GMO's In Agriculture

  Think about the food you ate in the last 24 hours. If you ate any chips, bread, cereal, pasta sauce, or tomatoes then it is possible you have eaten a GMO. If you ate any corn, potatoes, or rice, then you may have eaten a GMO. Did you know that 70 to 80 percent of foods in the United States have ingredients that have been genetically modified? From Pringles to papaya, grocery store shelves are stocked with GMOs. In fact, the cotton in your shirt is a GMO. Now you’re probably wondering “what is a GMO?” A GMO is a genetically modified organism engineered to influence food quality, production, and safety.  Through the history of GMOs we learn that they undergo a long approval process but are still subject to controversy. 

    Contrary to what many believe, GMOs have been around for millions of years. Without knowing, our ancestors used selective breeding and artificial selection to change an organism's genes in their everyday lives. According to Harvard University, the earliest animal ever “genetically modified” was the domesticated wolf. Over the years, the wolves would be chosen depending on their strength and speed. Over time this influenced their size, hair, and shape. Another organism that has evolved through history is corn. At first corn was a wild grass, but after selective breeding, it reaches the corn cob that we know today. In 1973, Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen developed a new way to modify an organism. They discovered that a gene could be cut from one organism and “pasted” into a different organisms DNA.   The most disputed use of genetic engineering was and still is for food production. In 1987, the first experiments of genetically modified food crops, were set in motion. The first food crop to reach the market were genetically modified papayas. In 1940 a very bad wave of the papaya ringspot virus hit Hawaii, spreading like wildfire. By 1990 it had reached almost every area that grows papaya. Thanks to the genetically modified Rainbow papaya, the papayas in Hawaii were saved. Another genetically modified crop is Calgene’s Flavr Savr tomatoes. Through research scientists figured out a way to modify the tomatoes DNA to include a natural protein that increases the firmness of the tomato and extends the shelf life.

     Over the past 15 years the United States has made many new advancements in genetic modification. There are currently 10 genetically modified crops on the market.  Most corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, and sugar beets in the US have been genetically modified. Almost all GMOs were engineered to help solve three growing problems; food production, safety, and quality.   In 2050, food production will need to increase by 70 percent in order to feed the world population. As GMOs advance, they become a promising tool to handle the problem.  A GMO that has improved food production is flood tolerant rice. Food safety is also a key factor in the importance of GMOs. Many perceptions with food safety revolve around herbicides and pesticides. According to Robert Williams from George Mason University, GMOs have reduced the quantity of pesticide by 37 percent. The third problem GMOs are solving is food quality. The Arctic Apple was created to ‘appeal to the consumer.’ This apple had a gene implanted that helped it resist browning causing it to store longer. Scientists have also engineered soybeans that have eliminated trans fats which contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease.

    Although GMOs have many benefits, getting them on the market is not an easy process, sometimes taking more than 15 years and 135 million dollars. This all started during the Asilomar Conference of 1975, when many scientists, lawyers and government officials argued over the security of genetic engineering studies. It was decided that studies would be allowed as long as certain directions were followed. Safety and containment regulations were put in place to reduce the risks of the studies. Genetically modified crops are regulated by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The EPA is in charge of regulating biopesticides. The biopesticide has to be safe for the environment and non allergenic before they can approve the crop. The FDA regulates anything consumed by animals and humans. They are in charge of conducting a “food-safety analysis” to make sure that the food will not be a danger to anyone's health. As of right now there are eighteen genetically modified crops approved in the United States. However, even though these crops are approved not all of them are being produced due to not performing as well as they were supposed to. For example, the production of the Flavr Savr tomato was stopped because even though they were a hardier variety, they did not taste very good.

     Despite all the benefits of GMOs, many people still believe that GMOs can be harmful to people’s health. The first thing that pops up on google about GMOs is an article published by the Institute for Responsible Technology. At first the article explains what a GMO is, but about halfway through it switches to saying that GMOs are responsible for killing hundreds of animals. They claim that the biopesticide inserted into the DNA of a soybean caused the disturbance. However this proves to be false because the government will not allow a genetically modified crop out on the market without it being completely safe for everyone it will reach. Along with this speculation, there are many more. Many food companies market their food to be “non-GMO”. Because of this label many people have been blind sighted into buying a more expensive version of the same food. For example, the common cracker known as a Triscuit, has a passage on the back of the box saying that they use winter wheat that goes into their Non-GMO project crackers. Many people wouldn’t know that there is no such thing as genetically modified winter wheat on  the market. This proves that Triscuit has used the label “Non-GMO” to advertise their product.

     In conclusion, the controversy surrounding GMOs is not quite accurate. GMOs have helped free the environment of harmful pesticides, increased food production, and confirmed food safety. So over the next 24 hours, think about the food you’re eating. Are you eating a GMO?