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David Garza Avalos

Professor Joseph Farago Spencer

English 1A

26 April 2015

Genetically Modified Organisms

Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs as many people refer to them, have been in

the spotlight for the past couple of years. Since its infancy it has been praised and belittled

constantly, but in the past couple of years the attention it has been receiving has been at an all-

time high. One of the most renowned companies Monsanto, has been in the center of the

controversy due to their practices, and they can be good or bad depending on which side you are

on. For plants, the inserted gene results in a beneficial characteristic in the plant, such as the

ability to tolerate environmental pressures from damaging insects or drought (Monsanto).

GMOs are essentially organism which have been genetically altered to accommodate a certain

weather change or be resistant to insects that can destroy the crops. This increases the yield of

crops by tenfold and it reduces the amount of money spent on pesticides and labor to maintain

the crops. Third world countries suffer from low crop yield and a booming population which

require the help of GMOs to maintain the ever growing population from starving. Overall,

GMOs are beneficial for everyone however, additional research is required because some

scientists have observed adverse effects when consumed.

Regardless of the amount of research put into the studies there are still some doubts on

whether GMOs are safe. According to a former scientist that worked for Agriculture Canada

named Thierry Vrain has expressed his concern for GMO and spoke out against them. "There
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are no long-term feeding studies performed in these countries [US and Canada] to demonstrate

the claims that engineered corn and soya are safe. All we have are scientific studies out of

Europe and Russia, showing that rats fed engineered food die prematurely (Mercola). Vrain

believes that GMO themselves are in no way helping the current situation of global hunger, he

states that "Genetic engineering is 40 years old. It is based on the naive understanding of the

genome based on the One Gene-one protein hypothesis of 70 years ago, that each gene codes for

a single protein. The Human Genome project completed in 2002 showed that this hypothesis is

wrong (Mercola). Its all based on an outdated and extremely oversimplified model of gene

modification that can perhaps alter its genetic makeup, in a way where it can start affecting the

consumer badly. If that wasnt enough, the Not only are genetically modified (GM) foods less

nutritious than non-GM foods, they pose distinct health risks, are inadequately regulated, harm

the environment and farmers, and are a poor solution to world hunger (Mercola). Mercola states

that even after countless tests, GMOs will never attain the same nutritional values as an organic

fruit or vegetable. But also the GMOs themselves do not help in any way because of their poor

way of solving the problem of world hunger, they pose distinct health risks, are inadequately

regulated, harm the environment and farmers (Mercola).

The safety of GMOs have been in question since they were first released in 1996, people

worried about the possible side effects of consuming GMOs over a life time. The researchers

couldn't find a single credible example demonstrating that GM foods pose any harm to humans

or animals. (Wendel). Interesting enough, In December 2010, the European Commission

published a report summarizing the results of 50 research projects addressing the safety of

GMOs for the environment as well as for animal and human health. These projects received

funding of 200 million from the European Union and are part of a 25-year long research effort
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on GMOs (Monsanto). Until this point there hasnt been any major flaws in GMOs according

to the scientists currently conducting this 25 year study. According to Wendel, The conclusions

are also striking because European governments, Italy in particular, have not been as embracing

of genetically modified crops as has North and South America, although the consensus of

European scientists has been generally positive. Its still too early to celebrate since the studies

have not yet concluded.

A particular interesting perk of genetically modified organisms is how they can be

programed to be drought and cold resistant. By being heat resistant, even in the driest drought

season, or even in the driest parts of Africa where water is scarce, these crops will flourish

regardless of the conditions it has to face. It tackles the ongoing problem of not being able to

feed the already starving people. As the population continues to expand at a steady pace, the

amount of fertile land to grow enough food for everyone diminishes. It is taken over by housing

and other city life commodities that although a luxury is not needed. Although there are many

pros of GMOs, there are several cons as well. GMOs have been modified to carry an antibiotic

gene which protects against harmful strains of diseases that cause the crops to rot. Food already

has plenty of antibiotics and it has been causing huge problems. Although it is rare, it has

happened in some instances and it kills many people worldwide. Resistance to antibiotics makes

it extremely hard to treat cases when people get sick due to a super bug. So the less antibiotics

we use in our foods, the better it will be in the long run since we wont have to battle super bugs.

In many countries it is mandatory for the seller to label their products if they contain any

GMOs, and if they dont they arent allowed to be sold. People ask themselves that if there really

isnt anything wrong with them, why not label their products? There shouldnt be any distrust

between a consumer and the seller because not only will it hurt their profits but the market itself.
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Organic foods for the most part are price than their GMO counterparts. Many people worldwide

feel as that they should have the choice to know what is in their food products and what they

consume. Which is why some people avoid eating GMOs altogether whether its for personal

reasons or just after being informed of the possible side effects. After several attempts to label

GMOs here in the United States, it usually gets denied because corporations themselves make

sure they dont create a schism in a sales. People will wonder why their products says genetically

modified as compared to the organic produce.

In conclusion, there are numerous pros and cons of these genetically modified

organisms. Ultimately, we must come to the conclusion that GMOs may have downfalls for

humans and the environment, but are economically beneficial. GMOs have the ability to help

reduce the amount of starving people in the world. Help developing countries strive in even the

worsts of conditions. The benefits of genetically modified organisms, include cheaper to grow,

high amounts of crop yield, and the benefits of being engineered with vitamins and minerals that

are required in our daily diet, which is something we should strive for. However, people like to

know what they are consuming, and if they dont find out they feel like theyre being lied to. Its

great people become informed whats in their food, what genes are being used to produce these

crops?