“Practically every food you buy in a store for consumption by humans is genetically modified food… We have systematically genetically modified all the foods – the vegetables and animals – that we have eaten ever since we cultivated them.” In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, GMOs have been everywhere for tens of thousands of years, yet barely a third of Americans believe that GMOs are safe to eat. In fact, 57% of the American public surveyed by ABC News stated that they would be less likely to buy a food labelled as genetically modified. In my article below, I discuss two common myths regarding GMOS.
1. GMOS are not healthy.
The main argument against genetically modified organisms is that they are unhealthy. Naysayers claim that organic foods are healthier for you and that we have been farming food without pesticides from the earth for centuries. What these naysayers don’t realize is that genetically modified organisms are not a new practice, but a mastered trade; we’ve been using artificial selection since the Jamestown days. GMO farming practices aren’t all that different from organic farming either. In fact, GMOs are developed by scientists who first meticulously observe the growth of the organic crop before deciding to genetically engineer for the desired trait (i.e drought tolerance or disease resistance). Upon transferring the gene into a plant seed, GMOs must undergo years of rigorous testing before being released to the public. In fact, GMOs are the most highly scrutinized crops on the market as they must go through more testing than any non-GMO crop. In addition to government approval, GMOs also must pass tests conducted by the FDA, World Health Organization, National Academy of Sciences, The Royal Society, American Medical Association and the European Academies Science Advisory Council. In the Spring of 2016, the National Academy of Science issued a comprehensive report in which a panel of over 20 scientists, researchers, agricultural and industry experts reviewed over 20 years of data since GMOs were introduced. Using nearly 900 tests, studies and health data, they all came to the conclusion that “genetically modified crops are safe to eat, have the same nutrition and composition as non-genetically modified crops and have no links to new allergies, cancer, celiac or other diseases.” Genetically modifying crops allows scientists to edit a crop’s genome and eradicate disease, edit juiciness and texture and allow the plant to withstand droughts. This technology and accuracy not only makes GMO crops arguably safer than organic foods, but it has also given us the power to save billions of lives globally. Not to mention, GMOs are still 47% cheaper on average than organic foods. While the seeds may be genetically altered, they are incredibly safe and even healthy.
2. GMOs are not sustainable.
Many people assume that the word “organic” means that no pesticides are used, but that isn’t the case. Most farmers use natural pesticides and some approved synthetics, and though organic farmers normally use less pesticides, GMO farming practices have shown to be both more efficient and sustainable in recent years. According to a Belgian resource report released in 2016, “Overall, the cultivation of GM crops over the last 18 years has delivered substantial benefits for the environment. Insect-resistant crops have resulted in a 230 million kg decrease in the use of insecticides. Herbicide-tolerant crops have led to reductions in fuel use and CO2 emissions of 6.3 billion liters and 16.8 million metric tons respectively, by supporting no-till farming… GM crops have produced an environmental benefit of 37%.” Not to mention, the yield of GMO crops is significantly higher than those of non-GMO crops. Below is a picture comparing organic sugarbeet
Picture credit: The Genetic Literacy Project
to GMO sugarbeet. This yield rate has been used to strategically combat disease and hunger worldwide. For example, in the 1970s, when India was in danger of a massive famine, Norman Borlaug used GMOs to develop a special breed of dwarf wheat that resisted a wide spectrum of diseases and produced almost three times more grain than the traditional, nearly extinct, varieties. The minister of Food and Agriculture of India heard about Borlaug and his work, and persuaded him to teach Indian farmers how to grow the wheat.
Since Borlaug’s discovery, India’s population has more than doubled, its wheat production has more than tripled, and its economy has grown nine-fold. Borlaug and his GMO wheat saved over a billion lives.
America needs to get over its irrational fear of GMOs and start embracing the crops we take for granted. GMOs are cheaper, healthier, and more efficient than their organic counterparts.
From right to left: Organic Lemons, GMO Lemon
When life gives you lemons, choose the genetically modified one.
