My topic is on Should GMO's be banned in the United States?
I have talked a lot about GMO's in the past few years, probably because my mom who does grow her own garden has concerns about it and the effect it has. She has open the door for me of wanting to know and educating myself and others about GMO's. I was not aware that people truly did not know much about GMO's until last spring semester in a nutrition class I took and one of my assignments I discussed GMO's briefly and was shocked that people did not know much about them or about them at all. I picked this because everyone has a right to know what is in their food and if it safe for consumption and the environment.
GMO's have become a huge concern worldwide. What is a GMO? Genetically Modified Organism GMO's are organisms that have had foreign DNA added to the cell by gene splicing. More and more food that we buy everyday is using GMO's and they don't have to tell you that they contain it. GMO's for food also known as a GM foods are made to make your food stay good longer, to help fight against pests, and viruses it all sounds good right? But what are the risks involved? GMO's was passed without any human studies done, the FDA doesn't require companies to provide proof that it is safe is it just me that finds all this suspicious? Why have so many other countries banned GMO's? Do we know the effects it has on humans or animals? People have said it has made insects stomachs explode made some animals stomachs turn to mush, but its okay for consumption of humans? what about the effects it has on bees? or cross-pollination? What are the consequences of GMO's?
Throughout this blog, I will address many questions about GMO's and the effects they have. I will back up all my information through scientific research.
.
Hi, Caila,
ReplyDeleteIt was curious to me to read your post and useful to know that FDA simply allows companies to sell these products without sufficient research. Consequently, this information raises my questions: Why no one paid attention at this moment? Can products marked as organic contain GMO also? I agree with you that the situation looks weird. We have so many rules and regulations in any industry, but as it turned out that the main things like safety are so vulnerable.
Another excellent topic Caila! I find it interesting and am glad you mentioned that people have a right to know what is in their food. I completely agree that people should know, and am glad that some states are starting the process of having this type of information be required on food labeling. Some states are likely to pass this sort of legislation quicker than others though, so it's something we should keep an eye on. One question I would add to your research inquiries is whether or not all GMOs are bad. I think people have a tendency to assume that all GMOs are bad, but are they? I would agree that certain GMOs, like the ones that simply increase the size or yield of a crop at the expense of vitamin content, are indeed bad for the health of whoever is consuming them. On the other hand, if a simple modification means that a crop doesnt need to be sprayed with potentially harmful pesticides, while maintaining their nutrition content, then maybe it's a good thing. I wouldnt agree that there should be a blanket ban on all GMOs, but at the same time, we need more research to determine if some GMOs should indeed be banned. I think it all comes down to needing more research in the field.
ReplyDeleteHello Caila,
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in your topic because I don’t know a whole lot about GMO’s. I am appalled as well to find out that GMO’s got the stamp of approval without first being tested on how they affect the human body. How come pharmaceutical companies spend years testing drugs before they go on the market? How does something more important like our food slip through the cracks? I agree with you and want to know what’s in our food so I can make wise choices at the grocery store versus suffering the consequences of continuing to consume GMO’s. I wonder why other nations have banned them and not the US? Is it all about money? You mentioned people have observed how horribly GMO’s affect animals. I hope you include the results from studies done on animals in your blog. It makes me wonder how many new organisms are being created now? What will they be used for? I look forward to reading what you find out.
Hi Caila,
ReplyDeleteI like the topic you chose. It's a very interesting topic because GMO's are generally meant to be a movement to better our food yet it is very possible it is poisoning our food. It is important for us to know what we are putting in our bodies, although I am sure some people don't care. Something I am curious about is that even if we know GMO's are in the food that we are consuming, we still don't know that it is bad for us, or if one GMO is worse than another. I am sure you can find a lot of information on this though. There has been a lot of controversy over it and it seems to be gaining speed. There has to be tests that are being done to verify these claims or to prove them wrong. If not, I would agree with you that it is very suspicious! I am interested to know what information you dig up!
Caila,
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading your future post on GMO's. This topic is one I seem to discuss with people pretty often these days. I completely agree that we must take the consequences of GMO's seriously and that it deserves more rigorous testing. I have been suspicious of the way we produce and consume food for the past few years and hope to learn a few things from this blog. Becoming more aware of my diet has led me to avoid GMO's whenever possible, but I still am open to discussion on these products if used properly. I feel that at our rate of consumption and population, we may have no other option than to continue mass producing high yielding genetically modified crops. Hopefully, we can begin to take a step toward making smarter choices about the safety of our diet and food production.