Wilaynes Gonzalez

English 11000/ Spring 2017

Mr. Bubrow/Section C4

Shiny Apples or Infertility?: A Research Paper on GMOs

Abstract:

This essay identifies what GMOs are and their effects, both negative and positive.

The negative effects cover the harmful effects to the environment, including health issues

brought upon animals and insects, and crops, and how GMOs hurt humans health. The

positives include how GMOs help farmers and create modifications to foods that are

pleasing and preferred by the consumer. This essay suggests that the positive effects to

GMOs are short term while the negatives are long lasting. This adds up to the conclusion

that GMOs should not be consumed. Positive effects are argued against with rebuttals

supporting the discontinuation of the consumption of GMOs.

Why are the grapes in the supermarket so huge? How are the watermelons

seedless? The answer is GMOs and its not just grapes and watermelons that are affected.

GMOs stand for genetically modified organisms. They are basically organisms that have

inserted genetic material extracted from another organism in an unnatural process. This

process is what allows any organism to have a trait altered or added in its genes, which

can result in a change in its appearance or function. There are many opinions on the topic.

The two main opinions stand on whether or not GMOs foods should be kept. Considering
GMOs history, detrimental effects, and favorable outcomes, they should not be

consumed in order to evade their long-term negative consequences.

Most genetically engineered foods are made identifiable in businesses. According

to Uliano, a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, one can find foods at a local supermarket with

a GMO label, meaning the

products genes were tampered

with. Foods with a Non-GMO

label could be found as well,

which means the product is free

of genetic engineering. As

displayed in Figure 1, this corn Figure 1: Taken from Huffington Post

(Nutrition facts label for a can of corn)

product has the GMO label,

located in the white box under the ingredients. The label reads, PRODUCED WITH

GENETIC ENGINEERING. Laws obligate food companies to label their products if

they contain GMOs. (Uliano) The reason is that some consumers prefer not to consume

products with GMOs for their negative aspects. Some do not mind consuming GMOs,

aware of their effects and supporting their benefits, or simply are not knowledgeable of

them. Genetically engineered

organisms have a long history behind

what made them come to be.

Figure 2: Taken from Lancaster Farming

(Alpine Strawberries from a Lancaster
County farmer called Tom Culton)
 GMOs have been around for a very long time. It all dates back to approximately

10,000 years ago when hunters and gatherers began to shift into a new lifestyle where the

cultivation of soil was used for crops. This agricultural lifestyle was the start of the

domestication of animals and plants. They were domesticated for the purposes of

improving crops. To some, it was considered to be anti-Darwinism since the crops or

animals genes were not naturally determined. Many of the artificially altered crops - like

cabbage, corn, strawberries, and the majority of our crops - cannot persist in the wild

without the assistance of humans, which went against Darwinisms natural theory of

things evolving through natural selection. If a comparison of the crops we have today to

their descending crops was made, they would look very different as a result of

generations of crops being modified (Chassy 169). A strawberry is the perfect example of

one of the many. Today, strawberries are big, bright red, and could be the size of your

palm. According to Alex Wenger, researcher at The Fields Edge Research Farm, if you

trace back the ancestors of strawberries, the alpine strawberry can be found, which still

exists today (Figure 2). These strawberries are very tiny, almost comparable to the size of

a blueberry. Not all of these berries grow red; some grow white. The seeds seem to

protrude from the fruit and they do not have the green leaves where the stem would be on

a modern strawberry. There are very clear distinctions (Wenger). Throughout the

centuries, technology for genetic engineering improved. Researchers bettered their

comprehension of the modern science of molecular biology and discovered new

information on DNA, RNA, protein synthesis, and more information vital to the process

of GMOs. And of course, the modifications of these had their risks that were also

discovered. This created a group of advocates who were against the reconstruction of
DNA in organisms (Chassy 169). They opposed for several reasons, like hurting the

environment and human health, and still exist today.

