Natalie DelCastillo

English113B

Professor Reynolds

Genetically Modified Organisms

It was only about fifteen years ago that our society was not familiar with Gene patenting. Many may ask, what exactly is the purpose of genetically modifying organisms? The answer most commonly heard would have to be for the purpose of ending world hunger since, this way, food can be duplicated in vast amounts. For an average taxpayer, hearing this would sound amazing but there is always a catch.

It is crucial that we begin to understand what exactly genetically modified organism are. GMs biology-online.org defines it as an ” An organism whose genetic material has been modified or altered, especially through genetic engineering techniques. “According to Ruddock, Joan. "Monsanto's Claim That GM Crops Will End Third World Hunger Is Spurious." The Independent., “yields a higher resistance to pesticides and pests and delayed spoilage." For example, when a tomato, which was one of the first vegetables to be genetically modified, becomes modified it is no longer vulnerable to cold weather. This method does help the farmers by being able to make genetically modified tomato’s through out the winter. The only issue is that, because the famer is growing so much, ultimately the pesticides become restraint to chemicals. This then means more round up is need to be sprayed which in turn negatively affects the environment. In addition, genetically modifying plantation creates a domino affect on everyone and everything. This includes fruits, vegetables, consumers, farmers and most importantly the environment.

Genetically Modified food seems to be unfamiliar to the majority of the general public. Many people are unaware of what exactly GMO’s are and how its has changed the way we shop. According to Ackerman, Jennifer. "Altered Food, GMOs, Genetically Modified Food - National Geographic states that” more than 60 percent of all processed foods on U.S. supermarket shelves—including pizza, chips, cookies, ice cream, salad dressing, corn syrup, and baking powder—contain ingredients from engineered soybeans, corn, or canola” . Knowing that over 60% of foods we eat are genetically modified but how do we know? How do we know what is or isn’t genetically modified? But that’s the problem we do not know, how to avoid GMO’S because they are not labeled on our nutrition facts. According to The New York times “Even more than questionable approvals, it’s the unwillingness to label these products as such — even the G.E. salmon will be sold without distinction — that is demeaning and undemocratic, and the real reason is clear: producers and producer-friendly agencies correctly suspect that consumers will steer clear of G.E. products if they can identify them. Which may make them unprofitable. Where is the free market when we need it? “If they are concern about them, then by that must mean that something must wrong with the product! According to the Public agenda “Rethinking the GMO revolution” states that “health implications, emerging researches have proved that some cancers and genetic disorders can be traced to the consumption of GM foods. “We need to understand that the food that we are eating is making us what we are. Not be able to know how exactly our food is processes and how it can potentially cause cancer is bizarre. “Monsanto website states that “producing more, conserving more, improving lives.” Which means we have created food that’s cheap but cheats people because its looks fresh taste fresh but it is not organic.

Genetically modified food is only benefiting one person and that’s the owner of Monsanto. From a personal perspective Monsanto can manage to dictate the consumer and the grower. The consumer doesn’t know what is exactly is the food because their scared of losing business so they have influence the consumer to believe that GMO’s will end World Hunger. According to Robbins, John. "Can GMOs Help End World Hunger?" The Huffington Post that “Nearly a million children die every year because they are weakened by Vitamin A deficiencies and an additional 350,000 go blind. Golden rice, said Time, will be a godsend for the half of humanity that depends on rice for its major staple. Merely eating this rice could prevent blindness and death. So if GMO’S cause cancer and affected 350,000 people to go blind how are the consumers winning? What about the farmer, who according to Novak, Sara. "Monsanto Has Farmers Cornered." TreeHugger. Living, “ Once farmers use Monsanto's Roundup Ready, which is a line of designer genetically-modified seeds, they have to continue to purchase the seeds year after year because it's illegal, yes illegal, for farmers to save seeds. Last year alone the cost of these seeds went up 50 percent”. This means that the farmer is forced to work with Monsanto because they will be sued if they don’t make a profit by saving the seeds. Getting the government to tell us, “The People” what is in our food, can solve the issue. If Genetically Modified food is labeled, we will be able to know if our food is truly safe and determine if we should consume it. We will be able to know if GMO’S are contributing to this increase in diabetes’s, allergies, ADD, malnutrition, and cancer. Labeling can make a difference; it can save a child’s life that is allergic to items and also be aware of what your food contains to avoid it.

Overall labeling could be one thing that the government can give us as Americans because we pay our hard earned money and do our taxes we should at least know what exactly we are consuming. Because if we are not winning at fast food restaurants the we as Americans should be able to purchase local grocery store and know that what we are consuming is truly healthy to put in my system. When I eat a apple I want to know that I am eating a apple that provide 100% nutrients that are healthy for me not only 40%. That raises questions like what is the about the other 60%? Americans have the right to know what they are feeding their children and should be able identity what is on their child’s plate. People need to be aware the todays science is killing our future generation slowly and we are letting it happen.





　Works Cited

Ackerman, Jennifer. "Altered Food, GMOs, Genetically Modified Food - National Geographic." 301 Moved Permanently. National Geographic Magazine, 25 May 2002. Web. 25 May 2002. <http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/food-how-altered.html>.

Biology. "Genetically Modified Organism." - Definition from Biology-Online.org. Biology, 18 Jan. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Genetically_modified_organism>.

Gurcardli, Anthony. "Sorry Gates: GMO Crops Proven to Be Ineffective at Fighting World Hunger." GMO Crops Proven to Be Ineffective at Fighting World Hunger. Natural Science, 2 Mar. 2012. Web. 2 Mar. 2012. <http://naturalsociety.com/gmo-crops-proven-to-be-ineffective-at-fighting-world-hunger/>.

Novak, Sara. "Monsanto Has Farmers Cornered." TreeHugger. Living /Green Food, 16 Jan. 2010. Web. 16 Jan. 2010. <http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/monsanto-has-farmers-cornered.html>.

Robbins, John. "Can GMOs Help End World Hunger?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Jan. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/gmo-food_b_914968.html>.

Ruddock, Joan. "Monsanto's Claim That GM Crops Will End Third World Hunger Is Spurious." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 14 Feb. 1999. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://www.independent.co.uk/news/monsantos-claim-that-gm-crops-will-end-third-world-hunger-is-spurious-says-joan-ruddock-1070874.html>.

Wyatt, Kel. "The Genetically Modified Food Debate." HubPages. HubPages, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://kelw.hubpages.com/hub/gmfoods>.