TostartthingsoffIthoughtIshouldcoversomeofthemajorideasoftheproponents

totheGMOdebate.ThefirstsourceIchosetousewaswrittenbyanemployeeofthe
UniversityofCalifornia,Davisandherresearchisverywellfundedbyanumberof
governmentalorganizationsthatsupportGMOs.
TheauthorstartsoffbydiscussingsomethingthatIbelieveisoneofthemost
importantthingsforanyoneandeveryonetounderstandaboutGMOs."For10,000years,we
havealteredthegeneticmakeupofourcrops.Conventionalapproachesareoftencrude,
resultinginnewvarietiesthroughacombinationoftrialanderror,withoutknowledgeofthe
precisefunctionofthegenesbeingmovedaround"(paragraph8).Ibelievethatthisiscrucial
forpeopletounderstandbecausetoofewpeoplereallythinkaboutthefactthatbetteringour
foodsupplyissomethingthathumanshavealwaysdone.Ronaldalsoarguesthatnearly
everythingconsumedbyhumanshasbeenmodifiedatsomepoint.Papayaplantsin
particular,havebeeninasensevaccinatedagainstavirusandthevastmajorityofpapaya
farmersintheworldnowgrowthisparticularvariety(paragraph13).Thisisalsoanimportant
ideatonotebecausejustaswithhumandiseases,sometimesvaccinationistheonlymeans
ofprevention.
OneofthemainargumentsmadebymanyofthecompaniesthatsupportGMOsison
behalfofthefarmers.RonaldsharesthestoryofafarmerinUgandawhohasbeengrowing
bananasfor20years.Onedaythefarmerfoundabacteriaoozingfromthebananaflowers
andwithinmonthsherentireplantationwasdevastated(paragraph1)Smallsubsistence
farmersdonothavethemoneytopayforagriculturaltoolsandadvancementsand
sometimesgrowingaGMOstrainisthebestwayforthefarmtobeprofitable.Manybenefits
arepresentedtosmallfarmersfromlargeryield,tospendinglessresourcesandlaboron
tillingfields,topresentingplantsthatworkwellwithlowhazardpesticides.
Ronaldalsoaddresseswhatshebelievestobesomeofthemainreasonsthatpeople
aresoadversetoGMOs.Hermainargumentliesinthepublicsimplynottrusting
corporations.CorporationssuchasMonsantoarealmostexclusivelyinchargeofofhow
foodsarebeingmodifiedandhaveexclusivecontroloverthesupplyofmodifiedseed.
Anotherproblemthatisaddressedisthefearof"superweeds",orweedsthatinteractwiththe
modifiedplantsandinturnbegintopickupsomeofthecharacteristics.Theparticularcase
Ronaldaddressesisthatsomeplantshavebeenmodifiedtobeimmunetoglyphosate,which
incomparisontootherpesticides,isrelativelyharmless.Sincetheseplantshavebeen
modified,alargenumberofwildplantshavebeendiscoveredtoalsosharethisresistance.
Ronaldhowevergoesontoarguethatoutofsheercoincidence,moreplantsareimmuneto
atrazine,afarmoredeadlypesticide,despitenoplantsbeingmodifiedtoberesistantto
it(paragraph14).
ThearticlecloseswithwhytheauthorfeelschangingthetoneoftheGMOdebateis
necessary.Shedoesaverylargecomparisonwiththeantivaccinationdebatecurrentlygoing
oninsocialmedia.ShedownplaysthelargepushtolabelGMOsstatingthatoneofthemain
reasonsthattheFDAdoesnotsupportthelabelingofGMOfoodsisbecauseitwouldthen
requirealmosteveryfoodtobelabeled(paragraph30).Thelastpointmadeisthattheglobal
populationhaschangedouravailableoptionsforfeedingthegrowingpopulace."wemust
minimizeenvironmentaldegradationthisincludesconservinglandandwater,enhancing

biodiversityandsoilquality,reducingerosion,andminimizingharmfulinputer"(paragraph47)
Ofallthepointscoveredinthisarticle,thefirstandthelastarethemostimportant.