Patibandla 1

Divya Patibandla

Mrs. Barnes

English 112

15 May 2017

Ubiquitous GMOs

Genetically modified foods are easily one of the most controversial topics today. These

modified crops are often misconstrued because many are not fully aware of what they are.

Although society has a negative perception of genetically modified foods, it is important to

understand that there are benefits to the global society to be considered.

First, genetically modified foods are constantly seen as bad for human health and the

environment (Gupta). Based on a survey conducted of thirty high school students, many

individuals have the misconception that GMOs are damaging to human health because they are

made with chemicals (Patibandla). However, this fallacy could not be further from the truth.

With unknown long-term effects, it is impossible to tell if these modified organisms are harmful.

Furthermore, among these same students, 80% admitted that they do not check food products to

see if they are made with GMOs, yet 73.3% claimed that genetically modified organisms are a

growing problem (Patibandla). Not only do high school students seem to be mislead on the

topic, but the majority of people are as well. According to the Cornell Alliance for Science at

Cornell University, even after research proved that GMOs are not harmful, many people still

didnt believe it. One of the reasons that GMOs are still not accepted as harmless seem to be that

psychological associations developed over many years are difficult to break (Lynas). The

organization also found a Pew Research Center Poll done in 2015 that showed that only 37
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percent of the public thought GE [(genetically engineered)] foods were safe, as compared to 88

percent of scientists (Lynas). After analyzing the results, one can easily see that the majority of

the people seemed to be misinformed on the controversial topic.

Contrary to popular belief, genetically modified foods are actually not as bad as they are

portrayed. Rita Abboud, a dietician, explained in an interview that Americans have been using

genetically modified crops since 1996 and to date, there is no evidence-based research that

suggests that they pose harm to humans. Most Americans lack awareness of the fact that GMOs

have been a huge part in their diet and that there are no health risks resulting from them. She

further explained that the main issues at hand are that genetically modified foods are safe and do

not present any allergens. Not only are they safe, but they also provide adequate nutrients to

humans, and they do not seem to have a negative effect on the environment as well (Abboud). In

fact, they could potentially be helping the environment. By engineering organisms to be

insect-resistant, it can eliminate the need to spray these crops with chemicals that might disturb

the existing environmental balance (Davies). However, because GMOs are still relatively

young, it is possible that further tests in the future could potentially reveal more about these

modified crops.

Finally, it is important to recognize that genetically modified foods also have many

benefits on a global basis. Although we do not know the long-term effects that GMOs can have

on humans, it is obvious that the long-term effects on the food supply definitely have an

advantageous impact on the agriculture industry (Abboud). Overall, genetically modified foods

have increased global food security. Because these modified organisms are designed to

overcome issues such as drought and pesticides, they are considerably easier to grow and
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cultivate (Davies). As a result, they have become a crucial part of agriculture and sustainability

towards the global food supply. Dr. Adewale Obadina, the Director of the Biochemistry Centre

in Nigeria, explained that by 2050, it is possible that the world would have to feed over 9.1

billion people which would require an increase in food production by 70 percent. In order to

address the issue of food production, many farmers have resorted to GMOs in crop production

(Genetically modified maize). Using genetically modified foods has become an essential

component in the agricultural economy in order to meet the growing population of the world.

Most importantly, without GMOs, some foods would be so expensive that many Americans

would not be able to afford them. Consider how many people can afford purchasing all organic

food. The health of Americans and food adequacy would suffer tremendously (Abboud).

Genetically modified foods have proven to be more beneficial than detrimental. This

may come as a surprise to many due to the media shaping the publics perception. As with

anything, individuals must examine all of the research and evidence in order to make their own

conclusions. With all issues considered, the prevalence of genetically modified food in todays

society is undeniable.
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Works Cited

Abboud, Rita. Personal interview. 12 Mar. 2017.

Davies, Bryan Thomas. "Agricultural Biotechnology." Biotechnology: In Context, edited by

Brenda Wilmoth Lerner and K. Lee Lerner, Gale, 2012. In Context Series. Global Issues

in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/MVUGCH204530581/GIC?u=mass12242&xid=4 377d5d7.

Accessed 28 Dec. 2016.

"Genetically modified maize, others; how safe are these foods?" Nigerian Tribune [Oyo State,

Nigeria], 6 Nov. 2016. Global Issues in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A469216476/GIC?u=mass12242&xid=d0b579e4. Accessed

30 Dec. 2016.

Gupta, Divyahans. "The Problems Caused by Genetically Engineered Foods Must Be Resolved."

Genetically Engineered Foods, edited by Debra A. Miller, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At

Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,

ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHig

hlighting=false&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&prodId

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play-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GA

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Accessed 15 Nov. 2016. Originally published as "Food Frenzy: Growing Concerns Over

Genetically Modified Foods," Triple Helix Online, 26 Jan. 2011.

Lynas, Mark. GMO Safety Debate Is Over. Cornell Alliance for Science, 24 May 2016,

allianceforscience.cornell.edu/blog/mark-lynas/gmo-safety-debate-over. Accessed 14

May 2017.

Patibandla, Divya. GMOs vs. organic food, Survey. 15 April 2017.