GMOs or GMNOs?

By: Lynnette Saenz

In this day and age everyone has heard of GMOs. It has become one of
the biggest debates that have enveloped the entire world. GMOs are defined
as living organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated
in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. Non GMO Project (N.D)
Frequently Asked Questions. Currently it is estimated that up to 70 percent of
al processed foods in the United States contain genetically modiefied
ingrediants. Kelly, M (2012) Top 7 Geneically Modified Crops.

Figure 1 Percentage of US crops that have been GE.

As of 2012 the United States was the number one country that grew the
most crops containing GMOs. Despite that the U.S does not have any laws
that require GM foods to be labelled, while a whopping 64 countries around
the world, which include 28 nations such as European Union, Russia and
even China. Kingston, H. (2013) 64 countries around the world label GE
foods. It raises some suspicion as to why one of the biggest producers of GM
crops do not have any laws, while many other countries do. Nothing bad
would come from labeling foods, in fact it would only help in informing the
public of which foods are natural and which ones arent. In fact a large
portion of the U.S population is for labeling, while most of those against it are
large companies involved in the production of GM crops such as Monsanto.

Figure 2 Percentage of people for labeling

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is known as the phenomenon where most of

the worker bees disappear from their colonies. Its estimated that over the
past five years, some 30 percent of bees in the United States have either
disappeared or failed to survive to pollinate blossoms in the spring. Thats
about 50% more than the rate expected. Entine, (2013) Science Collapse
Disorder- The real story behind Neonics and mass bee deaths. Honeybees
play a big factor in the food we eat every day. According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than a quarter of America's diet

relies on pollination by honeybees. Paul, K. Cummins, R (2014) GMOs Are

Killing the Bees, Butterflies, Birds and . . . ? Neonicotinoids are a new form
insecticides that are related to nicotine. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension(ND)
What is a neonicotinoid? Which were specifically created for GM crops. This
type of insecticide is used on a range of crops such as corn and soybeans,
cotton, sorghum, sugar beets, apples, cherries, peaches, oranges, berries,
leafy greens, tomatoes, and potatoes, A Harvard Study suggest that the
main cause of CCD is Neonics. Sub-lethal exposure to neonicotinoids
impaired honey bees winterization before proceeding to colony collapse
disorder ChenSheng Lu (ND) Department of Environmental Health, Harvard
School of Public Health, Landmark Center West, Boston, MA, USA

If bees were to die, humanity would suffer great consequences, as we heavily

depend on them for majority of our foods. As Albert Einstein once said If the
bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four
years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more
animals, no more man. The reality is that although GMOs have some
obvious benefits they also have major drawbacks that need to be
immediately addressed. The labeling of GM foods would only bring
awareness to those who are not informed on them, and would in the end
have a positive outcome rather than a negative one. Secondly the protection
of the honeybees is crucial for life as we know it. Creating a new pesticide, or
finding a way to keep bee colonies at a healthy rate would be more than
desired.

References
GMO Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2016, from
http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/

Kelly, M. (2012, October 30). Top 7 Genetically Modified Crops. Retrieved

April 28, 2016, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margie-kelly/geneticallymodified-food_b_2039455.html

Insects in the City. (n.d.). Retrieved April 25, 2016, from

http://citybugs.tamu.edu/factsheets/ipm/what-is-a-neonicotinoid/

O'Connell, E. (2013, May 06). 64 countries around the world label GE food GMO Inside. Retrieved April 28, 2016, from http://gmoinside.org/64-countriesaround-the-world-label-ge-food/

Entine, J. (2013, April 11). Science Collapse Disorder-- The Real Story Behind
Neonics And Mass Bee Deaths. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2013/04/11/science-collapse-disorderthe-real-story-behind-neonics-and-mass-bee-deaths/#59af2423591e