SOURCES:
“Are Organic and Non-GMO Farming More Sustainable than Farming Using GMOs? #GMOFAQ.” GMO FAQ, gmo.geneticliteracyproject.org/FAQ/organic-non-gmo-farming-sustainable-farming-using-gmos./.
http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/5299/20150402/is-genetically-modified-food-safe.htm
https://gmoanswers.com/ask/why-are-gmos-created-if-scientists-are-not-aware-if-it-really-harmfulare-gmos-really-safe-if-you
https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=97567&page=1
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/03/cost-of-organic-food/index.htm
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-last-thing-africa-needs-to-be-debating-is-gmos/2015/05/22/81b76574-fe62-11e4-833c-a2de05b6b2a4_story.html?http://responsibletechnology.org/10-reasons-to-avoid-gmos/utm_term=.2417184d490f
IG=E669409498F9449EB19C29AE5A83C758&CID=142BB1DA27F860AF09BCBA4C26576151&rd=1&h=yTqxoT7kc6P8tNI_F59-eDqDyulIrF7BHfP-vgTGAbE&v=1&r=https%3a%2f%2fmonsanto.com%2finnovations%2fbiotech-gmos%2farticles%2fgmo-facts%2f&p=DevEx,5068.1.
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photography-organic-food-versus-gmo-food-lemons-white-background-fresh-genetically-modified-image35362742 (Lemon Picture)
TheNdgvids. “Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Gmo Food!” YouTube, YouTube, 24 July 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ecT2CaL7NA.
Emily,
I agree with your argument that while GMOs are often viewed unfavorably by the American public, the advantages of being able to genetically modify and consume foods far outweigh the potential drawbacks.
According to ‘WebMd,’ “[e]ven though you may not realize it, you probably eat GMOs now. Up to 80% of processed foods in the U.S. have them.” This is because genetically modified foods aren’t injected with poison or something – the only thing that is being changed is their DNA. Oftentimes, scientists are just combining genes from different things to achieve optimal taste, health benefits, and overall quality of food. Kate Siegel and Suzanne Verity discuss that “[s]ome biotech companies are doing experiments to make meat better for us, such as boosting the amount of omega-3-fatty acids in it.” Omega-3-fatty acids, which are something our bodies can only get from food, can help prevent heart disease, strokes, and other health conditions (Siegel and Verity). With “naysayers” claiming that GMOs are unhealthy, it’s hard to find a lot of evidence to back that up as the ability to modify the makeup of a food means that it is possible for it to be engineered to have optimal health benefits.
In addition to having the potential to possess tremendous health benefits, genetically modified food is an ideal option for providing adequate nutrition to impoverished countries and areas with limited resources. With GMOs, scientists can modify a food that once had limited nutritional content and create a genetically modified option with more vitamins and sustainable nutrients. Additionally, while it’s less than desirable, if circumstances made it necessary, such as being stuck in a poor area that is far from many stores, genetically modified foods could be adjusted to stay “fresh” for longer periods of time. As discussed in a ‘WebMd’ article, “[m]ixing plants is how we’ve gotten papayas free of viruses, corn plants that survive drought, soybeans that stand up to weed killer, potatoes that don’t bruise, and crops that yield more and cost less.” The world is growing quickly and with growth comes need. Sometimes, resources aren’t accessible or long-lasting. GMOs could provide us with whole new set of options.
Source:
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/truth-about-gmos#4
Hello Emily!
I want to start by saying I really enjoyed your blog and your case on the safety of genetically modified foods. It’s extremely fascinating to witness the extent of controversy that surrounds genetically modified foods and whether or not they are safe. Merely searching up a google search “Are Genetically Modified Foods good or bad?” came up a multitude of answers saying that Genetically Modified foods are indeed very safe and that one should not listen to the rumors of those who believe that Genetically Modified Foods are not safe. Interestingly, the article right after that claimed that GMO’s have been shown to have serious health effects and that the scientific myths about how GMO’s were healthy have been a complete lie. It’s interesting from a political standpoint to see how much controversy and debate lies in something so prevalent in society. Though it may be true that it’s hard to determine from our current standpoint any consequences GMO’s may have on long-term health, there has been a multitude of journal articles by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in reaching the consensus that GMO’s are safe.
A new perspective about GMO’s however that I think would be interesting to discuss is the idea of necessity. Do you think Genetically Modified Foods will be necessary to sustain human growth in the near and long-term future? Already, predictions for the population of 2050 are expected to reach at least 9 billion according to the MIT Technology review. The problems of limited resources facing us in the future is a very real issue. How will we as a race manage to find ways to successfully produce more and more food as our population climbs? These hurdles will undoubtedly also be exacerbated with increasing influence of Global warming and climate change (which coincidentally is also an extremely controversial issue). Regardless of whether we believe GMO’s are safe or completely unhealthy, the limit of our resources will only grow to a point where we have no choice but to commit to GMO’s once other options have been exhausted. The use of genetically modified foods to supply more people and at a higher efficiency have already been demonstrated (even with some of these examples explicitly stated in your blog). With all these components stacking up, it is extremely likely that Genetically modified foods will be a part of everyday life (if it hasn’t already) as we continue to innovate and adapt to novel situations and circumstances.
