March 22, 2012
Genetically Modified Organism in Your Dinner Table
What do a tomato and a French fry have in common? They are the most commonly genetically modified foods sold in the market today: “Most people don’t realize that 87 percent of U.S crops are now grown with patented genetically engineered seeds” (D. Mole, 2012). Scientists can make food crops stay fresher, bigger, and have the crops create their own defenses against insects by using the genetic information from one organism, and changing it into another organism. With all these benefits, risks follow as well. For example, GM food can be is bad for the environment, human health, and the economy. Society needs awareness about genetically modified foods because they create positive and negative results in humans and the environment. People need to know more about GM food so that they can make an educated choice to see if they want to continue to consume GM food.
Have you ever shopped in a natural food store? If you have then you saw that most of the food there contains labels that said “GMO free,” or something similar to that. The acronym GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organisms, which refers to any food product that has been altered at the gene level using genetic engineering techniques (dictionaty.com). GM foods have been on our table for many years now. “In 1996, the first genetically modified seeds were planted in the United States for commercial use. In the meanwhile, genetically modified crops were grown on 134 million hectares worldwide” (GMO Compass, 2012). The American people are consuming GM foods without even knowing and the consumption would only increase if nothing is done. “Mandatory labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods in the United States has been proposed, but not enacted, at the national, state, and local levels” (P. Byrne,2010). The United States thinks that GM foods pose no risk on human health; because of this belief, no laws have been passed on Congress. Another reason why GM food is not label is because it would cost the companies that make this kind of food more money to do it.
GMOs have the potential to help the world in big ways if used properly. GMOs can help people that are sick and suffering in poor countries. “Biotechnology can allow people to receive crucial medicines and vaccines that are difficult to distribute. By putting vaccines into food products, organizations can more easily transport and administer them to people in need” (A. Luttrell, 2010). This can help the people of third world countries that are in desperate need of medicine. GM crops need far less pesticides, which would mean that less harmful chemicals would go out to the environment. “The United States Department of Agriculture reports in the 2000 document… that from 1997 to 1998, farmers used 8.2 million fewer pounds of active pesticide ingredients on corn, cotton, and soybeans.” (A. Luttrell, 2010). This means that far less harmful chemicals are affecting organisms because fewer chemicals are being used. “Biotechnology can also generate crops with genes that resist damage due to unexpected frost and long periods of drought. These GM crops will allow more food to be produced per plot of land, and in regions that suffer from a lack of arable land, these crops will provide food where there once was not.” (A. Luttrell, 2010). GM crops can be used in places where food is hard to grow do to the environment; this would mean more food to people faster and easier.
All of the current research for GM food and GMOs sound exciting, but the effects of GMOs may affect the environment negatively. Genetically modified foods could produce new toxic substances, allergies and today’s antibiotics may not be able to help on the diseases that may come from eating GM food. GM crops have started to effect the environment already. Insects’ populations are starting to drop dramatically. For example, the monarch butterfly caterpillars have been dying because their habitats are being destroyed. “Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, and their larvae eat it… This milkweed has disappeared from at least 100 million acres of these row crops” (A. Pollack, 2011). Now that the plants and crops can create their own defenses through GMO against insects and other harmful organisms, farmers just used chemicals that kill weeds. This includes the milkweed that monarch caterpillar uses for its shelter and food source. While the research is promising, negative effects on insects and environment are being discovered.
One of the biggest factors that can stop GMO funding is the effect they that have on humans. A recent study shows that toxins that are used in GM maize effect human cells. “Insecticidal Bt toxins such as those produced in genetically engineered plants can be detrimental to human cells. Researchers at the University of Caen (France) showed that toxins produced in, for example, the genetically engineered maize MON810, can significantly impact the viability of human cells” (Journal of Applied Toxicology, 2012). This suggests that the toxins in corn can harm humans. When you compare these findings to our national health statistics, there’s a similarity between the health of our nation, compared to other nations where GMOs are outlawed: the U.S. has the highest rate of cancer of any other country on the planet. America’s cancer rate has skyrocketed… studies now indicate that our diet and the chemicals they contain is one of the main contributing factors to America’s high cancer rate and declining health (T. Long, 2009) if this continue and measures are not taken to solve this pronlem, the number of people that die from cancer is just going to increase.
