GMO Common Fallacies

GMOs were mainly created to fight disease, resist pests, improve health, provide an easier way to produce crops, and finally give humans animals and crops the nutrients needed for survival. The public have been fighting whether or not molecular genetically modified organisms are safe for the public to consume. Most of the public does not know the true benefits genetically modified organisms have on the environment and the whole world. However, the biggest downside to genetically modified foods and organisms is the unknowingness of their side affects. They have yet to be truly diagnosed to be a negative thing. Most of the public think genetically modified foods can be detrimental to their health, and cause major pollution. Genetically modified foods are not perfect, but they would not be even considered if it caused humans or crops to die. According to Why People Oppose GMOs Even Though Science Says They Are Safe, author  Stefaan Blancke states that genetically engineered foods are safe to eat and benefit the environment. Genetically modified organisms go through a 7-10 year testing period where they are checked for risks against humans, livestock, wildlife, and the environment stated by the Battelle staff in Five Good Reasons to Support GMOs. Scientists observe any new proteins created by the GMOs that could allergic reactions. Battelle states that “GM food production are among the most tested products in history.” Genetically modified organisms are kept under a microscope until they are completely ready to be released to the public. There are lots of protocols genetically modified foods and organisms need to go through that most of the public are unaware of.

Genetically modified organisms can provide the environment with a ton of beneficial factors. Genetically engineered crops allow farmers to use less pesticides saving their precious crops. Less chemicals used on crops the better. “On average, GM technology adoption has reduced chemical pesticide use by 37%, increased crop yields by 22%, and increased farmer profits by 68%,” taken from from the article A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops. This is a substantial benefit that GM crops provide.

GM crops undergo tons of tests and provide a substantial amount of benefit to our environment. The public as a whole may not even understand the true power genetically modified organisms can provide. Society does not want to take any risks with GMOs because they do not know the long lasting affects they might have. This is another huge disadvantage that modified crops provide. However, its benefits outweighs the disadvantages. Plus, these disadvantages are not proven to be hurting us or our environment. It’s hard to believe that we have had molecular genetically engineered crops for so long and it has not caused a true problem. These companies providing GM foods and crops are going to be the future of foods. Eventually, the world will overpopulate leading to more of a food drought leading to deaths of lots of our livestock and will cause a trickle down affect in our society. It may be a high risk to start turning completely over to the genetic engineers rather than our staple “non GMO” foods, but every food has been modified in some sort of way. If everything the government had companies labeling absolutely everything that has been genetically modified in past, then we would be seeing everything in stores labeled as, “GM foods.” It may seem unreal for most of the public to look at it in this sort of way, but it needs to be done, so society can move closer towards saving the world and economy. We have taken risks before to better our survival fitness than what is the difference? The true difference is that we have evolved as a society and humans began to develop controversy over different things rather than look at the bigger picture. The world is beginning to change and everyone as a whole society needs to evolve and change with it.

References

Blancke, S. (2015, August 18). Why people oppose gmos even though science says they are safe. Scientific American. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-oppose-gmos-even-though-science-says-they-are-safe/

Five good reasons to support gmos. Inside Battelle. (2021, October 21). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://inside.battelle.org/blog-details/five-good-reasons-to-support-gmos?keyword_session_id=vt~adwords%7Ckt~%7Cmt~%7Cta~496274902983&_vsrefdom=wordstream&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzrdyN2I-4OClwQryUYRgIkQ_o2Me4MpiniT9FsA4AfL8FdLCdSdNDEaApC3EALw_wcB

Klümper, W., & Qaim, M. (n.d.). A meta-analysis of the impacts of genetically modified crops. PLOS ONE. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0111629

Viewpoint: GMO crops are key to sustainable farming-why are some scientists afraid to talk about them? Genetic Literacy Project. (2019, January 24). Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/01/21/viewpoint-gmo-crops-are-key-to-sustainable-farming-why-are-some-scientists-afraid-to-talk-about-them/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAnuGNBhCPARIsACbnLzqNpBP52pa93XYPG1E3w70zgggtT5vam2dGJRVz09XiMDYt9HtWHRMaAqpfEALw_wcB