Gmo Labeling free essay sample

A largely unknown controversy is taking place between a health conscious public and the food industry. Much of the food the American people eat is altered genetically. Genetically Modified Organisms or (GMO’s) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered by genetic engineering. These organisms include bacteria, yeast, plants, fish and many mammals. There is concern that certain forms of GMO’s could be hazardous to the environment. These genetic modifications also have people worried about the fact that there has not been much research done on the health effects of GMO’s on the human body, and some people feel it is their right to know what they put in their bodies. The problem is that there is no labeling of GMO’s on the majority of foods one would buy at your typical grocery food store that could help them be aware of this possible threat to their health. Typically if a company uses organic ingredients to make their food they take their time to label their product as non-GMO, if someone were to shop at their nearest Walmart, that person would have a difficult time finding a food item labeled as non-GMO. Personal experience has shown this to be true. Going by this information, one could assume that most food items at Walmart or any other grocery store are made with GMO ingredients. Again it is unknown by most that what they are eating is food made with ingredients that is not natural but altered in a lab. A big reason GMO’s exist in the first place is because they are praised as a solution to world hunger and farming costs. Genetically modified wheat for instance has been modified to resist drought, locusts, heat, and other natural occurrences that could destroy crops. The opposite may be true though. A 2003 report by the Soil Association states that genetically modified crops are costing farmers and governments more money than they are making. From the years 1999 to 2003 the estimated cost of GM crops on the US economy was around $12 billion. (Anslow, 2008). Much of the public that are aware of GM foods are highly against food with traces of GMO’s. In 2007 the vast majority of 11,700 responses to a United States government consultation were against contamination of organic food with traces of GM crops. (Anslow, 2008). A debate in 2003 showed that in the United Kingdom half the participants â€Å"never want to see GM crops grown in the United Kingdom under any circumstances† and that 96% thought that society knew too little about the health impacts of genetic modification. GMO’s were brought into the world by a chemical company named Monsanto. Monsanto is known for creating pesticides like DDT, PCBs and Agent Orange. Agent Orange is the chemical that was sprayed over Vietnam in order to kill off a big percentage of foliage, and credited for causing cancer amongst US troops. Why is the US public allowing a company known for creating harmful pesticides to create our food? GMO’s have earned the title of Frankenfoods by those who are aware of the weird science behind the genetic modification of natural food sources. Monsanto has created bovine growth hormones (rBGH) that infects milking cows that puts pus into commercial milk. Louis, 2012). GMO’s are created within the seeds of chosen parent crops in laboratories by splicing genes from completely unrelated species into those seeds. GMO’s have invaded soy, corn, beets, cotton and alfalfa. Monsanto and their GMO’s have proven to be harmful to the environment and the food chain. GMO’s can be created to tolerate herbicides, these herbicides contain glyphosates. Glyphosates can greatly harm grazing animals and pollute the wells and groundwater of the farming areas where they are used (Louis, 2012). These glyphosates that are sprayed on crops have been attributed to the decline of the honey bee, this decline in the honey bee is another danger to the environment and the food chain. The question that obviously has people worried the most is, what are the health risks? There have been very few credible studies on GM food safety. While there are no studies done on the effect of GMO’s on humans, there have been tests done on lab mice and other animals. Animals that are fed nothing but GM food have shown to have a higher infant mortality rate, organ damage and sterility. These results have been mostly ignored since there hasn’t been enough information to link GMO’s and the organ damage in the lab mice. However an article from Natural News states that medical patients that have followed strict non- GMO diets have experienced dramatic health recovery. These patients believe that GMO’s are one of the primary culprits responsible for their persistent conditions, and nutrition experts are starting to discover that this may be true, and a GMO free diet may reduce the need for aid from pharmaceutical drugs. (Ethan A. 2012). An analysis from Vitality Magazine explains how doctors who prescribe their patients with a GMO-free diet are witnessing huge recoveries in their patients. These patients who were told they would have to take pills everyday for the rest of their lives are now experiencing full recovery. (Ethan A. 2012). With the science we have now showing that there may be a link between health issues and GMO foods, why is it so difficult for companies to just label their products with a GMO sticker? The overwhelming majority of people believe that GMO’s should be done away with all together, as it can damage the environment, hurt the natural food chain. The leading company behind GMO’s has been known for essentially poisoning the environment. GMO’s are not a viable solution for world hunger and is not cost efficient for farmers, as it can damage their land. GMO’s need to be labeled to increase public awareness that the food they eat is modified, people can’t be tricked into believing what they eat is natural. So perhaps this labeling will be the first step in doing away with GMO’s all together. Let’s hope there can be an agreement before it’s too late and the world finds how dangerous GMO’s can really be.