GMOs: Genetically Modified Organisms

What is a GMO?
A GMO is a Genetically Modified Organism: a plant or animal whose genes have been altered in some way. This often involves adding genes from other organisms, tweaking existing genes, or repressing genes.

Pros: One major pro of GMOs is that they are often engineered to produce higher yield crops. This occurs either as an effect of increased growth speed (shorter seasons) or increased yield per crop (higher harvest for the same time/area). This increased yield means greater amounts of the product. In the case of food products, this means more available food available for either lower prices or higher populations. Another pro of GMOs is that they are often engineered to possess higher disease resistances: pesticides and herbicides are not necessary, as they are ‘built’ into the organisms (often plants). This means lower overall costs, as all subsequent generations will also possess this resistance, and also means the chemicals will not enter the environment.

Cons: One major con to GMOs is that because they are manufactured, they may possess unknown or unforeseen problems. No one knows exactly what the effect of GMOs on the human body or the environment will be, because they have never existed before, or come into contact with people or the environment before. Another negative of GMOs is that many people find the while idea distasteful: the modified plants and animals have not naturally evolved, and may never have evolved at all on their own. By engineering these organisms we have ‘cheated’ nature by creating something that may never have occurred naturally. People find that this idea goes against their notion of what should be allowed to happen. They believe that there should be a limit to the extent science is allowed to modify our world.

The first modified crop was a type of tomato that was engineered to resist rotting. Another example of a genetically modified crop is nutrient-enriched corn.

Thoughts:
I believe that GMOs are a great benefit to us, but we should always have to option of natural alternatives (organic products) for those who do not agree with the GMO industry. I do not mind eating GMOs: I, and most other people, eat them on a daily basis with no harmful side effects. I believe we should be able to tell the difference between organic and GMO products through labeling, however I do not believe that labeling GMOs is necessarily the best plan, because then most of what we see in grocery stores would have to be labeled. Perhaps instead, only non-GMO products should be labeled (as is the current practice) as such to indicate that they are organic rather than engineered. I believe caution should be used to ensure that GMOs are not harmful to people or the environment, but I believe the benefits greatly outweigh the negative effects of this scientific advance.