Kami Kalandjian

Professor Reynolds

English 113B

9 May 2012

                                                Is it Worth the Risk?

The food industry is constantly changing and over the past decade has turned into something dealing with more science than food, from artificial flavors to 0.99-cent hamburgers.  Today’s technology is very advanced in the food industry and scientists are able to make food cheap for the recent rise in their prices.  Genetically modified organisms or GMOs help out with keeping the prices of food low, but should people reconsider their health for savings.

A genetically modified organism is defined as an organism that has had its DNA altered (Butler).  This definition can mean that they were created in the lab, but can also mean that accidental occurrences can cause two different DNAs to combine naturally.  This means that GMOs could have been created in the wild on accident.  Even though people only think of a laboratory when they hear the word GMO.  Scientists wouldn’t know how to alter the plant’s DNA without knowing how the DNA works or more importantly how it is structured (Butler). Two scientists discovered the structure of the DNA in 1953, which helped science take a huge leap forward by making genetic modifications possible. Then in 1973 two scientists, Herbert Boyer and Stanley Cohen, “invented the process of genetic engineering” (Butler). This was a major break through because it was the beginning of GMOs that are being produced in laboratories today.  Eight years later the research in GMOs skyrocketed and corporations started making patents for their GMO products (Butler).

            John F. Queeny founded Monsanto, an agricultural company, in 1901.  Today it is known as a multi-billion dollar corporation that controls 90% of genetically engineered crops.  Before they became a major company they started at the bottom and their first was sugar. In 1982, Monsanto was the first to genetically modify a plant cell and during the same time they joined with another major seed company called Jacob Hertz Seed Co.  Hertz Seed Co. is known for their soybean seeds. This would help Monsanto because soy is one of four important crops being genetically modified today (Monsanto).

            The steps to make a GMO are fairly simple but they are difficult to engineer.  A GMO contains three different components. They are the “gene you want to transfer, the organism you want to put it into (target species), and a vector to carry the gene into the target species cell” (Nova).  One of those genes is used for the pesticides and the other gene is used to make the crop produce better yields. So the person eating a GMO product is actually eating two other different types of organisms.  

             In the past couple of years food prices have been rising and falling. In today’s market organic food is priced higher than food that contains GMOs.  One reason for the price difference is because there are a lot more GMO crop fields than organic fields.  But let us see where the price difference starts, at the farm.  In 1998, a survey was done on farmers in Iowa comparing the profits between organic fields and GMO fields.  Half of the farmers said the GMO seeds produced better yields because of improved pest control.  The GMO seed already contains the pesticide so the farmer does not have to spray his field with it.  More than a fourth of the farmers (27%) said they showed a decrease in pesticide cost.  On the organic side, farmers found out they produced a slightly higher yield with soybean than farmers who used GMO soybeans. Even though organic crops and GMO crops seem to be equal, the main difference is in seed cost. GMO seeds cost $26.42 per acre and organic seeds cost $18.89 per acre (Duffy). However GMO seeds cost more they produce more yields without the use of more pesticides, which cuts cost. This is interesting to see because GMO seeds and non-GMO seeds produce almost the same amount of money per acre, but foods that contain GMOs are cheaper. 

            When GMOS first came out the FDA never did full testing on them and what effects they could have toward humans or mammals.  Russian scientists performed an experiment by feeding a group of hamsters organic soy and another group GMO soy.  At first the both groups of hamsters were doing okay, but later in the experiment they noticed some problems with the hamsters that were eating the GMO soy.  The growth and their sexual maturity rate for the GMO hamsters were slow.  For the other group of hamsters with regular soy everything was normal.  But the third generation of GMO soy hamsters was not able to reproduce.  Another strange thing the scientists noticed was hair growing out of the hamsters’ mouth (Moscow Time).  These conclusions are not sufficient enough for humans, but once France found out this experiment, “GM maize was harmful to mammals” (Moscow Time) they banned its production and sale. The Russian scientists said they need to do further testing to come up with a solid conclusion for humans.

            Even though GMOs did not show a significant impact on human health, GMOs can cause allergic reactions. Almost all food allergies come from a specific protein that can come from these foods: milk, eggs, wheat, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, soybeans, and shellfish.  For example, if someone is allergic to peanuts and they eat a food product that contains the protein from peanuts, they are going to get an allergic reaction and could possibly die from it.

            In conclusion, GMOs are not cost effective and do not show a significant impact towards human health. And experimenting on hamsters is not adequate information to fully stop the production and sale of GMOs.  The FDA needs to further testing on GMOs to see what their consequences actually are.  In my opinion GMOs are not worth the risk of a person’s health and should be labeled. I believe organic is the way to go.  

Work Cited

Butler, Tamsen. "History of GMOs." LoveToKnow. LoveToKnow Corp., 2006-2012.

Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

Duffy, Mike. "Does Planting GMO Seed Boost Farmers' Profits?" Leopold Center for

Sustainable Agriculture. Iowa State University, Oct. 1999. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

Eisberg, Neil. "GMOs or Not." Chemistry & Industry, 20 (2011): 4.

“Engineer a Crop: Transgenic Manipulation.” Nova Online. 2001. 12 December 2008. 09

May 2012.

Genetic Engineering: The World's Greatest Scam? Perf. Green Peace. Genetic

Hubbard, Sylvia B. "Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe?" Health, Fitness and

Medical Advice. NewsMax Media, 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

"Infinite Unknown." Russian Scientists Prove Genetically Modified Foods Are Harmful,

Suggest Ban on GM Foods. Moscow Time, 16 Apr. 2010. Web. 09 May 2012.