To examine this issue thoroughly, looking at a European community may be beneficial. The European community is by far the most concerned when it comes to GM food in their supermarkets. Regulations are being imposed in Europe and some stores themselves have restrictions on GM foods. Companies must label all foods that might have genetically modified ingredients. The regulatory actions of Europe created problems in the trade market. Now, GM food coming into Europe has to pass standard. If the food fails to pass those standards, the food cannot go to the European market. “Based on a comprehensive decision making process, the EU and the Member States are of the opinion that using genetic engineering in agriculture and food production is permissible… Nonetheless, each individual GMO must receive approval before it can be sold as seed or used in food and feed. Approval is granted only under certain conditions” (GMO Compass, 2012). The GMOs that can enter Europe have to be saved, labeled, traceable and have to pass other conditions.
The regulations of GM food in North America are nothing compared to Europe. If you were to ask somebody in the U.S if what they are eating is GM they would not know what to answer you. Since the companies that make GM food are not required to label their products the American people do not know if what they are eating is GM food. Americans are not educated about the risks of GM food, and they do not know where to find information about how much GM food is in their groceries.
GMOs also affect the economy negatively. Third world countries may not benefit from GM food, because all the money that is need to have GM crops. Companies like Monsanto are the main providers of GM seeds and they are making money. Monsanto is production sterile seeds, which means that farmers/countries that buy GM seeds have to keep paying for seeds every year if they want to keep planting GM seeds (F. Group, 2012).. On top of that they also have to buy a chemical that activates them. Farmers can choose to activate this trait by spraying their crops with a proprietary chemical compound. This means, they'll have to buy the proprietary compound to treat their cropsin order to activate it. There are even biochemical companies requiring farmers to sign agreements to not save any of their seeds for re-planting. This means that instead of using the seeds for the next planting season, they have to get rid of them and buy more seeds (F. Group, 2012). This process forces the farmers to buys seeds from the same company all of the time, if they want to keep planting GM seeds.
Human health can be seen as the greatest obstacle when talking about GM food. Also, the fear for new diseases and viruses increased because more GM food consumption increased too. More people need to know about GMO so that people can make an educated choice on if they want to eat GM food. Europeans are the most aware of GM food, and they are creating laws to protect themselves against GM food. However, North America has one of the greatest population of people that are not aware of the risk or benefits of GM food. The government does not want to create awareness of GM food because money is need to do that. The government thinks that, because no effects are being seen now, it does not mean that they are not going to happen. The government does not want to make the companies who make the GM food label their products. This may be due to the fact that the government might want to make people a little bit sick so that the people can wasted more money on medicine. GM food is still in its experimental stages, and we should not be eating these foods carelessly. People need to know about what these additional genes do to the food they eat to see if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Daniel Vargas
This video talks about what GM food has on the human body.
When one goes grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables, stores often pick the most appealing, desirable, and delicious looking fruit or vegetables out of the whole bunch. A big, shinny, juicy fruit that looks fresh attracts customers looking for the best quality and quantity of fruits. However, unless people are shopping in the organic aisle, little do they know that the fruit is genetically modified. Genetic modifications involve recombinant DNA which brings together genetic material from multiple sources and creates DNA sequences. DNA molecules from all organisms share the same chemical structure, making DNA recombination possible. When the hosts DNA sequence is linked to DNA from a foreign source, together they create DNA replication. Foreign DNA that is introduced into a hosts DNA replicates with the hosts DNA. Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are used in crops to make them grow faster, longer, and resistant to viruses (www.Dictionary.com). Genetically modified organisms have both positive and negative results for engineering organisms, and can affect humans since we consume modified foods without people researching the modifications made to the food.
The issue of genetically modified foods appeared in the 1980’s: “RNA interference (RNAi) was proclaimed by science as “the breakthrough technology of the year…” (Chi-Ham, Clark, & Bennett, 2010). Genetically modifying organisms can serve a purpose in society by creating more immunities and cures for the people affected by diseases, illnesses, and cancers. The U.S department of agriculture modified a plum with a virus coat to be viral resistant (Chi-Ham, Clark, & Bennett, 2010). Technology advances every year; genetic engineering can be seen as a tool for solving many mysteries of life such as why diseases attack specific kinds of animal species, or a possible cure for those diseases.
Since all DNA molecules share the same chemical structure which allows DNA recombination to be possible, plants engineered serve for specific purposes. Improving plant nutrition and fertilizer use generate modifications for plants to adapt to the soil more efficiently (Minorsky, 2008). Controlling the intake of fertilizer use and increasing plant nutrition exhibits plant efficiency to a farmer who buys fertilizer constantly for the acres of crops that the farmer cultivates. With improved nutrition, the farmers can reduce the amount of money spent on materials needed for the crops: “A gene called Submergence 1A-1 (sub 1A-1) is the main source of submergence tolerance in flood resistant rice” (Minorsky, 2008). In case it rains too much, genetic engineering counters the effects of mother nature due to the inserted the Sub 1A-A gene in crops to assure farmers the crops will still produce fruits and vegetables. One approach to develop ways to maintain crop yields while reducing fertilizer use is to genetically engineer “smart plants;” the plants signals when nutrition deficiency is imminent before the damage has occurred (Minorsky, 2008). This illustrates the positives of genetic engineering because the lifespan of plants increase due to healthy, flood resistant, and nutrition deficiency signaling modifications genetic engineering creates.
