GMO

Chipotle announced Monday that the chain will no longer serve food containing genetically modified
organisms (GMO), raising the bar for transparency in the United States, where there’s no requirement to
indicate the presence of GMO ingredients on food labels or in restaurants. Likewise, biotechnology
companies aren’t required to report which genetically modified seeds are used in production.

Yet the use of GMOs is undoubtedly widespread. Since GMOs were approved for commercial use, and
then first planted into U.S. soil in 1996, their production has increased dramatically. More than 90% of all
soybean cotton and corn acreage in the U.S. is used to grow genetically engineered crops. Other popular
and approved food crops include sugar beets, alfalfa, canola, papaya and summer squash. More recently,
apples that don’t brown and bruise-free potatoes were also approved by the FDA.

1. Corn

Genetically modified corn turns up in many different products in the U.S. — and corn on the cob is the
least of it. This crop is used to produce many different ingredients used in processed foods and drinks,
including high-fructose corn syrup and corn starch. But the bulk of the GM corn grown around the world
is used to feed livestock. Some is also converted into biofuels.

33 Genetically Modified Varieties

2. Soybeans

The second largest U.S. crop after corn, GM soy is used primarily in animal feed and in soybean oil—
which is widely used for processed foods and in restaurant chains. In fact, soybean oil accounts for 61%
of Americans' vegetable-oil consumption. It's also often used to make an emulsifier called soy lecithin,
which is present in a lot of processed foods, including dark chocolate bars and candy.
20 Genetically Modified Varieties

3. Cotton

Much of GM cotton is turned into cottonseed oil, which is used for frying in restaurants and in packaged
foods like potato chips, oily spreads like margarine, even things like cans of smoked oysters. Some parts
of the plant are also used in animal feed, and what's left over can be used to create food fillers such as
cellulose.

16 Genetically Modified Varieties

4. Potatoes

A new kid on the block, the very recently approved GM crop is resistant to bruising and may produce less
of a cancer-causing chemical, called acrylamide, when exposed to high heat. It has not yet seen adoption
in the food supply, but is expected to be.

6 Genetically Modified Varieties

5. Papaya

Bred to withstand ringspot virus, which can destroy papaya plants, these genetically engineered
'Rainbow Papayas' were first commercially produced in the late 1990s. Much of the yield is grown in
Hawaii.

2 Genetically Modified Varieties

6. Squash
Zucchini and yellow summer squash have been commercially available in the U.S. since the mid- to
late-'90s, though GM squash accounts for just 25,000 acres of farmland, by some estimates.

2 Genetically Modified Varieties

7. Canola

GM canola is used to make oil for cooking, as well as margarine. It's also used to produce emulsifiers that
are used in packaged foods. By some estimates, 90% of canola grown in the U.S. and Canada is GM.

2 Genetically Modified Varieties

8. Alfalfa

In a controversial decision in 2011, the FDA approved the commercial use of GM alfalfa that contains a
gene making it resistant to herbicide. The crop is used mainly as hay for cattle.

2 Genetically Modified Varieties

9. Apples

Another newly approved crop, this apple from a Canadian biotech company does not brown even after
it's been sliced. It recently received FDA approval. The agency said it is safe to eat, which means they
may appear on supermarket shelves.

1 Genetically Modified Varieties

10. Sugar Beets

More than half the granulated sugar in the United States comes from GM sugar beets,which have been
in production since 2008. Though their use was temporarily halted due to safety concerns, production
resumed in 2011.

1 Genetically Modified Varieties

10 Advantages and Disadvantages of GMOs

Genetically modified organisms or GMOs are a product of a form of scientific farming, where crops are
administered with chemicals to increase their sizes and yields. It is becoming more and more common in
many types of food we see every day. But due to its concept, it has been a topic in heated debates
around the world, with proponents and opponents pushing their arguments. Here are the critical GMOs
advantages and disadvantages:

List of Advantages of GMOs

1. They offer more useful knowledge for genetics.

The mapping of GMO genetic material has increased knowledge about genetic alterations and paved the
way for the enhancement of genes in crops to make them more beneficial in terms of production and
human consumption. For instance, crops can be engineered to resist unfavorable temperatures or
produce higher yields, thus providing a greater level of genetic diversity in regions where climate hinders
productivity.

