Ajanay Hines

Hampton University
Hampton, Va 23668
November 6 2016
Non-GMO Project Headquarters
1155 N State Street, Suite #502
Bellingham, WA 98225
Dear Non-GMO Project Headquarters,
There are many conflicting opinions of gmos, and I want to get to the truth behind
them. Gmo stands for genetically modified organisms. The 1970s is when it all began,
natural selection is no longer necessary. Scientists can introduce genetic traits from any
species using techniques like cell fusion, tissue culture, and vitro fertilization. The fact
that the genetics of organisms are being altered by man, scares many. Every time
someone mentions gmos there's a bad connotation that goes with it. The ones who fear
them are long term, and believe that gmos can lead to many diseases. On the other
hand we have those who believe that gmos are one of the best things ever discovered.
While gmos have a bad outlook they have still made large contributions to the world of
agriculture, medicine, and etc.
While the previous paragraph focuses on the positive aspects of gmos, the
movie Food Inc explores all the negative aspects of agriculture. The audience is
enlightened on how other countries are jealous of us because we are able to make food
for so cheap, but it comes with a hidden price. The movie claims the development of
diabetes and obesity and gmos go hand and hand. In a journal by Sylvia Bonny, she
also concentrates on the opposing opinions of gmos. Its recognize that it has many
benefits, but many fear safety and health hazards. Based on a survey in Europe
consisting of 16,000 people 56% of them agree that gmos are bad for you. Each country
seems to have a different view on the topic. While China prospers from the use of
gmos, Brazilians avoid them. Specific issues discussed were some of the biohazards
that may occur such as the creation of virulent micro-organisms, or the creation and
escape of new life forms that may endanger man environment. In France a man by the
name of Professor Gilles-Eric Seralini, has won a case involving gmos leading to tumors
in rats . He has been conducting research for years on the effect of gm feed on rats.
After this extensive research he discovered that the had been causing tumors within the
rats. They believe that endocrine disruptions and overexpression of EPSPS transgene
or other mutational effects in the maize are responsible for causing these issues
(Goodrich Natural News).
Many fear gmos, but don't really know what they truly are and how they work.The
article , What you need to know about Gmos, explores and goes into detail of their
functions. There are many ways of genetically modifying organisms and in the article
they use seeds as an example. The dna of the seeds are altered with the use of
radiation, and then they choose the one with the best qualities to breed. Or you can
extract desired genes from one organism and put it into another. This website focuses
on the benefits of gmos, theyve helped our plants evolve tremendously. We now have
corn that survive droughts, potatoes that do not bruise, and just crops that produce

more and cost less. We even have scientists working on our meat product, to make or
fill them with more nutrients. The public believes that gmos are such a horrible thing, but
scientists believe that they are the solution to many problems. Overall, gmos have been
scientifically proven safe, but many just fear we still dont enough about them and their
long term effects.
Before doing this research project I just assumed that gmos were bad for you
because that's the way the public portrays them. After extensive reading and research
Ive concluded that gmos are not as bad as everyone makes it seem. Gmos have made
large contributions to the development and progress of America. Although, gmos are
very beneficial, there's still a risk we take because we do not yet know the long term
effects of them. Overall gmos has more pros rather than cons. The public needs to be
truly informed about gmos before they base their opinions.
Sincerely,
Ajana Hines