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Greg Adams Rebecca Sansom Biology 1010-Section 008 July 19, 2013 GMO Opinion Essay Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are organisms that carry the genes of another organism as a result of genetic modification using DNA technology. There are many factors that make this a controversial subject. Long-term health effects, the fact that these genetically modified foods were put into our foods without our knowing, and the implications on animals and insects from these genetic modifications are just a few of many more factors making genetically modified organisms controversial. This is not as black and white as to say, Yes, I endorse GM foods, or no, everything should be organic. There is crops that we can modify to grow in regions of the world where they could not before, we have the technology to grow food in nations where starvation is rampant. We are also ingesting genetically modified foods and we really dont know the long term health implication, if any, yet. Genetically modified foods should and will be allowed. In the documentary, Harvest of Fear it shows how the papaya was saved in Hawaii, growing sweet potatoes in Kenya, and even GM crops we consume compared to crops that are dusted with pesticides. There needs to be very strict regulation enforced, to ensure as much safety as possible with these genetically modified foods. Labeling is also a must, not a big warning label (unless warranted), but it could just be in the ingredients, e.g. GM corn. Harvest of Fear showed us one of infinite possibilities by taking a region in Kenya where the sweet potatoes were growing very poorly. As appealing as organic foods sound, this is only a possibility to nations with rich soil. By genetically modifying the sweet potato plant so

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that it would grow richly in Kenya, gave the people of the region a means to survive. Survival in a region like this one is tough, ask anyone on the brink of starvation and they would take the GM seed every time. The idea of eating only organic foods is only an option to a select few on this planet. There is no possible way to organically grow the food to meet the worlds demands. It was shown that even after Gerber did everything they could to put no GMOs on their label, there were still GMOs found. So how much of that organic food on the shelf is really organic? While not as important as growing a crop to feed a starving people, saving the papaya plants in Hawaii was important and showed scientific improvements. While the dying papaya fields in Hawaii would not have caused the people of Hawaii to starve. It would greatly affect the owners of the fields and those who work them, the local and state income would take a massive hit, and it would also even affect the consumer. Should we let nature take its course and wipe out the plant? The science involved to genetically modify a plant to be resistant to a certain pest is astonishing. The problem lies when patents are on the line and millions or billions to go with it. Would someone cut a corner or two in testing for billions of dollars? There is argument that the organic food is no safer than the GM foods. Christine Bruhn, director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California, Davis, stated, There is no evidence that organic food is safer from a pesticide-residue viewpoint (Katel, 2008). Is corn that has the pesticide Bt genetically modified in more dangerous than spraying the Bt pesticide on the plant? The documentary also showed that broken down to a molecular level they could not tell the difference between a GM and an organic plant. We do not know the long term health affects to eating genetically modified organisms. The technology may be growing too fast and we may not know the consequences until it is too late. By 2002, genetically modified (GM) crops represented 26 percent of corn, 68 percent of

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soy beans and 69 percent of cotton planted in the United States. Only four years later, 61 percent of corn, 89 percent of soybeans and 83 percent of cotton had been genetically modified (Katel, 2010). With technology moving this rapidly we may discover that consuming these genetically modified foods may cause serious health concerns down the road. There are also implications on animals and insects due to these GM crops. The monarch butterfly, for example, was a symbol used in the debate on whether we should modify crops. The butterflies would leave their offspring in milk weed that is prevalent near corn fields. The claim was that these GM crops were killing the caterpillars that would have been a butterfly. The bigger concern may be the tolerance developed by the insects to the pesticides, resulting in more engineering or possibly wiping out a species of insect reliable on a certain crop or plant near a crop. While I would prefer the world to all eat organic foods, I just dont see this as a possibility. Genetically modified food is crucial to feeding our extremely over-populated planet. We can help third world peoples plant GM crops in their area as a means to survival, we can stop the spread of pests destroying whole fields of crops and livelihoods, and we dont know if there are any more health risks with GM foods as to organic. There may be long-term health consequences from eating these GM foods and genetically modifying crops may result in some really unwanted environmental problems. Organic foods are great and I do tend to buy organic fruits and vegetables as opposed to the potentially GM food. However, this is not an option for most of the world and GM crops may be the most vital scientific achievement in history if we can give crops to the most desolate places on earth.

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Bibliography
Katel, Peter. (2010) Would new legislation make the food supply safer? Food Safety. Volume 20 (Issue 44). Koch, Kathy. (2008). Will Organic Farming Survive? Food Safety Battle: Biotech vs. Organic. Volume 8. Palfreman, Jon. (24 Apr, 2001). Harvest of Fear. Nova/Frontline.