Nevertheless, the U.S does not label foods that are genetically modified, people are not aware of the consumption of genetically modified foods they eat or the health risks associated with GM foods: “most people don’t realize that 87 percent of the U.S corn crops are now grown with patented genetically engineered seeds” (Mole, 2012). Europe has regulations on foods that are genetically engineered which are required to be labeled: “Did you know…genetically modified organisms (GMO) are not safe. They have been linked to thousands of toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock” (Smith, 2008). If the U.S labeled foods that are modified, those links allocate concrete evidence for the allergic reactions.
Any crop genetically engineered or not, has been sprayed with pesticides to keep the crops from being destroyed by insects and other pests: “As Danforth center president Roger Beachy, the first to develop a virus resistant tomato, describes it, the first generation GM crops were intended to help farmers reduce not only the impacts of pests, but also the use of agrochemicals in modern crops production…” (Gewin, 2003). Although the usage of pesticides in GM crops reduced, the crops are still sprayed with agrochemicals which could be a link to the deaths of livestock and allergic reactions. An inorganic bowl of cornflakes contains toxins built into every cell of the corn (Mole, 2012). Toxins and pesticides that are introduced in and around plants and crops that are eaten by people and animals can trigger allergic reactions and other health risks caused by genetically modifications or the pesticides and toxins in the cells of the crops.
Genetically modified organisms involve introducing foreign DNA, proteins, and other similar chemical structures in a hosts DNA. In the mid 1990’s Pioneer Hybrid (which is the largest producer of hybrid seed for agriculture) did tests on the allerginicity of a transgenic soybean which showed that individuals allergic to Brazil nuts were also allergic to the GM soybean. The GM soybean had a protein that was introduced for seed storage which belonged to the Brazil-nut (Nordlee, 1996). The soybean had a protein embedded in the DNA which was the cause of the allergic reactions. The foreign sources introduced to a hosts DNA, if allergic or risky to health, can cause those reactions. Therefore, it is still uncertain whether genetic engineering itself creates health problems besides the different genetic material retrieved from foreign sources to a hosts DNA: “ These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown” (De Vendimois, Roullier, Cellier, & seralini, 2009). Again, toxins and pesticides remain the only known susceptible causes of allergic reactions: “Genetic engineering is one of the newer technologies available to produce desirable traits in plants and in animals used for foods but it poses no unique health risks that cannot also arise from conventional breeding and other genetic-alteration methods” (www.nap.edu). It can be concluded that since no health risks are present and concrete evidence is absent about genetically modified foods, the use of pesticides and toxins in the production of crops are the reasons of symptomatic reactions occurring in the body. Crops and plants have poison sprayed daily to protect the crops from being destroyed which cause serious health risks that link back to genetic engineering thus, creates confusion between whether pesticide or genetic modifications cause those problems.
Generally speaking, genetic modifications used as a resource evoke initiatives for various reasons. Engineering crops to adapt to a unsustainable environment and organisms to be resistant to diseases they encounter allocate positive modifications that genetic engineering creates. Although genetic modifications themselves do not convey health risks or allergic reactions, the genetic material from foreign sources that are acquainted to a host organism can create those risks. Little information is provided about the negatives of GMO except for foreign allergic sources and pesticides introduced in eatable crop. The consumption of GM foods without labels attempting to inform people that the food is modified is one negative of GMO because unaware people do not know the food consumed is altered. Awareness draws out key for ideas such as petitioning so that the government can finally label GM foods to inform people that not all of the food that one eats is organic.
The issue of genetically modified foods appeared in the 1980’s: “RNA interference (RNAi) was proclaimed by science as “the breakthrough technology of the year…” (Chi-Ham, Clark, & Bennett, 2010). Genetically modifying organisms can serve a purpose in society by creating more immunities and cures for the people affected by diseases, illnesses, and cancers. The U.S department of agriculture modified a plum with a virus coat to be viral resistant (Chi-Ham, Clark, & Bennett, 2010). Technology advances every year; genetic engineering can be seen as a tool for solving many mysteries of life such as why diseases attack specific kinds of animal species, or a possible cure for those diseases.
