Jasmin Echeverria Professor Dozier English 01A 16 November 2013

The Truth of the eneticall! "o#ifie#

Ever! living organism nee#s some t!$e of nutrients or some t!$e of energ! source to hel$ living organism %or& an# flo%' (ome organisms li&e $lants nee# sunlight an# %ater to gro%) an# other nutrients li&e carbon an# nitrates but us as humans nee# foo# to $rovi#e our bo#ies %ith the nutrients an# energ! that it nee#s' (ome of the foo# %e is either meat from animals) vegetables an#*or fruits' +oo# is essential for our bo#! to function but #i# !ou &no% that our foo# is no longer as health! or as natural as %e thin& it is' "ost) if not all) of the foo# %e eat is being tam$ere# %ith, the genetic structure of our foo# is being change#' The changing an# the reconstructing has a name) our foo# is being geneticall! mo#ifie# - ". or geneticall! engineere# - E.' / enetic engineering is the $ractice of altering or #isru$ting the genetic blue$rints of living organisms) $lants) trees) fish) animals) humans) an# microorganisms'0 1es) our foo# is being geneticall! mo#ifie# but %hat is the big #eal2 3om$anies that geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# fail to tell the %hole truth behin# the foo# that the! are $ro#ucing' 4hat is the /%hole truth02 4ell) com$anies that $ro#uce geneticall! engineere# foo# #on5t tell us the health ris& of eating their foo#) the #amage it #oes to the environment) the! #on5t label geneticall! engineere# foo#) cost more than the! $ro#uce) affect chil#ren) an# have a lot of chemicals in them'

eneticall! engineere# foo# from the time it is being create# to the time its being eaten has man! #angers to it' There are t%o to three ma6or com$anies that $ro#uce E cro$s that en# u$ being geneticall! mo#ifie# foo#, the! are "onsanto) Aventis an# 7ig +oo#s' Ever! vegetable an# fruit has a s$ecific season that it gro%s in an# that5s %hat %e have &no%n our %hole lives but no% %ith our foo# being geneticall! engineere# %e can have almost an! fruit or vegetable all !ear roun#) that5s great right2 No it is not' /There are si8 ma6or geneticall! mo#ifie# organisms an# the! are so!) corn) canola) cotton) sugar) beets) an# alfalfa0 9et me give !ou an e8am$le) %hen a stra%berr! is gro%ing an# the %eather is %a! to col# the stra%berr! burn an# #oesn5t gro%) %hat have these com$anies #one) the! have altere# the genetic structure an# a##e# a gene from a fish that can stan# col# %eather to the stra%berr! so it can survive #uring the harsh %eather' Although the stra%berr! being a##e# a gene from a fish to survive might not be ba# but the $roblem is that these com$anies are not telling us an# that is on of the big issues' 4e as consumers of foo# have the right to &no% if our foo# is being altere#' There %as a $ro$osition last !ear that %as in the ballot Pro$osition 3: that %oul# re;uire /labeling on ra% or $rocesse# foo# offere# for sale to consumers if ma#e from $lants or animals %ith genetic material change# in s$ecifie# %a!s0) unfortunatel! the $ro$osition #i# not $ass' The issue %ith us not being tol# if out foo# is being geneticall! engineere# is a huge health hazar#) not onl! on humans but animals too) because %hen our foo# is being altere# things are being a##e# to it) li&e stra%berr! e8am$le) its not a $ure stra%berr! no% if contains gene from a fish' 4hat if !ou are allergic to fish an# it is not on the label) there is the $ossibilit! that !ou can #ie' /<n the =nite# >ing#om so! allergies have

