Genetically engineered organisms (GMO) are a hot topic, and have been for quite some time now. There are certainly many arguments for and against the idea of having GMOs. Specifically, GMOs are a concern with our food. The idea that we may be, and probably are mostly, eating foods and other organisms that have been genetically modified is a tad bit creepy, but does it really do anything to hurt us?
For those who are not as savvy as to what a GMO technically is, here is it is as defined by World Health Organization: “Genetically modified organisms (GMO) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals, or microorganisms) in which genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination.” In short, humans are able to modify organisms by a little bit of either weird science, or forcing mating between organisms that normally wouldn’t. Now that doesn’t mean scientists are behind a lab door making animals from completely different species mate with one another. This is an elaborate way of saying they cross-pollinate plants together that normally wouldn’t in the wild. Currently, in the food source, GMOs mainly stem from plants and not animals. However, it’s completely possible that someday it’s a possibility to have GMOs stemming from animals.
Why are GMOs even a thing? Why do they exist? GMOs have been created in order to produce a higher yield for many farmers by increasing the resistance to certain plant diseases or increased tolerance of herbicide (World Health Organization). It is also possible, and has been talked about, that GMOs could be targeted to increase the nutrient content of the GMOs and/or reducing allergens within certain foods.
Even though GMOs have brought us some amazing properties, there are reasons why people are fearful of them and believe that we should be notified of products made with GMOs, which you may have seen on various voting ballots around the country in various states. In general, many people have heard about GMOs, but don’t quite understand what they are or why they exist. It’s also been shown that if people were to see a label with GMO written on it, they were more likely to be adverse to them according to an article written in the Washington Post by Roberto Ferdman in 2015. As he put, and very accurately in my opinion, “It’s something that seems a little unnatural, and there’s a psychological tendency to desire naturalness in food and avoid some forms of novelty in food.” This basically means that people essentially just don’t like the IDEA of the GMO rather than have a substantial reason for it.
Now the big dilemma is, at this time, are there any reasons to actually be concerned about GMOs affecting human health? Not really. In fact, there is a fair amount of support stating that GMOs are safe for human consumption and is backed by the United States Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization, and the American Medical Administration. Additionally, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine stated that, in particular, GMO crops do not harm humans, according to a report released back in May. This was an extensive analysis of over two decades of worth of evidence that gave the idea that genetically modified foods were no less safe for human consumption than conventionally grown crops. Also on a happy note for GMO advocates, the same study found that there was also no link stating that engineered crops had any adverse affect on the environment. However, the report did admit that environmental long-term affects are hard to study because it is quite a complicated field.
As I wrap-up, I still find it extremely important that everyone research for themselves how they feel about GMOs. At this point, for human consumption, GMOs aren’t something that I will need to worry about personally. However, I still do have concerns about the long-term impacts they have on the environment. Normally, as history has shown time and time again, we do not see our impact until much later on and we regret the things we’ve done. Lastly, I still do think that labeling GMOs is something that should happen. Whether or not you personally agree with GMOs, people still have a right to know how their food was created, with what products, and where it came from. Despite GMOs largely being accepted for human consumption, it doesn’t take away the fact that we should be very aware of what we eat.
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