International, Green Peace. "Bayer Admits GMO Contamination Is Out of Control."

Organic Consumers Association. Organic Consumers Associations, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

M, Kristen. "Are GMOs Safe?" Food Renegade. Food Renegade, 7 June 2010. Web. 21

Mar. 2012.

"Who We Are." Monsanto ~ Company History. Monsanto Company, 2002-2011. Web.

24 Apr. 2012. 

Butler, Tamsen. "History of GMOs." LoveToKnow. LoveToKnow Corp., 2006-2012.

Web. 24 Apr. 2012.

This website explains the history about GMOs or genetically modified organisms.  They are defined as “an organism that has been genetically altered by something other than natural causes.”  This means that they could either been altered in the wild naturally or in the laboratory by scientists.  In the early days scientists needed to find out what the DNA is before they could they could genetically alter plant cells.  The discovery of the DNA was in “1953.”  Then in 1973 was the discovery of the process of “genetic engineering.”             

"Who We Are." Monsanto ~ Company History. Monsanto Company, 2002-2011. Web.

24 Apr. 2012.

This is Monsanto’s official website.  In the section that I used, they are talking about their history dating all the back to the start of Monsanto when it was founded in 1901 by John F. Queeny.  That year they started producing their first product, which was sugar.  Then in 1982 Monsanto was the first to discover genetic engineering, their first alteration was a plant’s cell.  In the same year they partnered with Jacob Hartz Seed Co and they are known for their soybean seeds.

International, Green Peace. "Bayer Admits GMO Contamination Is Out of Control."

Organic Consumers Association. Organic Consumers Associations, 9 Dec. 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

This website talks about the contamination of an organic crop because of GMO crops close by.  “Bayer has admitted it has been unable to control the spread of its genetically-engineered organisms despite ‘the best practices [to stop contamination]’(1).”  A trail was formed because of this and Bayer CropScience LP had to pay “$2 million US dollars” to two Missouri farmers because CropScience contaminated the farmers rice crops with experimental GMO rice.  Green Peace International has added up all the costs because of GMO contamination and the sum is “$741 million to 1.285 billion US dollars.”

Hubbard, Sylvia B. "Are Genetically Modified Foods Safe?" Health, Fitness and

Medical Advice. NewsMax Media, 15 Jan. 2010. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.

This article talks about GMOs and how they are in most of our foods.  About “65%” of supermarket shelves contain at least one GMO in the food product.  And there isn’t an easy way to tell if the food product contains a GMO.  A poll done by CBS showed that 53 percent of Americans wouldn’t buy a food product if they knew it had a GMO in it. There is no U.S. law stating that GMO food products don’t need to be labeled. Parts of Europe and countries like Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand require food products to be labeled if they contain GMOs.  There has been a study by Russian scientists on GMOs and feeding them to rats.  The rats had signs of liver and kidney problems and some died when they were fed foods that contained GMOs.

M, Kristen. "Are GMOs Safe?" Food Renegade. Food Renegade, 7 June 2010. Web. 21

Mar. 2012. <http://www.foodrenegade.com/are-gmos-safe/>.

The government and the FDA should be the ones to protect us, the citizens, from any harm or dangerous chemicals that could be put in out food. It is the job of the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration, to test and check things out.   Bugs are getting into our food and people are still eating it without knowing.  At least they should let us know which foods contain GMOs.  It is understandable to hear the idea that GMOs could help stop world hunger and eventually feed 9 billion people in 2050, but Americans already waste 40% of their food.  That 40% could already go to Africa or a country that is malnourished.

Genetic Engineering: The World's Greatest Scam? Perf. Green Peace. Genetic

Engineering: The World's Greatest Scam? GreenpeaceVideo, 11 Sept. 2009. Web. 21

Mar. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H9WZGKQeYg>.

Monsanto is an agricultural company that is controlling genetically engineered crops.  They own about 90 percent of GMOs and have turned it into a corporate monopoly.  Once GMOs are released into the open air they can’t be controlled like they would be in the lab.  If the GMO gene goes into a neighboring organic crop it will contaminate that organic crop.  This will eventually lead to all organic crops being contaminated if we don’t do something about it now.

Eisberg, Neil. "GMOs or Not." Chemistry & Industry, 20 (2011): 4.

In this article it talks about feeding people in other parts of the world that are starving using GMO crops.  “Feeding the world’s burgeoning population has been identified by individuals and groups.”  It is going to be a “challenge” to make happen when in 2050 there are going to be 9 billion people on earth.  People think that the “traditional methods” such as plant breeding, is the best way to solve this problem.  Other people believe that using genetically engineered plants are going to solve the population crisis.  GMOs raise more problems than their “traditional counterparts,” because GMOs are connected to “health, environment and ethical concerns.”

"Rethinking the GMO Revolution - Matters Here and There [opinion]." Africa News

Service, (2012): NA.

It this article is talks about genetically modified organisms have been the discussion for the past decade because they are “beneficial properties” and also the “potential for changing the face of agriculture on the continent” of Africa.  But groups against GMOs are focusing on “health, environmental concerns, and sustainability question among others.”  GMOs don’t really have any health problems, but research has “proved that some cancers and genetic disorders can be traced to the consumption of GM foods.” GMOs also raise environmental concerns because there would be a “loss of biodiversity and the development of herbicide resistance in weeds.”  Weeds and herbicide are becoming like the flu and the flu shot.  The flu is getting stronger and stronger so we need stronger flu medicine to get rid of it.