Position Paper
The stigma against genetically modified foods kill people.
How, you think? How does simply an idea cause the death of thousands of people?
First of all, genetic modification is the direct manipulation of an organism 's genome by changing the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. Genetically modified organisms are food crops that have been created through the application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques (Dimaguila).
By definition, food crops are genetically engineered in order to improve the crop- making it more pest-resistant or healthier.
Through natural selection and selective breeding, humans have been manipulating genes …show more content…
The current system of labelling in the United States only espouses this stigmatization. William Saletan points the problems with U.S labeling with his quiz with campers and calls for a choice between related GMO and non-GMO options. This choice is based on limited, predispositioned phrases such as “Viral Gene Added,” “Insecticide Added, and the most commonly, simply “GMO”. Many conjectures, using these labels, that GMO foods are unhealthy. This is seen as the average score (i.e pro-GMO choices), being about 40% even though all of the GMO options were significantly …show more content…
This would not be able to work as though the target populations’ best bet would be to eat a balanced diet, fruits and vegetables. These are not affordable and their cheapest form of sustenance would be rice. Since the target population is impoverished, it is very unlikely for them to have the land to grow these gardens.
Besides that, the food fortification and supplementation plan is not as feasible as one may suppose as according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US food aid program in Ghana alone costs an average of US$20 million per year. This would be, in turn detrimental to the economy (Baggott).
GMOs have other economic gains and appeals to society. Consumers benefit as engineered fruits and vegetables are created to have longer shelf lives and smaller price tags than their unaltered counterparts (Webber). GMO seeds also appeal to farmers for their promise of economically beneficial higher crop yields. Given the fact that U.S. biotech companies produce approximately half of the world’s GMO crop seeds, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue, the biotech industry has much to gain from scientific confirmation and public acceptance of these purported “benefits”
The stigma against genetically modified foods kill people.
How, you think? How does simply an idea cause the death of thousands of people?
First of all, genetic modification is the direct manipulation of an organism 's genome by changing the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. Genetically modified organisms are food crops that have been created through the application of transgenic, gene-splicing techniques (Dimaguila).
By definition, food crops are genetically engineered in order to improve the crop- making it more pest-resistant or healthier.
Through natural selection and selective breeding, humans have been manipulating genes …show more content…
The current system of labelling in the United States only espouses this stigmatization. William Saletan points the problems with U.S labeling with his quiz with campers and calls for a choice between related GMO and non-GMO options. This choice is based on limited, predispositioned phrases such as “Viral Gene Added,” “Insecticide Added, and the most commonly, simply “GMO”. Many conjectures, using these labels, that GMO foods are unhealthy. This is seen as the average score (i.e pro-GMO choices), being about 40% even though all of the GMO options were significantly …show more content…
This would not be able to work as though the target populations’ best bet would be to eat a balanced diet, fruits and vegetables. These are not affordable and their cheapest form of sustenance would be rice. Since the target population is impoverished, it is very unlikely for them to have the land to grow these gardens.
Besides that, the food fortification and supplementation plan is not as feasible as one may suppose as according to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US food aid program in Ghana alone costs an average of US$20 million per year. This would be, in turn detrimental to the economy (Baggott).
GMOs have other economic gains and appeals to society. Consumers benefit as engineered fruits and vegetables are created to have longer shelf lives and smaller price tags than their unaltered counterparts (Webber). GMO seeds also appeal to farmers for their promise of economically beneficial higher crop yields. Given the fact that U.S. biotech companies produce approximately half of the world’s GMO crop seeds, generating billions of dollars in annual revenue, the biotech industry has much to gain from scientific confirmation and public acceptance of these purported “benefits”