Genetically Modified Organism: Yes or No?

A genetically modified organism, or a GMO, is an organism who's DNA has been altered scientifically to produce certain desirable traits. Ever since their introduction to the market in the early 1900's, there have been debates on whether or not these foods can be considered safe for consumption. One side points out the unknown health effects that could arise from eating these unnatural organisms and the potential environmental damage, while the other side argues that this breakthrough could keep thousands of tons of pesticides off of our food and maybe even put an end to world hunger. In my opinion, the possible rewards of producing and perfecting these organisms far outweigh the risks.

Plants are now able to be grown that have resistance to insects or chemicals designed to kill weeds, both of which are known to cause significant losses to crops, inflating prices and financially crippling many farmers. B.t. corn is one example of a crop that was given the special ability to ward off caterpillars. After ingesting the corn, the caterpillar will stop feeding and eventually die. Other plants have been given a gene that makes them immune to some herbicides, making it possible to spray a field with a weed killer to eliminate weeds rather than going through and tilling the soil. This lowers labor costs dramatically, lowering prices and helping farmers stay profitable. Both of these traits are important to keeping food on our tables and our economy moving along.

Opponents of genetically modified organisms claim that there are significant health risks involved in tampering with the genetic make-up of the foods we eat on a daily basis. They state that we can't know what the long term effects of these organisms on the human body will be, so we shouldn't use them until we're sure. This argument doesn't really hold water, however, because we have now been eating these plants for just shy of twenty years and, to date, no evidence has turned up to show that GMOs are causing any kind of health problems. They also like to point out that genes from potentially allergenic plants could be used in other plants and create deadly reactions when consumed by the wrong person. This, for the most part, can be avoided by using common sense. If there are a lot of instances of allergic reactions with a particular food, don't use its genes in other food. This common sense was put to good use when scientists decided not to use a gene from a Brazilian nut in soybeans because of the possibility of allergic reactions. I believe that a few more years of research will put to rest the notion that these plants, when engineered responsibly, have no adverse effect on the health of those that eat them.

Probably the most important reason the rewards outweigh the risks in this situation is the potential to help decrease world hunger and malnutrition. The US Department of Agriculture says that since the mid 1990s,

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