Zachery Follrod

Date- 11-10-14
Annotated Bibliography
One of the most ethic-based controversies now and years to come is the use of
Genetically Modified crops. There are many sides and reasons why someone would
question the new method of producing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) (Jon
Faerber). Is it ethically right for a human being to genetically modify any organism to
help engineer the process of growing crops? GMOs has now been around for several
years. The Federal Drug Agency (FDA) first approved the first GMO in 1982 and ever
since then it has taken off to uncontrollable numbers (GL Woolsey). The technology,
now 30 years old, is still being debated on whether or not it is safe in the long run. If it
were deemed to be unsafe to the public, this would cause billions of dollars to be lost to
these huge corporations. This begs the question, even if they were found to be unsafe,
would it become public knowledge because it is a billion dollar industry? In the
meantime, foods in our grocery stores are now bigger, juicer, longer lasting then they
have ever been and are continuing to turn heads at how fast the plants can grow.
Companys like Dole, Monsantos, etc., have grown to humongous corporations that
include biologist in a laboratory and not farming like it was done sixty years ago. After
genetically modifying the certain plant they are placed into huge fields where they are
essentially massed produced. The public became outraged because many farmers were
losing their businesses because they simply couldnt keep up with the production of these
large companies. The public forced the government to take action and assert a way of
controlling the GMO industries. Government agencies such as the FDA, USDA, U.S.
National Academy of Sciences, etc., started to jump into action and review each one of
these field tests (Gus Koehler). To be able to begin field-testing a new genetically

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engineered crop, you need to get permission from the U.S Department of Agriculture.
Without these regulations there could be drastic changes to the lives of everyone. If the
scientist tries to alter a certain crop then it could potentially cause specific toxins to be
released, which could injure others who breathe it in (Gus Koehler). Many people were
not aware of how big GMOs have gotten because many companies are not required to
put it on the back of the products that are sold in stores (Gus Koehler). Even if companies
were forced to put on the label, many consumers wouldnt know what it means.
Consumers would continue to consume anything that was sold in the grocery store,
giving trust to the many agencies that over see this booming biotechnology. It is not until
someone gets sick or injured because of GMOs that they will become huge in the eyes of
the consumer and the government agencies. With the biotechnology of using genetics in
crops and animals growing at a rapid pace, it will not be to long that something bad will
happen. This is where the public will have huge protests of these GMOs. There are
several things that are hard for the USDA and the EPA to regulate. Biologists, in most
cases are required to get a permit from the USDA to begin limited field-testing (Gus
Koehler). The USDA must remain strict in their policies to make sure that certain plants
or organisms dont become a danger to the human race. It will only take one transgenic
gene to be introduced to a human that is cancer harming, or any other sickness, to cause a
large outbreak. The technology is so new that long term studies have yet to be conducted
to rule that it I completely safe (JoAnna Wendel). The products that are produced by
GMOs are nothing short of amazing. They are produced at alarming speeds and keep
almost all the consumers happy. Shelves are now always full with products that have a
longer shelf life. They also help keep the price of food down and are starting to have a

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Date- 11-10-14
huge impact in third world countries (Jon Faerber). GMOs are also used in certain types
of medicine. Certain types of edible vaccinations are starting to become available and
advances to cure many diseases (Jon Faerber).
There are many reasons to support the use of GMOs. The crops that are being
generated from the GMOs have several great characteristics that just are not possible in
old fashion farming. The crops are genetically modified to resist weed, pests, and other
diseases (Jon Faerber). The crops are often time resistant to any insects that could kill the
plant. This cuts down the cost on farming because money doesnt have to be spent in
pesticides. Many of the large industries such as, Monsanto, are actually using more
pesticides then ever before (Jon Faerber). Finding the right gene to manipulate and inject
in the crop that would kill the pests would be the best way for the environment and the
consumer. In other third world countries many people often die of starvation. These
countries are not as technology savvy because they lack several recourses that would cost
lots of money. They also have rough terrain that wouldnt allow for a great traditional
farming. By the use of GMOs, it sometimes causes over production for first world
countries. Taking the over produced products and donating to other countries that are
battling hunger could change the lives of millions. The problem with that is there has
been twenty-six countries ban GMOs all together (Walden Bello). These twenty-six
countries are not all third world countries. It includes countries such as Germany, India,
and Australia (Walden Bello). This also begs the question how safe are GMOs? This
multibillion-dollar biotechnology industry creates multiples of thousands of jobs to many
people throughout the United States. It gives people a chance to make thousands of
dollars. Problem arises when these huge corporations are able to patent certain genes.

