Case Study Of Robert Deal From Emory University

Genetically modified crops are an incredibly important issue that everyone should be aware of since it is something we are exposed to at a daily basis. Genetically modified crops also known as GM crops or Biotech crops has been one of the most heated debates of issues within our society. The debate about the safety, concerns and disadvantages of GM crops have raged since the mid 1990 's but this is due to the lack of knowledge of the general public. Many people are unaware of what the GM crops actually are and what they offer. Genetically modified crops are plants that are used in the agriculture and have been modified to initiate a new trait to plants that does not happen naturally in the species. These plants are modified using genetic engineering techniques to enhance desired traits. GM crops are made when genes of commercial interest are transferred from one organism to another.() There are many methods used for the production of GM crops but the two primary used for plant insertion are gene guns and agrobacterium tumefaciens. There are also three types of modifications which are transgenic, cisgenic, and subgenic plants. However, there are a number of issues that surround this controversial topic such as environmental, health, and economic concerns. Even though there are some worrying facts about GM crops people don 't realize the advantages or the ways it has helped humans as well as animals. There are many reasons why GM crops are proven

In contrast, the counter argument claims that GMOs are unsafe for human consumption. However, GMOs actually improve human health by reducing the amount of pesticides needed for successful crop production. With the use of GMOs in crop production, the amount of pesticide and herbicide application has decreased. To resume, successful crop production is essential to a farmer’s success, which could be why over 18 million farmers throughout the world utilize GMOs. The successful production of crops can be achieved by genetically modifying crops with resistance against insects, weeds, and other threats. Resistance to different stressors has reduced pesticide applications by 8.1 percent. Additionally, crops that are modified to be resistant to specific

When stripped to its core, the conflict lies in whether GMO's are beneficial or detrimental to the human population and the world's ecosystems. Surely we, as a population, have agreed upon the fact that GMO's influence the natural order of things, yet these genetically modified present both pluses and minuses. It is our job to figure out whether they are ultimately good or bad for both nature and the human race. By now, humans have realized that at times it is appropriate to tinker with the balance of nature, such as during famines, droughts, and the slow process

They help to increase crop yield, lessen the need for pesticides, boost nutrition, and have a resistance to pests and disease. Crops have also been modified to tolerate stressors caused by the environment, allowing for plants to grow in areas where they might otherwise not survive. Animals have also been genetically engineered to increase yield and decrease susceptibility to disease. For example, cattle are now being engineered to show resistance to mad cow disease, and numerous animals are now engineered to grow larger. (8) In medicine we are now able to make recombinant insulin and grow vaccines in chicken eggs. However, not everyone is accepting of these advancements and therefore there are a number of areas in which the population is divided in their opinion on the uses of genetically modified organisms.

GMOs have been claimed to be a possible solution to world hunger, but Urban claims that they have not been proven to produce more plants, efficienty (Urban 2010). If there truly is no increase in efficiency of the production of food through GMOs, then there is no reason in risking human health over unknown effects. Some researchers argue that plants with GMOs require less pesticides which is false according to Urban. He underlined that more likely than not genetically modified organisms are harmful to the environment and people because they require so much use of pesticides and fertilizers which are obviously very harmful to a person’s health (Urban 2010). He expressed that these chemicals are increased in order to produce stronger crops to fight off insects, but that humans should not be eating crops produced by them because they are dangerous for humans as well as the health of the environment (Urban

It is proven that when you genetically modify anything those genes become less diverse. When genes become less diverse they can all be susceptible to a certain thing. Say a drought comes along. This drought is very long and rough. Instead of all the plants dying at the same time some that were not genetically modified may be able to survive longer. Even though some plants may not come as we would like, we simply cannot go for this all-or-none plan GMO industries have going on. Genetically engineered crops have shown no increase in yield and no decrease in pesticide use (Tady). Pesticides are as poisonous as they sound, they are being eaten every day and run into our local waterways. Big companies care more about their money than what we put into our bodies. (Tady). The more we let companies take advantage of us they less they care about what goes into their products. It’s all about the

In recent years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have made a significant change in our diet with the introduction of genetically altered foods, which have essentially affected human health as well as local communities. Anthropologists tells us that homo sapiens were hunter gatherers. Their “evolved behaviors helped them respond to the challenges of survival in unstable environments shifting them to live an agricultural lifestyle” (Homo Sapiens. Smithsonian ). Over the millennia, agriculture has made a huge gain in efforts to serve human preferences by domesticating crops and animals to improve production and make them resistant to diseases and pests. Genetic modification evolutionized domesticated crop plants in each crop generation. During this time, agriculture began to arise through applications of modern scientific breeding. Crop plants were the center of seminal research in genetics and scientist main focus. (Cereal Foods World 2007).

Producers have been manipulating DNA in the reproduction of their products before Gregor Mendel founded the modern understanding of genetics. Thus, genetically modified organisms -GMOs- are simply more advanced hybrids. The World Health organization defines GMOs as organisms in which their genetic information has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally (Blair, 2015). The controversy regarding genetically modified organisms has been prevalent not only in the agricultural community, but academic conversation as well. Although many organizations and individuals claim genetically modified organisms are malicious to human health as well as the environment, they are indeed the basis for healthy, sustainable agriculture that not only provide a quality product for the consumer, but a safe and nutritious product as well.