Figure 3: Taken from SciELO (Charted results from a voting pole that demonstrates
the percentage of the people in countries of Europe who agree, disagree, or are not
sure with the statement: I do not want this type of food. [GMO foods])

There are places in Europe, like the European Union, that completely reject GMOs. They

so strongly despise GMOs that they do not grow any genetic engineered crops. Figure 3

is a graph of a voting pole on the opinions of the Europe on the following statement:

Could you please tell me if you tend to agree or tend to disagree with this following

statement about GM foods: I do not want this type of food. As you can see in the chart,

Europe as a whole prefers to not have any GMO foods. According to Bonny Sylvie, a

member involved in the National Institution of Agricultural Research, media in Europe

tends to oppose foods from unknown companies that may be genetically engineered and

positively approach farms and untainted foods. In France there are many associations that
oppose GMOs. Some of the many names of those associations are the Natural Law Party,

Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, and Ecoropa. These associations largely influence the

opinions of people in Europe. Because of them, Europe is well aware of the threats

GMOs present. There are threats that exist for not just human health, but for the

environment as well. Jeffrey Smith, the founder of the Institute for Responsible

Technology, claims that GM foods can cause organ damage, gastrointestinal and

immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility. They can also leave behind

substances inside of us that can hurt a person in the long run. GMOs that are consumed

can transfer genetic material into the bacteria inside the human body. Studies show that

the insecticides from those GMO foods can be found in pregnant women as well as their

babies. NumeroushealthproblemsincreasedafterGMOswereintroducedin1996.The

percentageofAmericanswiththreeormorechronicillnessjumpedfrom7%to13%in

just9years;foodallergiesskyrocketed,anddisorderssuchasautism,reproductive

disorders,digestiveproblems,andothersareontherise.Thereisnotenoughevidence

toprovethisentirelytruebutitisbettertonotwaitandfurtherriskourhealth.Toaddress

thehealththreatsfortheenvironment,insecticidesandherbicidescanharmbirds,

insects,amphibians,marineecosystems,andsoilorganisms.Monarchbutterfliesareone

ofGMOsvictimswhosepopulationhasgonedownby50%intheUS.Theycanmake

speciesofplantsgoextinct,whichreducesbiodiversity.Harmfulherbicidegenesin

cropsthathurtthehealthofanimalshavespreadthroughcrosspollination.Theycanbe

foundgrowinginthewildofsomeplacesofNorthDakotaandCalifornia.(Jeffrey

Smith)Thoughtherearemanywhowouldargueagainstthesepointswiththebenefitsof

GMOs.
 OnewhowouldsupporttheuseofGMOscouldarguethatgenetically

engineeringfoodscanaddnutritionalvaluetofoodsthatwerenttherebefore(Life

ScienceResearchOffice).Anexampleofthisisinwheat.Althoughthisiscorrect,GM

foodsstillpresentmanyhealththreatslikesterility,birthdefects,organdamage,etc.

(JeffreySmith).Thisdamageoutweighsthebenefit.AsupporterofGMOsmightalso

saythatwithgeneticengineering,cropscanbedefendedfromviruses,pests,andother

infections,whichwouldpreventslossofcropsandprofit.Thiswouldbenefitthefarmer

andeconomy(LifeScienceResearchOffice).Butthesepesticidesandharmfulgenes

usedtoprotectthecropsaremadetokill,whichmakessenseastowhytheyharmfrom

theinsideifconsumed.Overtime,farmershavetousemore

pesticide/herbicide/insecticide,whichbuildsuponthehealthissuescreatedandincreases

chancesofcreatingsuperweedsthatresistthechemicals.Thisleadstofarmersusing

evenmoretoxicsubstancesonthecropsthatwillkeephurtingtheenvironmentand

peoplewilleventuallyconsume.Anotherpointasupportermaybringupisthefactthat

mostGMfoodslastlongerandlookbetter.GMOsallowfruitslikegrapesbeseedless,

applestobeshiner,andstrawberriestotastesweeter.Butthesemixturesofgenesfrom

otherspeciesrevealsideeffectsthatcannotbepredetermined.Theycanbequite

dangerousaswell.Itcanresultinmasscollateraldamagethatproducesnewtoxins,

allergens,carcinogens,andnutritionaldeficiencies,(JeffreySmith).Thesegenetic

adjustmentsarenotworththerisk.
 GMOshaveseveralupsanddowns.Butitspositiveaspectsaremostlyshortterm

whileitsnegativesarelongterm.Forinstance,aprettyapplelastsuntiltheapplerotsor

isconsumed.Butinfertilityisforalifetime.Onceapersonisinfertile,thatpersonis

infertileforever.Also,alotofthebenefitsgototheproducerratherthattheconsumerof

theGMOs,whichisanotherreasonthatthenegativesoutweighthepositivestoGMOs.

Iftheyservethefarmersmorethantheyservetheconsumers,thenitproveshowthey

wereneverintroducedtoinitiallyservetheconsumers.Ifonedesirestoliveahealthylife

andeludethehealththreatspresentedbyGMOs,heshouldnotconsumegenetically

engineeredfoods.
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