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Glenn Kirk
Aughenbaugh
English 12
15 April 2016
The Benefits of GMOS
Indeed the science is quite clear: crop improvement by modern molecular techniques of
biotechnology is indeed safe. as stated by the American Association for Advancement of
Science. There are many potential benefits of the use of GMOs. GMO stands for Genetically
Modified Organism. GMOs have had their DNA changed or modified through Genetic
Engineering. Typically GMOs are altered with DNA from another organism such as bacterium,
viruses, plants, and animals (GMOs: Facts about Genetically Modified Foods). GMOs already
widely used in agriculture today. GMOs are safe and should be embraced as a benefit to society.
One reason we should not be afraid of the safety and use of GMOs is because they are
already widely used. The largest use of GMOs has been in the production of crops in agriculture.
There are many different genetically engineered animals being developed. Most of these GMO
crops are used as ingredients in different food items. Ingredients these are used for include: corn
starch, corn syrup, cottonseed oil, canola oil, soybean oil, breads, and cereals (The FDA
effectively regulates Genetically Modified food). By many estimates 80% of the American Food
supply contains some form of GMO. The first GM food crop Flavr Savr Tomato was introduced
twenty years ago (Introduction to Genetically Modified Food: At Issue). Herbicide Tolerant
soybeans accounted for 17% of soybean acreage of the United States in 1997. This number grew
to 68% in 2001, and Herbicide Tolerant Soybeans accounted for 94% of soybean acreage in 2015
(Recent Trends in GE Adoption). Insect resistant crops containing the gene from the soil

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bacterium BT have been available for corn and cotton since 1996. Plantings of BT corn has went
from 8% in 1997 up to 81% in 2015. Genetically engineered cotton use has hit 94% in 2015. In
the many years that GMO crops have been planted, and used there have been no negative health
effects have been documented in humans. The FDA does not even recognize a difference
between GM and Non-GM foods. The FDA regulates the safety of GMOs. They go through the
same tests as other foods and are studied to see if materials in the GMOs are toxic and allergenic
(Introduction to Genetically Modified Food: At Issue). If GMOs were not safe there should be

more evidence linking it to health effects on humans.

One argument against GMOs is that large agricultural companies have too much control
over the market. The most notorious of the companies is Monsanto. The Organic Consumers
Association says that Monsanto has 80% of the United States market of GMO corn. Monsanto
also controls 93% of GMO Soy. Monsanto also gets a bad reputation for being one of the
companies that made Agent Orange for the United States government during the Vietnam War.
Agent Orange was an herbicide and is controversial because of the health issues it caused for
people that were exposed to it. Large corporations are a bigger problem that is not just confined
to Agriculture. There are many corporations that have large share of markets such as Android
which has 80% of the market for operating systems on phones. Many worry that Monsanto and
other companies have too much control over farmers and seeds that they plant. One reason
people against GMOs will say is that many GMO seeds are patented. But many non-GMO plants
are also patented. Another issue that some people argue is that farmers cannot reuse the seeds
that they plant that are patented. This is not really an issue though because most farmers buy
their seed year to year. A lot of the time they plant crops that are hybrids. When seeds are reused
from hybrids they will not possess the same traits of the parent plant which would make reusing

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the seeds illogical. Many smaller companies also work with and develop GMOs. Arctic Apples
were developed by a company with seven employees. Aquabounty developed a transgenic
salmon with 12 employees (9 misdirected arguments against GMOs that really reflect modern
and organic ag issues).
Another issue with GMOs is the use of pesticides and herbicides. Herbicide Tolerant
crops increase the use of herbicides such as glyphosate. Glyphosate is controversial because it
was labeled as probably carcinogenic by the International Agency for Research on Cancer
(Glyphosate and Cancer: What Does the Data Say?). Glyphosate was not the only pesticide
added to the list of things probably carcinogenic. People that are most likely exposed to higher
levels of Glyphosate that are dangerous are farm workers who are around it on a regular basis.
Glyphosate is linked with GMOs because many GM crops are resistant to glyphosate. One
misconception is that crops are soaked in pesticides. This is wrong because there are regulations
on pesticide use. It also would not make sense for farmers to soak their crops with pesticides
because only certain amounts need to be applied for their use and it would waste money to do so.
Pesticides are also used on non-GM crops. The issue of pesticides and herbicides and the control
of weeds and crop damage from insect is part of a much larger issue in agriculture, not just an
issue with genetically engineered crops (9 misdirected arguments against GMOs that really
reflect modern and organic ag issues).
Another reason GMO technology should be embraced is the potential benefits. GMOs
can be more resistant to drought and disease. Many GMOs are pesticide and herbicide tolerant.
GMOs can be modified to be more nutritious. One example is Golden Rice. Golden Rice has the
nutrient beta-carotene. Beta-Carotene assists the body in production of Vitamin A. This will help
countries that rely on rice as a food source preventing Vitamin A deficiency being a problem

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(Burgan 24-25). Another benefit of GMOs is foods that are being developed to be tastier.
Genetically Engineered Animals have the potential to grow faster. The FDA even recently
approved potatoes that dont bruise and apples that dont brown (GMOs: Facts about
Genetically Modified Foods).
GMOs are a promising technology and should be further explored in the future. GMOs
are an important part of modern agriculture and have the potential for higher crop yields. GMOs
have been widely used in the past twenty years. In this wide use there has been no negative
health effects associated with GMOs. Most of the opposition to GMOs is based on fear and
misunderstanding of the technology and use. People should not let fear drive opinions but their
opinions should be based on facts and research.

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Works Cited
Burgan, Michael. Food Engineering. New York. Scholastic. 2016. Print.
Introduction to Genetically Modified Food: At Issue. Genetically Modified Food. Ed. Tamara
Thompson. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. 2015. At Issue. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 Mar. 2016.
Katiraee, Layla. 9 Misdirected Arguments Against GMOs That Really Reflect Modern and
Organic Ag issues. Genetic Literacy Project. GLP, 2015. Web. 11 Mar. 2016.
Kniss, Andrew. Glyphosate and Cancer: What Does the Data Say? Weedcontrolfreaks. N.p,
2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Lallinilla, Marc. GMOs: Facts about Genetically Modified Foods. Livescience. Livescience,
2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
Recent Trends in GE Adoption USDA. USDA.gov, 2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2016.
US Food and Drug Administration. The FDA Effectively Regulates Genetically
Modified
Foods. Genetically Modified Food. Ed. Tamara Thompson. Farmington Hills, MI.:
Greenhaven Press. 2015. At Issue. Rpt. From Q&A on Food from Genetically
Engineered Plant and Animals and Veterinary Genetic Engineering. 2013. Opposing
Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.