s&!roc&ete# b! fift! $ercent soon after geneticall! mo#ifie# so! %as intro#uce#'0 There have been stu#ies #one on mice that have been fe# geneticall! mo#ifie# foo#' <n the stu#! mice fe# "? have ha# /fertilit! $roblems) re#uces #igestive enz!mes) an# smaller babies03 Also farmers in Euro$e an# Asia have re$orte# that co%s) %ater buffaloes) chic&en an# horses have #ie# from eating 7T corn) a t!$e of geneticall! mo#ifie# corn' /<n 2002) the onl! trial ever to involve human beings a$$eare# to sho% that altere# genetic material from geneticall! mo#ifie# so!beans not onl! survives in the human gut) but ma! even $ass its genetic material to bacteria %ithin the #igestive s!stem' /There have been man! more com$laints an# cases that state a situation that geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# has affecte# either a human being or an animal but nothing seems to be ha$$ening) geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# is still being sol# an# not even labele# an# if it affects animals to the $oint of &illing them then %hat is the out come going to be for humans' <n fact there has been a re$ort on ho% humans have #ie# #ue to these com$anies that $ro#uce geneticall! engineere# cro$s but it hasn5t been that eating the foo# has &ille# them it has been that the cost of gro%ing the foo# an# failing has cause# $eo$le to commit suici#e' "onsanto) Aventis an# 7ig +oo#s have all claime# that the! %ill hel$ fee# %orl# hunger but stu#ies an# research su$$ort that this is a lie' These com$anies sell see#s that su$$ose#l! $ro#uce more cro$s then the average an# natural see#s) an# in turn $ro#ucing more mone!' +armers) s$ecificall! <n#ian farmers) have ta&en out loans because of the h!$e that these com$anies ma&e but %hen its time for the cro$s to gro% the turn out is horrible' The reason for this is because %hen !ou gro% cro$s there is al%a!s going to be insects) $ests) an# %ee#s that %ill #amage the cro$s an# in or#er to

$revent this from ha$$ening herbici#es an# $estici#es have to be s$ra!e# on the cro$s an# this cost more mone!' <n a##ition to that some com$anies ma&e there see#s to onl! %or& %ith the herbici#es an# $estici#es that the! sell) so farmers can not choose a chea$er alternative the! have no choice but to bu! the e8$ensive one onl! to have a ba# out come of cro$s' (o much failure an# #e$t is %hat ma&es <n#ian farmers to commit suici#e' 9i&e < sai# before these cro$s $ro#uce less than the! actuall! cost' ($ea&ing of $estici#es an# herbici#es) some of the see#s that are sol# to farmers have been geneticall! mo#ifie# so that herbici#es an# $estici#es are alrea#! in them' 4hat #ies this mean2 <t means that if an! insect or $est tries to eat the cro$) the! #ie because the! are ta&ing a bite of $estici#e' (o if this ha$$ens to the insects imagine %hat it %ill #o to us humans or animals' Also these cro$s that have been geneticall! mo#ifie# have been mo#ifie# to be able to stan# being s$ra!e# %ith man! to8ic $estici#es an# herbici#es' /4in#) rain) bir#s) bees) an# insect $ollinators have begun carr!ing geneticall! altere# $ollen to other fiel#s'0 (o our foo# isn5t reall! safe from geneticall! mo#ifie# material because even though these animals an# insects are 6ust #oing their 6ob b! $ollinating other $lants the! are un&no%ingl! contaminating cro$s an# $lant that have not been mo#ifie#' eneticall! mo#ifie# foo# #oes not onl! affect a#ults but it also affects chil#' There %as an e8$eriment #one in a classroom in 4isconsin %here stu#ents fe# three mice in one cage 6un& foo# an# three mice in another cage %ere fe# nutritious %hole foo#s' 3an !ou guess %hat ha$$ene#2 The mice in the cage %ith the 6un& foo# frea&e# out) the! #estro!e# a car#boar# tube the! ha#) the! #i#n5t slee$ li&e the! use# too) an# the! fought an# sto$$e# $la!ing %ith each other' The mice that %ere fe# the nutritious foo# %e calm)

$la!e# nice) an# &e$t their slee$ing habits' Although these %ere 6ust mice it still ha# an effect on an animal an# the 6un& foo# fe# to the mice containe# geneticall! mo#ifie# ingre#ients' These mice %ere being fe# foo# that chil#ren eat, imagine ho% chil#ren are being affecte# an# ho% much #amage it is #oing to their bo#ies' The! are so hel$less because $arents are the ones that give them the foo# an# if $arents aren5t e#ucate# or &no% %hat the!) as a#ults) are eating ho% are the! going to ta&e care of their chil#ren5s health an# %hat the! eat' The obesit! rate in the %orl# is so high an# %ith this geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# affecting immune s!stems an# #igestive s!stems) it #oesn5t seem li&e its getting an! better' 3hil#ren are gro%ing an# #evelo$ing an# if their bo#ies are being attac&e# %ith gro%th hormones an# are eating geneticall! mo#ifie# foo#) it is 6ust going to be a #isaster in the long run' These geneticall! mo#ifie# foo#s also have less nutrients an# it lea#s to antibiotic resistance' 1 <f our bo#ies become resistant to antibiotics then ho% are %e going to cure from #iseases2 All of these #amaging things that geneticall! mo#ifie# or geneticall! engineere# foo# have) have all been tol# to the com$anies b! the scientist in the +oo# an# Drug A#ministration -+DA.' (cientist %arne# com$anies that there %ere $ossible allergies) to8ins) ne% #iseases) an# nutritional $roblems an# the a#vise# to #o long term stu#ies' =nfortunatel!) the official in charge #i# not listen an# 6ust ignore# the scientist an# #i# not re;uire them to #o an! test' 3om$anies li&e "onsanto get to #eci#e themselves if their foo# is safe' These geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# com$anies #o test but the! rig their test) for e8am$le) %hen testing on animal the! #o it on mature animals) %hich are less affecte# b! the "?5s instea# of testing on !ounger animals %here the changes an# #amages %ill sho% more' 4hen "onsanto stu#ies foo# the! stu#! on mature animals'

