
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