Christina Laganas HW220 GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS BENEFITS AND RISKS

WHAT ARE GMO’S? GMO’S ARE ALSO KNOWN AS “GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS”. THEY ARE PLANTS OR ANIMALS THAT HAVE BEEN GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WITH DNA FROM BACTERIA, VIRUSES OR OTHER PLANTS AND ANIMALS. THESE EXPERIMENTAL COMBINATIONS OF GENES FROM DIFFERENT SPECIES CANNOR OCCUR IN NATURE OR IN NORMAL TRADITIONAL CROSSBREEDING. GMO’S ARE ENGINEERED TO WITHSTAND DIRECT APPLICATION OF HERBICIDE TO PRODUCE AN INSECTICIDE.

ARE GMO’S SAFE? Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. In the U.S., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Americans are left to take matters into their own hands and choose whether to purchase or opt GMO’s out of their expenses.

ARE GMO’S LABELED? The united states and Canada do not require labeling of genetically engineered foods. In 50 countries there are significant restrictions or bands on GMO’s. Labeling is a serious restriction for many countries. 61 countries with over 40% of the world’s population already label genetically engineered foods, including the entire European Union. California passed a law requiring food producers to label food that contains genetically engineered ingredients. We label foods with calorie or nutritional value information but not GMO.

THE NON-GMO PROJECT The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices. They believe that everyone deserves an informed choice about whether or not to consume genetically modified organisms. will help you get GMO facts, donate and take action against GMO’s and find different choices and what to/not to eat. There is a large staff that will help anyone with their non-GMO process.

MONSANTO Monsanto is a sustainable agriculture company, who deliver agricultural products that support farmers all around the world. Their leading seed brands are corn, cotton, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables. They use GMO products to give the farmer the most product for their land. Monsanto also produce leading in-the-seed trait technologies for farmers, which are aimed at protecting their yield, supporting their on-farm efficiency and reducing their on- farm costs.

HOW COMMON ARE GMO’S? GMOs are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food in the U.S. About 90% of canola is GMO as of About 80% of corn is GMO as of From experience it is very hard to find foods that are non-GMO in rural areas. Most of them are GMO.

RISKS OF GMO’S Environmental hazards. Human health risks Economic concerns Studies show that the pollen from corn that was genetically modified to produce its own insecticide caused high mortality rates in monarch butterfly caterpillars and bees. GMO products lead to a high risk for mental, and physical disorders in the consumers like depression and obesity. It is lowering the cost in unhealthy foods which is making the obesity levels peak.

BENEFITS OF GMO’S The application of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted in benefits to farmers, producers, and consumers. Agricultural biotechnology has been used to protect crops from devastating diseases. Biotech crops can make farming more profitable by increasing crop quality and may in some cases increase yields. Biotech crops may provide enhanced quality traits such as increased levels of beta-carotene in rice to aid in reducing vitamin A deficiencies and improved oil compositions in canola, soybean, and corn.

MORE LIKE GM(NO)’S I personally do not think that GMO’s should be ingested, I do not think that GMO’s are safe for the body in any way. I also do not think that children should be exposed to them at such a young age. I believe that if even a little ant does not want the product, no body should not have to process it. I understand that it is easier for the farmers to grow GMO because of mass production, the colors are brighter and more appealing, and they can get them to grow faster without having to worry about bugs and pesticides. If other countries have banned GMO’s then I think the US should too. Monsanto is such a corrupt business and it is beginning to take over most of the food corporations.

REFERENCES: GMO Risks | GMO Awareness. (n.d.).. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from Monsanto | Monsanto at a Glance. (n.d.).. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from What Are We Eating? - LabelGMOs. (n.d.).. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from What is GMO? | The Non-GMO Project. (n.d.).. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from Nestle, M. (2013). Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health [VitalSouce bookshelf version]. Retrieved from