1. What are GMO's
There is a lot of talk about what is and isn’t a GMO. Essentially GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. This means GMO isn’t a new crop or a new product it is a breeding technology used to enhance crops we already have. According to an article published in Popular Science magazine- “Scientists extract a bit of DNA from an organism, modify or make copies of it, and incorporate it into the genome of the same species or a second one. They do this by either using bacteria to deliver the new genetic material, or by shooting tiny DNA-coated metal pellets into plant cells with a gene gun. While scientists can't control exactly where the foreign DNA will land, they can repeat the experiment until they get a genome with the right information in the right place.”
2. Not just agriculture uses GMO's
The medical world has put GMO’s to use in a variety of different drugs such as insulin and the common pill Humira.
3. GMO's can occur naturally
The first GMO crop was a sweet potato some 8,000 years ago. Bacteria in the soil made this first and all natural GMO possible. In this case the bacteria was able to help domesticate the crop and make the roots edible.
4. GMO's do not cause food allergies
Companies are under high regulation from the FDA about how these GMOs will affect the body, including allergies. These tests are not mandatory for companies but if not completed the FDA reserves the right to stop the production of those products.
5. GMO's means higher sustainability
Most GMO’s were created to increase yields and create seed that had added value such as wheat that was drought resistant. With GMO’s being in a farmers toolbox it is creating more efficient agriculture. Less pesticide is used as a result. GMO’s also allow less water to be used as a result of the drought resistant gene.
6. Long term studies have been conducted
From the rise of GMO’s in 1994 there have been more than 1,700 peer- reviewed safety studies published, claiming that GMO’s are no more a health risk than other conventional crops.
7. Genetic modification is not a new technology
Many people think of GMOS as a new technology, when in reality GMO’s have occurred for thousands of years. 10,000 years ago the corn being produced was small and hard to grow. Ancient humans took that corn and bred it to better species therefore increasing the quality of the corn. Scientists have looked at the DNA from modern corn and found that it took a small change in the crops genome to improve the production and quality.
8. Not all crops are GMO's
While the use of this technology is spreading not all crops have been affected by the GMO wave. Most of the corn, papaya, and sugar beets grown in the United States are considered GMO. That being said most of the food supply in the U.S. is GMO free.
9. GMO's are safe to eat
A 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 9 out of 10 scientists from the American Association for the Advancement of Science claim that GMO’s are “generally safe” to eat. In addition numerous other organizations such as the American Medial Association have ruled that GMO’s are okay to consumer.
10. GMO's are helping everyones pocketbook
David Zilberman, a U.C. Berkeley agricultural and environmental economist claims that GMOS are helping lower the price of food. This helps everyone as food costs are becoming higher and higher in America today. They are able to do this by creating more product for the U.S. food supply.
11. Farmers care about their crops
Farmers and Ranchers want to ensure that they are providing a safe and wholesome food supply for the world. Many farmers use GMO’s to improve crop yields and the overall quality of the product they are producing. While farming is a business it is also a way of life for families across the nation.
While this technology can seem scary, it is working wonders in the agriculture industry in helping produce a wholesome supply of food to the nation and the world.
For more information here are a few articles I found while researching.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-trut...
