Pearce1

EmmaPearce
Ms.Gardner
English10hPer4
28April2016
OneGiantLeapforFood[kind]:AStepintheRightDirection
ChildrenaregoingnightblindinAfrica,massesaresufferingthroughdiabetes,
thousandsofpeoplearedyingbecausetheydidnotreceiveenoughnutrientsdietisthe
controllingfactoroflife.Noteverypersonreceivesenoughfoodtosurvive,andwithasteadily
growingpopulation,foodproductionmustgrowintimewiththedemand.Therearetwo
drasticallydifferentformsoffarmingthatcontributetofoodproduction:organicfarming,which
isgettingrarerasitistooexpensive,andconventionalfarming,wherefieldscoveredin
chemicalsthatareharmfultotheenvironmentandconsumers.GMOscansolvetheproblemsof
bothtypesoffarmingandtheycanhelpthemillionsofpeopleinneedofproperdiets,butmany
peoplewouldclaimthattheyposemoreofathreatthanperceived.GMOsaregenetically
modifiedorganisms,oranorganismwhosegenomehasbeenengineeredsoitsDNAcontainsat
leastoneonegenenotnaturallyfoundthere.Theprocessofchangingthegenesofanorganism
hasbeenpracticedintheformofartificialbreedingfor10,000years,butithasgenetic
engineeringhasgreatlydevelopedtobecomespecifictotheDNA.Becausethereisnoscientific
evidencetyingGMOstoillness,becausegeneticallyadjustedorganismsreducetheuseoftoxic
chemicalsinfarming,andbecausetherearemanyknownbenefitsofGMOs,genetically
modifiedorganismsshouldremaininthemarket,withoutrequiredlabels,untilscientificstudies
provethemtobeharmful.

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GMOsmustbelabeledtoinformcustomersofthepossiblerisksconnectedtoconsuming
geneticallymodifiedorganisms.RonnieCummins,aninternationaldirectoroftheOrganic
ConsumersAssociation,arguesthattheGMO/chemicalonslaughtthatisdestroyingour
healthandcontaminatingoursoils,surfacewatersandairisreasonenoughtorequirelabels.
LabelswarnpeopleofthedamagestotheearthanddangerstohumanhealthGMOsmaycause.
Althoughtheyareinthemajorityofallprocessedfoods,theircommonalitydoesnotprovetheir
safety.NogeneticallymodifiedorganismshavebeentestedbytheFDA(Faber).Untestedand
unknown,GMOscouldposealargerthreatthanscientistsknow.SupportersoflabelingGMOs
believegeneticallymodifiedorganismsaremoredetrimentalthanhelpfultohumanhealth.The
stigmasurroundingGMOsiscreatedfromfearoftheunknown,andthisunfoundedfeelingof
reproachtowardsGMOswouldonlyincreasewithlabeling.Thereisreasonablecausefor
cautionaroundGMOs,astheyareamostlyunknownscience,butlabelingeverygenetically
changedorganismisunnecessaryastherearenoknownharmfuleffectsandgeneticallychanged
organismshavebeenproventoreducetheuseoftoxicspraysandchemicals.
GMOs,beingafairlynewscience,aremostlyuntestedandcouldpossiblyhaveunknown
effects.However,therehavebeennotestsprovingtheharmfuleffectsofGMOs.

GMOshave
beeninthefoodsupplyfordecadeswithoutasingledocumentedillness.Everymajorscientific
andhealthorganizationthathaslookedintoGMOsafetytheFoodandDrugAdministration,
theEuropeanSafetyCommission,amongseveralothershasconcludedthattheyareas
nutritiousasanyotherfood(Bailey).Trustworthyorganizationsandindustryindependent
scientistshaveproventhedangersofGMOsnegligible.Hundredsofstudies,manycarriedoutby
scientistswithnofundingfromindustries,havefoundnocredibleevidencethatbioengineered