2. They allow for more profit.

GMOs have become a very efficient means for farmers to make larger profits, as it allows them to spend
less time on resources. It is also economically efficient in a way that these organisms are designed to be
pest-resistant, eliminating the need to use pesticides, which means more savings.

3. They add more value to crops.

Another great reason to grow GMO crops is that these plants will get added nutritional value, especially
among those that previously lack the necessary vitamins and minerals. As there are regions around the
world that heavily rely on rice or corn, plant genes can be added to such crops to boost their nutritional
value, which is particularly helpful in malnourished populations. And because GMOs are able to resist
pests and other plant diseases, crop yields will be increased without the farmers having to use
pesticides.

4. They are known to decrease the prices of food.

Advanced crops and higher yields certainly mean lower costs, which are a benefit that can be passed to
the consumers in the form of cheaper food products. This will be very helpful to families who cannot
afford to buy supplies for everyday consumption. This also means that starvation will be prevented.

5. They yield products that are found to be safe.

After precise testing and evaluation of GMOs and other related products, they are found to be safe for
human consumption. In fact, study shows that they are even safer compared to traditional crops.

List of Disadvantages of GMOs

1. They would make plants that leave unwanted residual effects to remain in the soil for a long period of
time.

The process of growing GMOs includes the addition of new genetic material into a crops genome, and
similar to bacterial genetic engineering in agricultural ecology, this means the introduction of new genes
in crops, like corn. Experimental cultivation of these crops started in the US and Canada in the 1980s and
became large scale and commercial in the mid 1990s. Now, research on the effects of large-scale growing
of GMOs has revealed various concerns on ecosystems with GMO strains, which are believed to have the
potential to alter agriculture. Particularly, GM plants had left unwanted or residual effects remaining in
the soil for extended periods of time after they were removed, alerting agricultural regulators. Data
shows that despite the absence of the genetically modified plants, their strain persisted for up to 6 years.

2. They can pose a threat to the insects that are important to the ecosystem.

GM crops are said to be dangerous to some insects, as their genes could be deadly to them. This is
definitely a serious issue when it comes to certain insects that are useful to the ecosystem, such as
butterflies, and are not actually dangerous to crops.
3. They can produce more weeds and can threaten the lives of animals.

Engineered plants are found to function as mediators to the transfer of genes to wild plants and the
creation of weeds. To keep them under control, scientists are inventing new herbicides that were not
necessary for non-GMO weeds and are toxic to various animals that feed on GMO crops, such as cows.
Tests have shown the uptake of these herbicides having toxic consequences on certain organisms and
the ecosystem in general.

4. They threaten crop diversity.

Those who oppose the creation of GMOs push their argument with regards to the effect of these
products on genetic diversity. They say that genes from GM crops can spread to organic farm crops,
threatening diversity in agriculture. If it does happen that crop diversity decreases, this will have a
serious impact on the population dynamics of other organisms and the entire ecosystem. While the
chance that the strain of one genetically modified crop could pollinate an already existing non-GM crop
is unpredictable and unlikely, as there are certain conditions to be met for cross pollination to occur, a
large-scale plantation has the ability to release a GM strain during pollination, thus increasing the risk. As
a result of the cross pollination to non-GM plants, hybrid strains are created, which means there is a
greater chance of ecological novelty to occur. New artificial strains will be introduced into the ecosystem
that can potentially decrease the level of biodiversity through competition.

5. They are believed to change the field of agriculture in a negative way.

Research on the effects of growing GM crops on a large scale has sparked various concerns, specifically
those regarding ecosystems with GMO strains. According to scientists, these strains have the potential to
change agriculture in a negative way.

GMOs are undeniably an excellent means when we want to save on the budget for our everyday food.
But before we apply this agriculture technology and method, it is highly important to look deeply into its
advantages and disadvantages first. By doing so, we can determine if these products are the most
appropriate option for us to get the right profit.