Solorio 1

Michelle Solorio
English 111-193
GMOs
October 6, 2015

Production and labeling of GMOs

The production of genetically modified organisms has been around since the early 1900s,
but the positive and negative effects may not be well known by many people. GMOs are
genetically modified organisms used to enhance crops by adding specific DNA from different
plants, bacteria, or viruses. This is done in order to give crops additional qualities such as making
them more resistant to inclement weather or pesticides (The Washington Post). Although it all
sounds positive there are negative effects to the addition of GMOs in our crops that will
continue to be researched. Since the beginning of the year 2015 there are 64 countries that
require genetically modified foods to be labeled. The United States is one of the countries that
have not yet passed a law to do so. The real question to be asked, should our genetically
modified foods be labeled as a GMO product? Many studies have been conducted and none have
resulted in any harm to humans. With that being said why make it such a big deal to label these
foods if they havent posed a threat to us humans? These GMO foods have actually given us
different advantages that regular foods would now be able to supply. GMOs have helped farmers
tremendously since the beginning and scientists have been able to modify foods in order to
benefit our daily needs. GMOs also have the capability of feeding the increasing population in
the near future (Drake).

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The way farmers have grown crops has changed over the years. While many still find it
problematic with climate changes, pests, and diseases affecting the outcome of their crops.
GMOs were first introduced in the mid 1900s and since then it has drastically increased farm
incomes. In the year 2012 alone the net amount was around nine billion dollars, and from 1996
to 2012 the net amount was close to 117 billion dollars. Scientist have made it possible for
farmers to use less chemicals and pesticides since the crops have been modified to make them
more resistant to pests. Since 1996 the amount of pesticides used has dropped 8.8 percent than
the years before (Bschen). According to the University of California in San Diego a bacterium
can be modified into certain crops to repel insects, but still be safe for humans (The News). Since
GM crops require less pesticides it also decreases the amount of time used to spray them down
saving farmers the time and energy it would have required years ago. It is also said that GMOs
can help reduce the space a crop takes up which can account for more crops to be grown or
conserving the space it would take for normal crops (The Washington Post).
Scientists have made it possible to enrich crops and animals with additional vitamins and
minerals that can enhance our health over time. Not only can this benefit the U.S. but it can also
help third world countries that suffer from malnutrition, which is estimated to be about eight
hundred million people. A deficiency in Vitamin A causes blindness and is very common in the
developing countries. About two million children die from this deficiency every year and the
surviving children suffer from blindness. Scientists have genetically modified rice grains with
beta-carotene to create golden rice which will not only help prevent blindness but improve
their overall health (Bschen).
The population is expected to exceed 9.6 billion within the next thirty-five years Thats
two billion more than the current population. According to the United Nations the majority of the

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people will be born are in regions where climate changes is currently drastic, and its expected to
have extreme weather changes in the future. With that being said there is a much higher demand
for products that will be needed to provide for us all (Drake).
GM crops will be resistant to these climate changes giving farmers the chance to prepare for the
future population. Without GMOs it could possibly push us back forty to fifty years in the
production of foods. (Bschen)
Many studies have been made in order to find out if GMOs are harmful to humans. From
them all none have been able to confirm that GMOs cause any type of health issues, but since
they have not been around for a very long time its hard to tell if they could cause any type of
problem in a later stage in life. It is said that a possible negative effect could be allergies. Since
nearly any type of food is capable of causing an allergy, scientists believe foods that have been
genetically modified pose a greater risk of developing allergies. When the original proteins from
an organism combine with genetic enhancements, it causes allergic reactions in humans.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a study conducted in children under 18
showed that food allergies increased form 3.4 percent to 5.1 percent. Although it is a major
increase, there is no scientific link to GMO foods. Another possible risk factor that could
possibly come from genetically modified organisms is the decreased resistance to antibodies.
Some GMOs contain antibiotic properties that help improve immunity, but when someone eats
them too frequently it minimizes the effectiveness of the antibiotic (The News). Both these
theories are very possible but since there is very little research that has been done it cant be
known for sure. Therefore it is safe to say that GMOs pose no known threat to the human race at
the time.

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It is very possible that GMOs will be around for a long period of time. Most foods
contain these modifications, but whether or not these foods should be labeled, in my opinion,
shouldnt matter. The best way to know that a food is free from GMOs is buying organic. So
why bother with labeling the foods? There is no physical proof that these GMOs pose any threat
to humans, so why keep worrying? GMOs have proven to be beneficial to the U.S. and other
countries. With so many benefits, its logical to enjoy it while they are around to help.

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Work Cited
Bschen, Stefan. "Hybrid Regimes of Knowledge? Challenges for Constructing Scientific
Evidence in the Context of the GMO-Debate." Environmental science and pollution
research international 16.5 (2009): 508-20. ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
Drake, Julia. "GMO-Free Labelling Debate Brewed." Canadian Grocer 115.6 (2001): 11.
ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2015.
"How to Define a GMO Food?" The Washington Post Mar 21 2013. ProQuest. Web. 6 Oct. 2015
"Labels for GMO is Praying on Public Fear." The News: 1. Jul 31 2012. ProQuest. Web.
6 Oct. 2015 .