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Date- 11-10-14
This allows the company to have control of this specific gene and any other company is
unable to use the gene by law (Jon Faerber). This may often times cause huge lawsuits,
which can demolish a small company if they make a mistake. Another positive to GMOs
are the food not only has a better taste, but the texture and nutritional values are much
better then traditional farming (Jon Faerber). The products are starting to look perfect.
For example in August 2000, the FLAVR SAVR tomato was the first genetically
engineered product to be commercialized (Jon Faerber). The tomato it produced was a
bright read color that would appeal more to the consumer but the tomatoes were causing
farmers to spend higher cost and then causing the price to rise (Jon Faerber). Retail
companies were excited about the new technology. They believed since the products
were looking better and juicier that it would also bring in more businesses. This
immediately won over large grocery store chains over the country. The consumers were
now happy because beautiful crops are always on the shelf and the taste has improved,
but were also upset about the price. It seemed as a great situation for everyone. With
almost seventy percent of prepackaged products in grocery stores containing genetically
modified foods, it is a must that in the future we realize how it affects people long term.
The problem with testing long term is funding. Often times the only projects that are
funded by the federal government are ones that show positive results (Jon Faerber).
GMOs doesnt stop with just crops. It is also growing in the medical field. The genetic
engineering of plants has the potential to provide edible plant vaccines that could be used
to immunize individuals against a wide variety of infectious diseases ranging from
cholera to potentially AIDS (Jon Faerber). Many of these diseases are detrimental to
many lives without a cure. This part of GMOs often times receives huge funding from

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billionaires who either have the diseases or close to friends who have it. Using GMOs in
this fashion is a great thing to look forward to in the future. Biologists need to make sure
that they dont let the actual disease release into humans while doing testing. Many test
need to be done and cleared with several government agencies before the vaccines are
tried on humans.
There are several ethical reasons why GMOs should not be used on plants or
animals. This use of biotechnology interferes with what used to go on naturally in
agriculture. In the early 1900s farmers were known as the richest people in the world.
They were hard workingmen that took pride in what they did. Farmers are now forced to
either shut down their farms or to reach a contract with large corporations resulting in
less pay (GL Woolsey). Activists would agree that through time comes change and
evolution. Traditional farming used to be the backbone of the United States, but it is time
to improve technology. It will speed up the process and cut down on lost products. With
the large corporations expanding and patenting every gene they can get their hands on, in
some way it is creating monopolies (Koehler). These corporations are now controlling a
large portion of the profit from the food industry and creating greed, with less attention
worried about the safety of GMOs (Walden Bello). There have been many television ads
about golden rice and how Monsanto donates to the poor. By airing these ads, it can
falsely lead people to support the use of GMO foods. It creates a confusion of
corporate/public biotechnology creating a good image for GMOs. Another problem
that has been researched is cross-pollination. Pollen from some modified plants spread
and infects other plants. This is known to create super weeds that are resistant to certain
herbicides (Jon Faerber). The super weeds continues to grow and if the companies

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Date- 11-10-14
dont control the problem could enter into others people property. If the companies notice
the problem in time, they often times spend millions of dollars to control the weeds.
Studies have shown that the consumption of GMO foods increases the risks of foodbased allergies in people. If someone develops an allergy to soy because of GMO efforts,
then if livestock eats that GMO soy as well, that person would have a high probability of
an allergic reaction from eating the animal meat. Once again it all depends on the control
that these corporations have. Regulation on what is tested needs to be top priority. With
the trust of the public, the FDA and USDA need to continue to review the steps necessary
to keep everyone safe. In some areas, having access to GMO foods may make sense
because resources are thin and people are dying from hunger. In other areas, however, the
risks may outweigh the rewards. Producing more food in countries that already have
overproduction problems could be another risk. This could cause countries like, India, to
have to increase their prices. How will crop genetic modification feed hungry Indians
when 41.2 million tons of excess grain will not (Walden Bello). Arguments can be made
that most of the crops in India that are made are grain crops. There soil isnt rich enough
to grow other types of plants. Having diversity in different crops could help Indians from
suffering from starvation. Other cons of GMOs are that certain pesticides from GMO
plants are new to humans, and, right now, we dont know how our bodies will handle
them. However, pesticides are linked to cancer, neurological diseases, like Parkinsons,
and a number of other very serious health concerns. They have also been shown to cause
cancer in children. On the flip side there are on going studies that are producing vaccines
to help cure these diseases. The debate over GMOs will likely continue for years, and
wont conclude until long term studies are complete to ensure people their safety.

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Literature Cited
Bello, Walden "Organic Consumers Association." Organic Consumers Association. N.p., n.d.
Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <http://www.organicconsumers.org/>.
Faerber, Jon. "Overview:." GMO. N.p., 05 June 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
<http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/index.htm>.
Koehler, Gus. "IV) ETHICAL ISSUES AND RISK ASSESSMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY."
CRB-Bioindustry. N.p., Apr. 1996. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.library.ca.gov/crb/96/07/biot_ch4.html>.
Wendel, JoAnna. "With 2000+ Global Studies Affirming Safety, GM Foods among Most
Analyzed Subjects in Science." Genetic Literacy Project. N.p., 08 Oct. 2013. Web. 24
Apr. 2014. <http://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2013/10/08/with-2000-global-studiesconfirming-safety-gm-foods-among-most-analyzed-subject-in-science/#.U1g7Il6Plpw>.
Woolsey, GL. "GMO Inside - If Corporations Won't Label GMO Foods, Then We the People
Will!" GMO Inside. N.p., 13 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014. <http://gmoinside.org/>.