Also %hen testing the mi8 geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# %ith non@ eneticall! "o#ifie# foo# so that the tests #on5t come out that ba# an# also the! #on5t test the animal5s organs or loo& at them un#er a microsco$e' The! 6ust #on5t come clean about the truth about their $ro#ucts' 9i&e < sai# before foo# is %hat our bo#! nee#s to have energ! an# nutrients to survive but if %e are eating foo# that has been tam$ere# %ith an# it is no longer organic an# natural an# contains so man! chemicals an# to8ins ho% are %e going to be health!' (o %hat is the truth behin# geneticall! mo#ifie# foo#2 There is a lot about geneticall! mo#ifie# foo# that < $ersonall! #i#n5t &no% but < have learne# a lot through this research' eneticall! "o#ifie# foo# has man! fla%s that there creators #on5t %ant the $ublic to &no% but than&full! some of these fla%s have come out the light' This t!$e of foo# affects a#ult5s health but it causes more #amage to chil#ren5s health) it also affects animals) all t!$es of animals from co%s to mice' These com$anies #on5t tell us %hat is in their foo# so there are man! of there $ro#ucts that contain allergens that man! $eo$le are allergic to) %hich is ver! #angerous' 4e as humans that have the abilit! to s$ea& an# as consumers have the right to &no% if our foo# is being geneticall! mo#ifie#' These com$anies all the! care about is selling their $ro#ucts an# ma&ing mone!) the! #on5t care about the effect it has on $eo$le an# the #amage its #oing to ever! living organism' 4e have to become e#ucate# an# sto$ these com$anies from choosing %hat %e eat an# ta&e the control bac& from them because as thing are going ever! single thing in our grocer! stores are going to be geneticall! mo#ifie#) ever!thing is going to be contaminate#'

4or&s 3ite# Anslo%) "' -200A.' Ten Beasons 4h! " 4on5t +ee# the 4orl#' <n 9' +aigle! C J' (elzer) Good Reason with Contemporary Arguments -$$' D62@ D6E.' 7oston) "AF Pearson'

7ittman) "ar&' / '"'?'5sF 9et5s 9abel GEm'55 ?$inionator'blogs'n!times'com' The Ne% 1or& Times)1E (e$t' 2012' 4eb' 2 Nov' 2013

3ummins) Bonnie' / eneticall! Engineere# +oo#s are Hazar#ous'0 Genetically Engineered Foods. E#' Debra A' "iller' DetroitF reenhaven Press) 2012' At <ssue' B$t' +rom /Hazar#s of eneticall! Engineere# +oo#s an# 3ro$sF 4h! 4e Nee# A lobal "orartorium'0 Opposing Viewpoints. 4eb' 16 Nov' 2013

/ eneticall! "o#ifie# +oo#s 3oul# Pose Numerous Health Bis&s'0 Genetic Engineering' E#' Noel "erino' DetroitF reenhaven Press 2013' ?$$osing Iie% Points' B$t' +rom /Doctors5 Health 4arningF Avoi# eneticall! "o#ifie# +oo#s'0 Iol' 1'2011' Opposing Viewpoints in Context' 4eb' 16 Nov' 2013

/ eneticall! Engineere# 3ro$s 4ill Not +ee# the 4orl#'0 Genetically Engineered Foods. E#' Debra A' "iller' DetroitF reenhaven Press) 2012' At <ssue' B$t' from / reen %ashing eneticall! Engineere# 3ro$sF+act (heet 2011' Opposing Viewpoints in Context. 4eb' 16 Nov' 2013'

(mith) J' -200D.' Another Beason for (chools to 7an eneticall! Engineere# +oo#' <n 9' +aigle! C J' (elzer) Good Reason with Contemporary Arguments -$$'D6E@ D:1.' 7oston) "AF Pearson'