Controversial topic - Essay Example

The Inevitable Future of Genetically Modified Organisms Intro: GMOs refer to plants and animals whose genes have been changed by scientists Claim: Food GMOs appear to be safe to produce and eat, but we should also provide more funding for research and regulation so that we can be more certain of their safetyImportant concerns exist, but 3 reasons to support GMO research and development: Definite benefits in agriculture; No ill health effects reported; Projected benefit for world hungerAgriculturally, concerns over effects of crops on non-target species and gene-flowDifficult to come to agreement because it’s hard to define “harm” to the environment – i.e., we don’t know how a) dramatic the change needs to be, to be considered “significant” b) how quickly such change will happen & be observable, and c) what different things might be responsible for causing the change in the first placeRegarding effects on non-target species, a 2012 study showed that GM fields which used herbicide-resistant crops a) were sprayed with more herbicides, b) had dramatically reduce weeds, and c) could be linked to dramatically reduced monarch butterfly populations which rely on milkweed [1]Regarding effects due to gene-flow, the EPA showed in 2010 that 83% of wild or weedy canola contains genetically-modified herbicide-resistant genes that were linked to GMO canola crops [2]; if the canola plant were a “pest plant”, this could hurt the environmentDespite concerns, benefits are important.

Population is increasing, while land for agriculture is limited, so the high-yield benefits of GMOs may make them necessaryInsect-resistance strains significantly decrease pest populations while increasing non-pest insect populations; insect-resistant strains also decreased the amount of pesticides used – and their negative effect on the environment – by 15%, in 2006 [3]As for consumption of GMOs, there has never been a long term study done on the human health effects from eating GMOs, so debate is really about riskAccording to World Health Organization, no ill health effects have so far been reported [4]Many scientists claim that GMOs will be crucial to solving world hunger problemsFew studies have been done on edible crops, but studies on GMO cotton have showed decreases in farming costs and dramatic increases in crop yields [5]In closing, there are clear agricultural benefits (even though there are risks, too); the consumption of GMOs appears to be safe; GMOs will likely reduce world hungerAlso, not as much resistance as might believed: a series of studies from the Pew Institute showed that most Americans do not support the banning of GMO foods, but instead want the safety of the foods highly regulated [6]End with quote from economist Paul Collier, of Oxford University: “Genetic modification is analogous to nuclear power: nobody loves it, but climate change has made its adoption imperative.

” [7] In this case, increasing world population, combined with decreasing farmable land, may make the adoption of GMOs inevitable. So, let’s fund more research and oversight of GMO production.Works Cited[1]. Marcotty, Josephine. Study ties GMO corn, soybeans to butterfly losses. Star Tribune. Web. Retrieved 21 Oct. 2012.[2]. Eisberg, Neil. GM crops are on the move. Chemistry and Industry. Ten Alps Publishing: 7 November 2011. HighBeam Research. Web. Retrieved 21 Oct. 2012.[3]. Brookes, Graham & Barfoot, Peter. 2008. Global Impact of Biotech Crops: Socio-Economic and Environmental Effects, 1996-2006 AgBioForum, Volume 11, Number 1, Article 3.[4]. World Health Organization.

20 questions on genetically modified foods. Who.int. Web. Retrieved 21 Oct. 2012.[5]. Raney, Terri, and Prahbu Pingali. "Sowing A Gene Revolution." SCIAM.com. Web. Septmber 2007. 11 September 2008. [6]. Memo from The Mellman Group, Inc. to The Pew Initiative On Food And Biotechnology, 16 November 2006. Review Of Public Opinion Research.[7]. Editors, The. Can Biotech Food Cure World Hunger? NYTimes.com. Web. Retrieved 21 Oct. 2012.