What are GMOs?

“GMO,” which stands for genetically modified organism: an organism or

microorganism whose genetic material has been altered by means of
genetic engineering. Its also refers to any organism whose DNA has
been modified using genetic engineering technology.

In the food industry, GMO crops have had genes added to them for

various reasons, such as improving their growth, nutritional content,
sustainability, pest resistance, and ease of farming

While it’s possible to naturally give foods desirable traits through

selective breeding, this process takes many generations. Also, breeders
may struggle to determine which genetic change has led to a new trait.

Genetic modification significantly accelerates this process by using

scientific techniques that give the plant the specific desired trait.

1. For example, one of the most common GMO crops is Bt corn,

which is genetically modified to produce the insecticide Bt toxin.
By making this toxin, the corn is able to resist pests, reducing
the need for pesticides .

2. GMO crops are incredibly common in the United States. According

to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), GMO seeds are
used to plant over 90% of all maize (corn), cotton, and soy grown
in the United States, which means that many of the foods you eat
likely contain GMO. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 80% of foods
in supermarkets contain ingredients that come from genetically
modified crops.
Pros of GMOs

1. According to  Megan L. Norris, PhD, a biomedical researcher at the

UT Southwestern Medical Center."GMOs are designed to be
extra — extra healthy, extra fast-growing, and extra resistant to
weather or pests,"

This is because scientists can select the most ideal traits to include
in GMO crops, there are many advantages of modified foods,
including:

2. GMOs may have fewer pesticides. Many GMO crops have been

altered to be less vulnerable to insects and other pests. For
example, Bt-corn is a GMO crop that has a gene added from
Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occurring soil bacteria. This gene
causes the corn to produce a protein that kills many pests and
insects, helping to protect the corn from damage. 

"Instead of having to be sprayed with a complex pesticide, these

crops come with an innate 'pesticide'," Norris says.

This means that farmers don't need to use as much pesticide on

crops like Bt-corn – a 2020 study found that farmers with GMO
crops reduced their pesticide use by 775.4 million kilograms
(8.3%) between 1996 and 2018. The use of fewer pesticides in
crops may lead to fewer health risks for people eating them
and less damage to the environment.

3. GMOs are usually cheaper. GMO crops are bred to grow

efficiently – this means that farmers can produce the same
amount of food using less land, less water, and fewer pesticides
than conventional crops. 

Because they can save on resources, food producers can also

charge lower prices for GMO foods. In some cases, the costs of
foods like corn, beets, and soybeans may be cut by 15% to 30%.

4. GMOs may have more nutrients. Certain GMO crops are

designed to provide more nutrients like vitamins or minerals. For
example, researchers have been able to create a modified form of
African corn that contains: 
  2 times as much folate when compared to traditional crops 
 6 times as much vitamin C when compared to traditional crops 
 169 times more beta-carotene than traditional crops. 

This may be especially helpful in regions where people suffer

from nutritional deficiencies.

5. Genetically modified (GM) crops have been proven safe

through testing and use, and can even increase the safety
of common foods.
Over the past 30 years of lab testing and 15 years of field
research, there has not been a single health risk associated with
GMO consumption.  Martina Newell-McGoughlin, PhD, Director of
the University of California Systemwide Biotechnology Research
and Education Program, said that “GMOs are more thoroughly
tested than any product produced in the history of agriculture.” 

Over 2,000 global studies have affirmed the safety of GM crops. 

Trillions of meals containing GMO ingredients have been eaten by
humans over the past few decades, with zero verified cases of
illness related to the food being genetically altered. 

GM crops can be engineered to reduce natural allergens and

toxins, making them safer and healthier. Molecular biologist
Hortense Dodo, PhD, genetically engineered a hypoallergenic
peanut by suppressing the protein that can lead to a deadly
reaction in people with peanut allergies. 

6. GMO crops lower the price of food and increase nutritional

content, helping to alleviate world hunger.
The World Food Programme, a humanitarian organization,
estimates that 821 million people in the world are chronically
undernourished, and one in nine people face hunger. Population
growth, climate change, over-farming, and water shortages all
contribute to food scarcity.  GMOs can help address those
problems with genetic engineering to improve crop yields and help
farmers grow food in drought regions or on depleted soil, thereby
lowering food prices and feeding more people. 
 David Zilberman, PhD, Professor of Agricultural and Resource
Economics at UC Berkeley, said that GMO crops have “raised the
output of corn, cotton and soy by 20 to 30 percent, allowing some
people to survive who would not have without it. If it were more
widely adopted around the world, the price [of food] would go
lower, and fewer people would die of hunger.” 

To combat Vitamin A deficiency, the main cause of childhood

blindness in developing countries, researchers developed a GMO
‘Golden Rice’ that produces high levels of beta-carotene.  A report
by Australia and New Zealand’s food safety regulator found that
Golden Rice “is considered to be as safe for human consumption
as food derived from conventional rice.” 

7. Growing GMO crops leads to environmental benefits such

as reduced pesticide use, less water waste, and lower
carbon emissions.
The two main types of GMO crops in use today are engineered to
either produce their own pesticides or to be herbicide-
tolerant.  More than 80% of corn grown in the US is GMO Bt corn,
which produces its own Bacillus thuringiensis insecticide.  This has
significantly reduced the need for spraying insecticides over corn
fields, and dozens of studies have shown there are no
environmental or health concerns with Bt corn. 

Drought-tolerant varieties of GMO corn have been shown to

reduce transpiration (evaporation of water off plants) by up to
17.5%, meaning less water waste. 

Herbicide-tolerant (Ht) GMO soy crops have reduced the need to

till the soil to remove weeds.  Tilling is a process that involves
breaking up the soil, which brings carbon to the surface. When
that carbon mixes with oxygen in the atmosphere, it becomes
carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming.  Reduced tilling
preserves topsoil, reduces soil erosion and water runoff (keeping
fertilizers out of the water supply), and lowers carbon emissions. 
The decreased use of fuel and tilling as a result of growing GM
crops can lower greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing
12 million cars from the roads each year. 
SUMMARY

GMO foods are easier and less costly for farmers to grow, which makes
them cheaper for the consumer. GMO techniques may also enhance
foods’ nutrients, flavor, and appearance.