Genetically Modified Organisms in America

Food is obviously very important to people, as it sustains them, and allows them to
perform the tasks that they need to complete. Unfortunately, there never seems to be enough
food for everyone, and thats a problem. Luckily, scientists have discovered a new way to make
hardier, more plentiful crops: Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. GMOs are
organisms, plants in this case, that have had genes from other organisms implanted in them with
advanced biotechnical techniques. Of course, people have been modifying crops and livestock
for quite some time, as selective breeding is technically a form of genetic modification, but the
advent of genetically modified organisms was the first time that people had actually changed
organisms at a genetic level. While the idea of being able to produce more food in less time
seems very desirable, there are a number of concerns surrounding the ethics of genetic
modification of plants and animals, as well as about whether these modifications are safe or not.
Nonetheless, these potential risks do not outbalance the benefits and help that genetically
modified foods provide.
For thousands of years, people have been using a technique called artificial selection to
modify organisms by causing certain traits to be passed on. Evidence of this can be seen
throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. For example, by breeding only cows that produce
more milk than usual, the trait will become more common. Over multiple generations, the milkproducing trait will become more common, and it will eventually become the most common
normal trait. By repeating this basic process over and over again, people have been modifying

organisms to better aid humanity. Regrettably, this process is limited in that it can only be
applied to natural variations and genes (Alford). As it inserts genes from other organisms,
genetic modifications are now being used to help modify these species far more than could be
done naturally.
In other words, genetic modifications, which are normally performed on bacteria, crops,
and livestock, allow scientists to add beneficial traits from one species to members of another
species. This opens the door to all sorts of exciting and innovative new possibilities. These
modified organisms are desirable for many reasons. Some of these organisms may be more
resistant to pesticides or frost; crops could have a higher yield, or they could have higher
nutritional value. By inserting these new genes, the organisms can be used far more or more
effectively, which would benefit people significantly (Field Research). The benefits go beyond
agriculture, as well. Modified bacteria can grow human insulin, for example, or could produce
valuable drugs for less money. These benefits, plus many more that have yet to be fully
researched are a great boon to mankind
Despite the staggering number of benefits that GMOs provide, many people still wonder
if they are necessary or not. After all, one of the reasons that people around the world today
dont have enough food is because of the distribution of food production. The problem is, the
human population is growing very quickly, and quite a bit more food will have to be grown in
order to keep up with the demand that is coming with that increase. In fact, if the rate of
population growth continues at the current rate, the UN has estimated that we will need to grow

70% more food by 2050 (Alford). A fairly simple way for that increased demand to be reached
would be to simply grow more GMOs. As these organisms are heartier and have a higher yield
than unmodified crops, they are a logical solution for the impending food shortage.
While this is all well and good, there are many people that are concerned about the idea
of humans consuming these organisms. A large number of those against GMOs believe that all
GMOs should be labeled so that those who dont want to ingest them. Unfortunately, in
countries that have implemented this idea, most people will not buy the genetically modified
foods, causing the price of unmodified products to rise. Another potential problem with
genetically modified organisms is that the modified organisms could potentially exhibit
undesired traits. Placing genes from one organism into another could cause the modified
organism to genetically code for certain proteins from the other organism. While this doesnt
seem to be an issue at first glance, this protein could be an allergen, causing the modified
organism to have the allergenic properties of the original owner of the gene (Schneider). In
addition, the modified organisms could have completely new allergenic properties, or could
cause some mutations to the bacteria that naturally reside in the human gut.
Despite these few problems with genetically modified organisms, their benefits far
outweigh the negatives. With their better survivability, longevity, and higher yields, GMOs are
the most cost effective and better at feeding people. If humanity continues to grow at its current
rate, more food will be needed, and these genetically modified organisms are one of the best

ways to get that food. While they may have a few issues, they are effective and a good way to
make more food.