Forgot my sources!!
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/522596/why-we-will-need-genetically-modified-foods/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2408621/
https://www.livescience.com/40895-gmo-facts.html
https://www.vox.com/cards/genetically-modified-foods/what-else-should-i-read-about-genetically-modified-foods
Hey Emily!
I enjoyed the post. First, I have no problem eating GMOs and would always choose the better looking genetically modified fruit or vegetable over the worse looking, not genetically modified fruit or vegetable.
An interesting study done by UCLA consisted of 35 different blind taste testers, testing six different fruits: watermelon, corn, banana, eggplant, carrots, and broccoli. All 35 testers preferred the GMO food over the non-GMO counterparts. As you mentioned, GMO foods have not been proven to be unsafe to eat or bad for the environment, so logically taste is a main factor in the fruits and vegetable I choose.
Because they are cheaper to grow, increase yields and extends the time food remains edible, it would seem reasonable to follow that they have helped reduce global hunger. However, the attached report shows that GMOs have failed to provide much relief for developing nations. Specifically, the article mentions that anti-GMO sentiment in countries in developing nations has prevented the growth and import of genetically modified food and crops. The report states that in order to apply this technology to effectively solve third world hunger, there needs to be high levels of coordination between various political and social groups.
Finally, I think it is interesting to consider the idea of genetically modified meat and fish. In 2012, AquaBounty Technologies looked to become the first company to have genetically modified animal approved for human consumption. They had developed Salmon with a growth hormone from Chinook salmon and DNA from an eel-like species, which boosted production and reduced the environmental impact of salmon farming. The FDA said the fish was safe to eat and posed no threat to the environment, but environmental groups protested, opposing the idea because of the idea of GM salmon escaping. I would like to hear your thoughts about genetically modifying meat and if that crosses ethical or morale lines.
http://thesciencepost.com/results-of-a-blind-taste-test-between-gmo-and-non-gmo-food/
https://www.thebalance.com/can-genetically-modified-food-feed-the-world-375634
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150309-will-we-ever-eat-gm-meat
Hi Emily,
I really enjoyed your blog post, especially its very unique perspective on a topic so misunderstood. Going off of that, I think the main reason why there is such great fear surrounding GMOs by the public is because of a general lack of understanding. Many people don’t really understand what GMOs are but when they hear “Genetically modified organism”, alarms tend to go off in their heads. Am I risking my health by eating this bright red apple? Should I pay more for something organic and GMO-free instead? It’s all fear of the unknown. People are concerned that what they are eating is “unnatural” so they turn to companies that offer food marketed as green, healthy, and of course GMO-free. “Greenwashing” companies have the opportunity to make a lot of profit off of the public’s fear of GMOs. Their non-GMO labels somehow justify the increased prices on their products.
However, often times, the labels on so-called “non-GMO” products are false advertising. In one article that I read from Forbes, the FDA “prefers” more accurate wording on labels but “will not pursue enforcement actions with the regard to the use of non-GMO terminology”. As a result, people are misled into spending more money on these products that are really no different from GMOs health wise. Offering non-GMO products is just another gimmick and it’s very sad to see how susceptible we are as a society to blindly accepting these false messages.
I also found that a lot of foods we eat today, such as corn, watermelon, carrots, and broccoli, would not be possible without genetic modification. GMOs can even be used to save crops dying from bacterial disease. An insect in Florida, the Asian Citrus Psyllid, wreaked havoc on the orange harvest, destroying nearly half of the growing fruit. For fruits like these oranges, their best hope for survival is genetic modification. If we let fear-mongering from the media or food companies get in the way, we are overall missing out on the benefits that GMOs can offer to us in our lives.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/are-gmos-really-that-bad_us_55a40dd0e4b0ecec71bca6a5?slideshow=true#gallery/55a415cbe4b0b8145f7344ae/4
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/07/slate_voice_an_audio_reading_of_unhealthy_fixation_the_misleading_war_on.html?wpsrc=utm_medium=promo&utm_campaign=plus_content&utm_content=story&utm_source=article
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevensavage/2016/06/11/the-non-gmo-food-label-is-a-lie/#7a4459be4b70