Food is a part of our every-day lives, it is what nourishes our bodies and provides us with the energy to carry out the day. However, the introduction of genetically modified organisms changes the way we see food—for better or worse. Genetically modified organisms have had a specific gene from their genome altered, or a foreign gene introduced. This alteration or introduction of a (foreign) gene alters characteristics of the organism, usually a change in nutrition, herbicide resistance, or size. The effects of genetically modified organisms are not immediately prevalent, but as a result of lacking research into these organisms along with their increased use, we are now starting to realize the consequences of using such methods to conveniently
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On U.S. farmland, acreage planted with genetically engineered crops jumped nearly 25-fold from 3.6 million acres (1.5 million hectares) in 1996 to 88.2 million acres (35.7 million hectares) in 2001. More than 50 different "designer" crops have passed through a federal review process, and about a hundred more are undergoing field trials” (Ackerman).
Additionally, genetically modified organisms have the ability to mutate—causing the production of unforeseen and unwanted traits. One example of this can be seen with GM Tobacco plants; engineered to produce gamma-linoleic acid, they instead produce octadecatetraenic acid, a toxic product that does not occur in unmodified tobacco plants. With the increased use of GMO’s paired with the increasingly evident negative side effects many consumers and non-profit organizations raise issues of its impacts toward our health and …show more content…
Another study from Pennsylvania State University predicts increased herbicide use as a result of GM crops to more than 3.5 kb. Per hectare by 2025. In addition to this, a study by a Washington State University professor linked the development of super-weeds (weeds that have grown resistant to GM herbicides) and GM crops to a 404 million pound increase of pesticide usage from 1996 (the introduction of GM crops) and 2011. To add to this off-putting effect, 12 academic studies were reviewed by A Union of Concerned Scientists to find that with the exception of Bt corn, no increased crop yields have been found with GM crops. There is also a risk of outcrossing, or the breeding of a domestic crop with a related plant. This risk entails the creation of new weeds through outcrossing or simply persisting in themselves. These newly mutated weeds have the potential of increased invasiveness, which causes the strain or kill native plants and crops. Along with possible invasion of natural species outside cultivation there runs a risk of affecting non-target organisms (Isaaa.org). Relating to this, a lab study report says pollen from Bt corn adversely effects the larvae of monarch butterflies
On U.S. farmland, acreage planted with genetically engineered crops jumped nearly 25-fold from 3.6 million acres (1.5 million hectares) in 1996 to 88.2 million acres (35.7 million hectares) in 2001. More than 50 different "designer" crops have passed through a federal review process, and about a hundred more are undergoing field trials” (Ackerman).
Additionally, genetically modified organisms have the ability to mutate—causing the production of unforeseen and unwanted traits. One example of this can be seen with GM Tobacco plants; engineered to produce gamma-linoleic acid, they instead produce octadecatetraenic acid, a toxic product that does not occur in unmodified tobacco plants. With the increased use of GMO’s paired with the increasingly evident negative side effects many consumers and non-profit organizations raise issues of its impacts toward our health and …show more content…
Another study from Pennsylvania State University predicts increased herbicide use as a result of GM crops to more than 3.5 kb. Per hectare by 2025. In addition to this, a study by a Washington State University professor linked the development of super-weeds (weeds that have grown resistant to GM herbicides) and GM crops to a 404 million pound increase of pesticide usage from 1996 (the introduction of GM crops) and 2011. To add to this off-putting effect, 12 academic studies were reviewed by A Union of Concerned Scientists to find that with the exception of Bt corn, no increased crop yields have been found with GM crops. There is also a risk of outcrossing, or the breeding of a domestic crop with a related plant. This risk entails the creation of new weeds through outcrossing or simply persisting in themselves. These newly mutated weeds have the potential of increased invasiveness, which causes the strain or kill native plants and crops. Along with possible invasion of natural species outside cultivation there runs a risk of affecting non-target organisms (Isaaa.org). Relating to this, a lab study report says pollen from Bt corn adversely effects the larvae of monarch butterflies