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The Case Against Genetically Modified FoodsBeing a farmer is probably one of the hardest professions in the world, largely because of the lack of control that farmers have over their results. They can work tirelessly and still have crops wiped out by inclement weather or insects and other pests. It’s a precarious way to make a living, and genetically modified foods (GMO) at first seemed like a solution to so many of the obstacles present when trying to grow a bountiful crop. For example, GMO crops that are resistant to insects/pests can be achieved by adding a poisonous bacterium to the crops that incorporate a natural insect repellant, yet still safe for human consumption. These means that farmers don’t have to rely so heavily on toxic chemicals to repel bugs and it means the soil has to undergo less manipulation and can maintain its integrity better. While these benefits for farmers are undeniable, GMO foods are at their core unnatural and unsafe for human consumption, creating mysterious illnesses and complications to human health.
Copious data demonstrates that GMO foods are not fit for living organisms, neither plants nor animals. “Many scientific data indicate that animals fed by GM crops have been harmed...
Rats exposed to transgenic potatoes or soya had abnormal young sperm; cows, goats, buffalo, pigs and other livestock grazing on Bt-maize, GM cottonseed and certain biotech corn showed complications including early deliveries, abortions, infertility and also many died” (Maghari & Ardekani, 2011). This scientific data makes a clear case for how reckless it is to allow human beings to consume these products. Similarly, the testing method to assess GMO foods is not comprehensive enough. Many companies use inadequate means where the chemical analysis of the food isn’t compared completely to non-GMO foods, or there is an inappropriate use of statistics (Maghari & Ardekani, 2011). All studies assessing the safety of GMO foods need to use animals responsibly in order to determine the short and long term impacts of consuming these foods. Any other assessment is incomplete and cavalier.
The more compelling point against GMO foods involves the danger of interfering with natural and the natural order. GMO foods have given rise to super weeds and to anti-biotic resistant bacteria and other oddities of nature. More concerning, is the multi-faceted impact it can have on the human body and the complex and…
On a biological level, consumption of genetically modified foods means the potential for "pleiotropic and insertional effects," Dona explains on page 165. Pleiotropic refers to the possibility that a gene may have more than one affect on the food. The above-mentioned effects could result from an increase of "anti-nutrients"; and moreover human health could be impacted due to the use of "viral DNA," Dona continues (165). The pleiotropic affect could
GMO GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS Risks and Perceptions Analysis of Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified foods have the potential of solving many of the issues that are present in respect to feeding the world's population; especially as it grows to an estimate nine billion by the end of the century. The technologies can create crops that are able to resist certain insects and are more suitable to grow in less than ideal environmental conditions.
Genetically Modified Foods What are Genetically Modified Foods? Genetically modified foods (GMF) are created through a biotechnological process known as genetic modification (GM). Genetic modification -- also known as genetic engineering -- alters the genetic makeup of plants, according to the Human Genome Project (HGP). Actually what scientists are doing when they genetically modify a plant is to combine certain genes from different plant species to basically change the DNA in the
One of the most interesting articles, "Genetic Engineering Risks," really described the issue with GMOs: the difference between genetically engineered organisms and their non-engineered counterparts is usually just one gene or a handful of genes and genetically engineered organisms have new genes that are put into their DNA using molecular technology; they would not have been able to do this with traditional breeding methods. "Because such a small fraction of
Protection and preservation of the environment through increased yields and reduced use of chemical pesticides and herbicides. This is because genetically modified foods grow at a faster rate and in bigger quantities which means less forest land is cleared for agriculture and the natural habitats and biodiversity is preserved. The crops are also made pest and disease resistant which means that less pesticides and herbicides are used which could pollute
Genetically Modified Foods - Economics Genetically Modified Foods Genetically modified (GM) foods are changing how people in developed countries eat. There are also many economic questions surrounding them. According to Anderson (1998), society is moving toward a genetically modified world. The food the world eats, from meat to grains, fruits, and vegetables, is all going to eventually become GM food. This food can be made to be resistant to all kinds of