Genetically Modified Organisms
Here are some question concerning GMOs.
What are GMOs? Genetically Modified Organism or better known as GMOs, 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 cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding (Non-GMO Project).
How are GMOs created? GMOs are produced using scientific methods that include recombinant DNA technology and reproductive cloning. Reproductive cloning technology generates offspring that are genetically identical to the parent by the transfer of an entire donor nucleus into the enucleated cytoplasm of a host egg. Recombinant DNA technology, involves the insertion of one or more individual genes from an organism of one species into the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of another. Whole-genome replacement, involving the transplantation of one bacterial genome into the “cell body,” or cytoplasm, of another microorganism, has been reported, although this technology is still limited to basic scientific applications (Diaz).
So this might raise a question. Are GMOs 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.A., the government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them and profit from their sale. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment (Non-GMO Project).
Are GMOs Labeled? Unfortunately, even though polls consistently show that a significant majority of Americans want to know if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs, the powerful biotech lobby has succeeded in keeping this information from the public (Non-GMO Project). (Refer to picture above)
Do Americans want non-GMO foods and supplements? Polls consistently show that a significant majority of North Americans would like to be able to tell if the food they’re purchasing contains GMOs (a 2012 Mellman Group poll found that 91% of American consumers wanted GMOs labeled). And, according to a recent CBS/New York Times poll, 53% of consumers said they would not buy food that has been genetically modified (Non-GMO Project).
How Common are GMOs? In the U.S., GMOs are in as much as 80 percent of conventional processed food.
List of foods that may contain GMOs:
List of foods that may contain GMOs:
- Alfalfa (first planting 2011)
- Canola (approx. 90% of U.S. crop)
- Corn (approx. 88% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Cotton (approx. 90% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Papaya (most of Hawaiian crop; approximately 988 acres)
- Soy (approx. 94% of U.S. crop in 2011)
- Sugar Beets (approx. 95% of U.S. crop in 2010)
- Zucchini and Yellow Summer Squash (approx. 25,000 acres) (Non-GMO Project)
What are the impacts of GMOs on the environment? Over 80% of all GMOs grown worldwide are engineered for herbicide tolerance. As a result, use of toxic herbicides like Roundup has increased 15 times since GMOs were introduced. GMO crops are also responsible for the emergence of “super weeds” and “super bugs" which can only be killed with ever more toxic poisons like 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange). GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture, and are developed and sold by the world’s biggest chemical companies. The long-term impacts of GMOs are unknown, and once released into the environment these novel organisms cannot be recalled (Non-GMO Project).
What are the benefits of GMOs? GMOs allow for increased food production and more resilient and nutritious crops. GMOs also offer a valuable tool for responding to the serious problem of malnutrition facing many people around the world. Food can now be fortified with iron through genetic modification, which may help contain a global health crisis. Scientists have also figured out ways to introduce vitamin A into rice, creating a new strain of “golden rice” that could help prevent blindness in millions of poor children (Globalization 101).
How are farmers affected by GMOs? Because GMOs are novel life forms, biotechnology companies have been able to obtain patents with which to restrict their use. As a result, the companies that make GMOs now have the power to sue farmers whose fields are contaminated with GMOs, even when it is the result of inevitable drift from neighboring fields. GMOs therefore pose a serious threat to farmer sovereignty and to the national food security of any country where they are grown, including the United States (Non-GMO Project).