Since all DNA molecules share the same chemical structure which allows DNA recombination to be possible, plants engineered serve for specific purposes. Improving plant nutrition and fertilizer use generate modifications for plants to adapt to the soil more efficiently (Minorsky, 2008). Controlling the intake of fertilizer use and increasing plant nutrition exhibits plant efficiency to a farmer who buys fertilizer constantly for the acres of crops that the farmer cultivates. With improved nutrition, the farmers can reduce the amount of money spent on materials needed for the crops: “A gene called Submergence 1A-1 (sub 1A-1) is the main source of submergence tolerance in flood resistant rice” (Minorsky, 2008). In case it rains too much, genetic engineering counters the effects of mother nature due to the inserted the Sub 1A-A gene in crops to assure farmers the crops will still produce fruits and vegetables. One approach to develop ways to maintain crop yields while reducing fertilizer use is to genetically engineer “smart plants;” the plants signals when nutrition deficiency is imminent before the damage has occurred (Minorsky, 2008). This illustrates the positives of genetic engineering because the lifespan of plants increase due to healthy, flood resistant, and nutrition deficiency signaling modifications genetic engineering creates.
Nevertheless, the U.S does not label foods that are genetically modified, people are not aware of the consumption of genetically modified foods they eat or the health risks associated with GM foods: “most people don’t realize that 87 percent of the U.S corn crops are now grown with patented genetically engineered seeds” (Mole, 2012). Europe has regulations on foods that are genetically engineered which are required to be labeled: “Did you know…genetically modified organisms (GMO) are not safe. They have been linked to thousands of toxic and allergic reactions, thousands of sick, sterile, and dead livestock” (Smith, 2008). If the U.S labeled foods that are modified, those links allocate concrete evidence for the allergic reactions.
Any crop genetically engineered or not, has been sprayed with pesticides to keep the crops from being destroyed by insects and other pests: “As Danforth center president Roger Beachy, the first to develop a virus resistant tomato, describes it, the first generation GM crops were intended to help farmers reduce not only the impacts of pests, but also the use of agrochemicals in modern crops production…” (Gewin, 2003). Although the usage of pesticides in GM crops reduced, the crops are still sprayed with agrochemicals which could be a link to the deaths of livestock and allergic reactions. An inorganic bowl of cornflakes contains toxins built into every cell of the corn (Mole, 2012). Toxins and pesticides that are introduced in and around plants and crops that are eaten by people and animals can trigger allergic reactions and other health risks caused by genetically modifications or the pesticides and toxins in the cells of the crops.
Genetically modified organisms involve introducing foreign DNA, proteins, and other similar chemical structures in a hosts DNA. In the mid 1990’s Pioneer Hybrid (which is the largest producer of hybrid seed for agriculture) did tests on the allerginicity of a transgenic soybean which showed that individuals allergic to Brazil nuts were also allergic to the GM soybean. The GM soybean had a protein that was introduced for seed storage which belonged to the Brazil-nut (Nordlee, 1996). The soybean had a protein embedded in the DNA which was the cause of the allergic reactions. The foreign sources introduced to a hosts DNA, if allergic or risky to health, can cause those reactions. Therefore, it is still uncertain whether genetic engineering itself creates health problems besides the different genetic material retrieved from foreign sources to a hosts DNA: “ These substances have never before been an integral part of the human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for those who consume them, especially over long time periods are currently unknown” (De Vendimois, Roullier, Cellier, & seralini, 2009). Again, toxins and pesticides remain the only known susceptible causes of allergic reactions: “Genetic engineering is one of the newer technologies available to produce desirable traits in plants and in animals used for foods but it poses no unique health risks that cannot also arise from conventional breeding and other genetic-alteration methods” (www.nap.edu). It can be concluded that since no health risks are present and concrete evidence is absent about genetically modified foods, the use of pesticides and toxins in the production of crops are the reasons of symptomatic reactions occurring in the body. Crops and plants have poison sprayed daily to protect the crops from being destroyed which cause serious health risks that link back to genetic engineering thus, creates confusion between whether pesticide or genetic modifications cause those problems.
Generally speaking, genetic modifications used as a resource evoke initiatives for various reasons. Engineering crops to adapt to a unsustainable environment and organisms to be resistant to diseases they encounter allocate positive modifications that genetic engineering creates. Although genetic modifications themselves do not convey health risks or allergic reactions, the genetic material from foreign sources that are acquainted to a host organism can create those risks. Little information is provided about the negatives of GMO except for foreign allergic sources and pesticides introduced in eatable crop. The consumption of GM foods without labels attempting to inform people that the food is modified is one negative of GMO because unaware people do not know the food consumed is altered. Awareness draws out key for ideas such as petitioning so that the government can finally label GM foods to inform people that not all of the food that one eats is organic.