This means that less chemicals, such as pesticides, are required. In the near future scientists hopefully will be able to "improve the drought resistance of most crop species and could have major implications for crops grown in dry areas" (www.abc.net.au/news). Weather resistance Plants could and can be developed to better withstand extreme weather conditions such as drought or frosts. Genetically engineering foods make crops easier to maintain and lower the cost in maintenance. One benefit of altered foods which is often overlooked is the Improved processing characteristics of these foods, leading to reduced waste and lower food costs to the consumer. Foods are being developed to contain more vitamins, minerals, protein and less saturated fat. For example, fruits and vegetables with higher levels of antioxidant vitamins "may reduce cardiovascular disease risk and help reduce the risk of certain cancers" (www.americanheart.org). The world population is expected to double to more than 10 billion people by the year 2050. Food biotechnology can help meet the increasing demand for food. "By increasing a crop's ability to withstand environmental factors, growers will be able to farm in parts of the world currently unsuitable for crop production. Along with additional food, this could also provide economies of developing nations with much-needed jobs and greater productivity.

Not only are there concerns about genetically modified foods and the risk to human health, but also how genetically modified crops affect the environment. According to Aristidis Tsatsakis "The introduction of non-native GMOs in the ecosystems pose potential long-term risks to the environment and it is quite difficult to predict their consequences." He mentions a couple of concerns

Our world wants the best of everything especially if it means to play around and mix genes. Science today has mixed many genes from an organism to another one. This process is known as GMO’s. In other words, genetically modified organisms are either plants and animals that are experimented on to level them up. Yet, scientists are too blinded by the fact that GMOs are causing problems to our society. Genetically modified organisms are not beneficial to modern society because they are causing health issues, allergies, and are messing with an organism’s life.

In a broad sense, genetic modification has been around far as long as agriculture has (about 12,000 years). Throughout history, humans have been crossbreeding similar varieties of plants to create more durable, disease-resistant, and overall satisfactory crops. In more recent history, we have come to understand why crossbreeding was such a successful technique to create a more desirable harvest. From Gregor Mendel discovering heredity in the 1850s, to Watson and Crick unlocking the genetic code in 1954, our scientific understanding of genetics has immensely improved. With modern technology and agricultural practices, GMOs are more prevalent now than ever before. While we do still utilize crossbreeding, today many of our genetically modified organisms are generated and tested for desirable traits in laboratory settings. In these laboratories, scientists are capable of adding or removing individual genes in the DNA to enhance or remove certain traits in the plants. These modification practices have made produce bigger, more durable, more pest resistant, and more nutritious than ever before. However, the increased prevalence of GMOs in our produce has also incited substantial fear from consumers. GMOs are scientifically proven to be safe, yet many consumers still prefer to opt for more expensive organic produce even though it is no more nutritious. On top of that, there is now an increased push to require all produce and food products containing any genetically

Since 2.3 billion people will be added to the world from 2009 to 2050, biotechnology- Genetically Modified Organism- is a must to combat the global food crisis(Weisser para. 2). When the United States developed Bt corn, “[they] have been genetically engineered to resist herbicides and pests and even withstand drought.”(para. 16). Unlike corn that have never been modified, the Bt corn were able to survive better because of their resistant to herbicides, pests, and drought; resulting, a corn that can survive in harsh environment. By creating a modified corn that can survive in harsh environment, a large supply of corn- food- can be produced. If biotechnology can genetically modified corn to survive in harsh condition, more food can be produced; resulting 2.3 billion people can be fed; therefore, addressing the global food crisis. To put it briefly, limiting biotechnology would prevent addressing the global food crisis. Not only can genetic engineering address the global food crisis, but it can also improve medicine

One industry that plays a vital role in our society is the agricultural industry. The agricultural industry is responsible for the growth of all our valuable crops such as cotton, corn, fruits, other vegetables etc. These crops are planted and then gathered to be sold to consumers. These primary resources are important to our daily lives because they are valuable sources of food and clothing, which are highly needed for our survival in life. Over time, it has been discovered that genetic engineering in plants can be an alternative way to “alter a plant’s genetic makeup” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Why would we want to alter a plant’s genetic makeup? Well, the main reason is to “produce a desired characteristic or weed out an undesirable one” of a plant (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). Approximately “75% of processed foods contain at least some genetically engineered ingredients” (Nutrition & Weight Control for Longevity, 2005). In the United States, soy beans, cotton and corn are among the many crops that are genetically modified to “resist common herbicides” (Nutrition &

According to the World Health Organization (2014. 1), "Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination. The technology is often called 'modern biotechnology ' or 'gene technology ', sometimes also 'recombinant DNA technology ' or 'genetic engineering '. Foods produced from or using GM organisms are often referred to as GM foods.” Many organic crops farming farmers are against cultivating of GM crops because of the threat to farm land and environment however, biotechnology companies and GM crops growing famer desire to have profit and consumer look for low price. Thus, the debate over the environmental impact of genetically modified GM crops is growing. Although GM crops negatively affects on some organism in environment, they reduce the use of pesticides and increase crop yield.