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foodhasactuallyraisedlevelsoftoxicantsorallergensinfoods(BaseFoodLabelingonFact,
NotFear).TheFDAandmanyotherscientistshaveprovidedevidenceshowingthatthereisno
reasonforconcernregardingthenutritionalvalueofgeneticallyalteredfoods.Withproven
safetyandnutritionbymanysources,GMOsarenomoredangerousthanotherfoods.
Alreadyprovensafe,therehavebeenmanystudiesshowingGMOsreducetheamountof
deadlypesticides,herbicides,andotherchemicalsmanyfarmscommonlyuse.Genetically
modifiedfoodhelpstodecreasetheuseofpesticidesinfields.AstudyrevealedthatGMOscan
reducepesticideuseby37%andthetotalcostofproductioncanshrinkby39%(Williams).
Pesticidesarewellstudiedandunderstoodtocause,inamildcase,headachesornauseaand,ina
morefatalimpact,cancerandreproductiveharm.Alowercostforfarmersandlesspesticides
forconsumersallowsforacheaper,healthier,andsaferdiet.AconcernoftheantiGMOviewis
notthecostofgeneticallymodifiedproducts,buttheeffectofaherbicideoccasionallyusedin
GMOfields.Mostfarmsusepesticides,includingsomemoredangerousthanglyphosate[a
herbicideusedinGMOfields],buttheirproductsdon'thavetobelabeledaccordingly.Labeling
requirementsshouldhavelogicalconsistencythecampaigntolabelgeneticallyengineered
foodsdoesn't(BaseFoodLabelingonFact,NotFear).GMOsremovemanyknownpoisons
fromthehumandietthus,makingmealslesslikelytoendangerhealth.Thereisnorealcausefor
distressconcerningthesideeffectsofGMOs.
GMOsaremadetohaveanadvantage,eitherfortheplantitselforforhumansasa
neededboostinnutrients.Bythelate1980s,theUniversityofHawaiihadbegandevelopinga
papaya
cultivar
thatisresistanttoPapayaRingspotVirus
.
Thesenew,geneticallymodified
papayaplantsarenolongersusceptibletoinfection,allowingfarmerstocultivatethefruit

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evenwhenthevirusiswidespread(Papayas).Thevirusstuntsthegrowthofthefruitand
decreasesitsvalue.Becausethegeneticallyalteredpapayasgenescanresistviruses,plantneeds
lesschemicalstostayvirusfree.Byimplantingonegeneintopapayas,therearelesschemicals
andlessRingspotVirusinallofthepapayaswithalteredgenes.Anotherbenefitofgenetically
engineeredfoodsistheboostinvitaminsandnutrients.Dr.GerardBerry,InternationalRice
ResearchInstitutesgoldenriceprojectleader,hasproducedaricethatwillprovide60%ofa
childsvitaminAneedsinonlyonebowl(Charles).Barrybelievesgoldenricewillbegoodfor
everybody,butsomepeopleneeditmore.Hisjobistomakesurethat[those]peoplehave
accesstoit,understandthevalueofit,andaskforit(Charles).Goldenricecanhelpallpeople
withvitaminAdeficiencies,butspecificallyitwillassistAfricanchildrenwhodevelopnight
blindnessfromalackofvitaminAintheirfirstfewyearsafterweaningoffbreastmilk.GMOs
canserveasanacthumanitarianism.Geneticallyalteredfoodshelpfarmersandconsumersby
makingtheirjobsandliveseasier.Theycandothisbyallowingfarmerstouselesschemicals,
effectivelydroppingthepriceofthecrop,butcontinuegrowinguninfectedfood.Consumersof
GMOsareassistedwithvitaminboostsinsomecasesthiscansavelives.
Untilprovenotherwise,GMOsaretoobeneficialtoban.Theentireworldcanprosperby
usingGMOsincludingpoorcountrieswhichgreatlybenefitfromthistypeoffarming.
Geneticallyalteredcropsinthosecountriescanbeengineeredtoprovidemorenutrientsper
servingeffectivelyraisingthequalityoflifeinvastnumbers.Inothercountries,wherediabetes
runrampant,organismsgenomescanbechangedtoprovideanatural,andalmostrenewable,
sourceofinsulin.GMOsarenotonlyrestrictedtofoodsinthefuturebacteriamaybe
engineeredtoproduceanaturalmedicine.Thereisstillmuchtolearn,butscientistswillkeep

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tryingtoperfectourfood.WithourknowledgeofGMOsstilldeveloping,thereisnoknowing
whatcanbedone,butitispossibletothinktheywillhaveahandinchangingtheworldsview
onfood.

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WorksCited
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WallStreetJournal
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A.13.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
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"BaseFoodLabelingonFact,NotFear."
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SIRSIssues
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Web.24Apr.2016.
Charles,Dan."InAGrainOfGoldenRice,AWorldOfControversyOverGMOFoods."
NPR
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NPR,2013.Web.02May2016.
Cummins,Ronnie.MostAmericansBelieveGMOFoodsAreUnsafe
McClatchyTribune
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SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.2016.
Faber,Michael."I'maGrocer,andI'mforGMOLabeling."
ConcordMonitor
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SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.23Apr.2016.
"Papayas."
GeneticallyModifiedwithVirusResistance
.GMOCompass,2016.Web.01May
2016.
Williams,Richard."GMOLabelsWon'tMakeFoodsSafer,OnlyMoreExpensive."
McClatchy
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SIRSIssuesResearcher.
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