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Genetically Modified Foods

Did you know that Genetically Modified Foods could help provide food in starving nations? Genetically modified foods are beneficial in many ways. One of the reasons why they are beneficial is because the more food supply, the lower the prices are in grocery stores. Also, most products in grocery stores haves GMOs. The last reason is because GMOs are safe. Genetically modified foods are beneficial and are very important to have. Using genetic engineering scientists can take a gene from one organism and insert it into another organism that doesnt have the gene; this is how GMOs are made. GMOs are genetically modified organisms that go through genetic engineering to alter its genes which come from more than one source. Genetic engineering creates an organism with a desired characteristic or trait quickly and easily. First, special enzymes act as scissors and cut out the desired gene. A gene shows what traits or characteristic an organism has. The enzymes are sensitive to the DNA sequence and will only cut DNA at specific spots. Many different enzymes cut in different places on the DNA, so the enzyme that is used depends on the sequence of DNA surrounding the desired gene. After the desired gene is cut out, scientists make an expression cassette. The expression cassette consists of additional DNA that surrounds the gene. This happens so that the cell knows where the desired gene begins and ends. The promoter is the part that tells the cell where the gene starts and the terminator tells it where the gene ends. After the expression cassette is made, it is inserted into a plasmid. By doing this, millions of copies can be made. Then these copies are introduced into the host cell and get inserted into

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the genome. Once the cells have successfully inserted the foreign gene into their genome, they are then expanded in cell culture and are used to generate new organisms (Chaundry,1). This is how genetic modification works. Wouldnt you want lower prices on food in grocery stores? By 2050, there will be 9 billion people in the world, that is a lot of mouths to feed (Dnews,np). Without genetically modified food it will take longer and be harder to make food. Therefore, the prices at the grocery stores will be very high especially with 9 billion mouths to feed. Advocates feel that genetically modified foods will help provide food to the worlds continually expanding population (Chaudry,2). Secondly, GMOs allows farmers to make more food than there would be if they just grew crops and farmed. Genetic modification can make plants through several different methods. Genetic engineering techniques can be introduced to genes to make them become resistant to factors like insects, weeds, disease, cold temperature, and drought. These environmental factors could affect a plant negatively. Also, the more food farmers grow, the more food could be supplied to starving nations. With the help of GMOs, this goal could be reached. Lastly, it allows farmers to make a lot of food without a lot of work which means, that the prices at the grocery stores will be lower. The use of genetically modified crops has lowered the price of food, according to David Ziberman, a U.C. Berkley agricultural and economist, he is one of the few researchers that is considered credible by agricultural chemical companies and their critics (Freedman,82). It is evident that GMOs are very beneficial. Wouldnt you want lower prices on food in grocery stores?

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Genetically modified foods are beneficial because most products in grocery stores have GMOs. For example, 90% of soy, cotton, beets, and canola are genetically modified (Dnews,np). Also, 60-70% of processed foods in U.S grocery stores have genetically modified ingredients (Jones,1). As you can see, this data shows that a lot of products in grocery stores have GMOs. This also means that most likely, almost every person in the U.S has eaten a food product that contains GMOs in it. Also, Monstato company, which accounts for 90% share of genetically modified crops worldwide, states, they are more thoroughly tested than any other food on grocers shelves to date (Jones,3). In spite of hundreds of millions of genetic experiments involving every type of organism on earth says Robert Goldberg, a plant molecular biologist at the University of California, and people eating billions of meals without a problem, weve gone back to being ignorant(Freeman,82). As has been noted, it is very clear to me that GMOs benefit us in many ways. The last reason why genetically modified foods are beneficial is because GMOs are safe. Agencies responsible for ensuring food and health say, That newer biotechnology techniques do not result in food which is inherently less safe than that produced by conventional ones (Britt, 37). Also, genetically modified foods have a stronger resistance to insects and disease. Lastly, all of the U.S. government says that genetically engineered crops are safe. Genetically modified foods are safe and benefit our lives greatly. If genetically modified foods are safe then why not have them?

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Genetically modified foods are beneficial in so many ways. The reasons why they are beneficial are because the more food supply, the lower the prices are in grocery stores. Also, most products in grocery stores haves GMOs. Another reason is because GMOs are safe. After all, GMOs could change the lives of people in starving nations.