The Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms

The Effects of Genetically Modified Organisms

In the case of genetically modified organisms, or GMO's, there are many viewpoints surrounding the effects of introducing manipulated genetic codes into our current food supply. Blind consumers, common farmers, and corporate entities that produce GMO's, all see GMO use differently. What is truly happening? The results have been dramatic. Well, what we eat is being altered to produce higher yields, grow faster and most importantly make more money. Our own history is outlining outcomes of humans ingesting, producing, and controlling modified foods.

Instead of ingesting what nature has provided, people ingest genetically altered food often without realizing it. We see examples of these foods in most grocery items. (Just read the ingredients on any label.) The same altered properties that create a tough potato strain or grow larger cows could prove poisonous to people and/or result in unknown allergic reactions. Even worse are the growing concerns regarding "pharmaceutical modifications" in our food supply. What about removing healthy properties from our food? It has been done. The long-term effects are widely unknown. Sadly, our country has the fewest regulations for experimental GMO's use.

Favorably, many herbicide and insect resistant strains have reached successful results for various kinds of crops. A few farmers have even made more money. Unfortunately, many farmers have been economically forced to use modified stains of crops. Pressure to purchase modified seeds in order compete in their own market is the most common of economic pressures for farmers. Furthermore, most altered crops cannot self-germinate and the farmers are forced into continuous purchases of seed. Self-germinating modified strains are virtually beyond being regulated at this point, since nature is a powerful thing and cross- pollination with unmodified crops is largely immeasurable.

Since profits from mutating nature have proven substantial to huge companies, Corporations like DuPont and Monsanto have claimed ownership of their reinvented genetic codes in order to protect what they perceive as "intellectual property". The ethical debate of whether or not humans should patent nature arises. Corporations do not find profits in ethics. Most European countries do not share the same attitude towards GMO's;