Essay on Pros and Cons GMO

When buying and eating food, do you check where it came from, or what's in it? According to the Center for Food Safety, about 75% of the food we consume is made up of genetically modified ingredients. According to GMOs: Pros and Cons, "GMO,” which stands for a genetically modified organism, refers to any organism whose DNA has been modified using genetic engineering technology." (Raman,2022). Not knowing what added extra to the food individuals consume can be hazardous when it comes to allergies. Some of the harm GMOs can cause are health and environmental complications.

First, when it comes to health concerns linked with GMOs, there are numerous issues that they can cause to some individuals' health. The crops have added in proteins and other small fibers that aren't accounted for when marketed. In the article "GMO Dangers: Facts You Need to Know" Jonathan R. Latham quotes, "All this is doubly troubling because some Cry proteins are toxic towards isolated human cells. (Mizuki et al., 1999)." (Latham). In that quote, he is speaking about how some specific proteins are being added to the food we ingest but are toxic to our bodies.

Next, think about the damage that these GMOs can cause to our environment and how they can change the ecosystem around them and can perturb individuals. A scientist will change the DNA in organisms so that it is resistant to herbicides that are typically sprayed on plants to keep away weeds and other unwanted vegetation. This text from an article about GMOs states, "However, a growing number of weeds have developed resistance to this herbicide over time. This has led to even more Roundup being sprayed on crops to kill the resistant weeds because they can affect the crop harvest. Roundup and its active ingredient glyphosate are subject to controversy because animal and test-tube studies have linked them to various diseases" (Raman). The more we train plants to become resilient to herbicides, the higher concentration of the herbicide will need to become to kill them off.

With some long-term research needing to be done on GMOs, it's safe to keep your concerns in mind when eating food that contains them. Yes, they have their benefits such as being able to mass-produce crops cheaper and add extra flavor and nutrients to them. But, GMOs will always come with health and environmental concerns affixed to them. Though GMOs are created with good intentions, they are causing hazardest foods to be put on the market.