GENETICALLY MODIFIED

ORGANISM
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM

MEMBERS.

Jean Cedric Abdala

Alvie Mark Gamil

Jc Marcellana

Don Vincent Matibag

Sildjhann Ogama
GMO

A genetically modified organism contains DNA that has

been altered using genetic engineering. Genetically
modified animals are mainly used for research purposes,
while genetically modified plants are common in today’s
food supply.
For thousands of years, humans have used breeding
methods to modify organisms. Corn, cattle, and even dogs
have been selectively bred over generations to have
certain desired traits. Within the last few decades,
however, modern advances in biotechnology have allowed
scientists to directly modify the DNA of microorganisms,
crops, and animals.
GMOS ARE PERHAPS MOST VISIBLE IN THE PRODUCE SECTION. THE
FIRST GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PLANTS TO BE PRODUCED FOR
HUMAN CONSUMPTION WERE INTRODUCED IN THE MID-1990S.
TODAY, APPROXIMATELY 90 PERCENT OF THE CORN, SOYBEANS,
AND SUGAR BEETS ON THE MARKET ARE GMOS. GENETICALLY
ENGINEERED CROPS PRODUCE HIGHER YIELDS, HAVE A LONGER
SHELF LIFE, ARE RESISTANT TO DISEASES AND PESTS, AND EVEN
TASTE BETTER. THESE BENEFITS ARE A PLUS FOR BOTH
FARMERS AND CONSUMERS. FOR EXAMPLE, HIGHER YIELDS AND
LONGER SHELF LIFE MAY LEAD TO LOWER PRICES FOR CONSUMERS,
AND PEST-RESISTANT CROPS MEANS THAT FARMERS DON’T NEED
TO BUY AND USE AS MANY PESTICIDES TO GROW QUALITY CROPS.
GMO CROPS CAN THUS BE KINDER TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAN
CONVENTIONALLY GROWN CROPS.
 IN THE FUTURE, GMOS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE PLAYING AN
IMPORTANT ROLE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH. GMO FOODS MAY
PROVIDE BETTER NUTRITION AND PERHAPS EVEN BE
ENGINEERED TO CONTAIN MEDICINAL COMPOUNDS TO ENHANCE
HUMAN HEALTH. IF GMOS CAN BE SHOWN TO BE BOTH SAFE
AND HEALTHFUL, CONSUMER RESISTANCE TO THESE PRODUCTS
WILL MOST LIKELY DIMINISH.
WHICH FOODS MIGHT CONTAIN GMOS?
MOST PACKAGED AND PROCESSED FOODS CONTAIN
INGREDIENTS DERIVED FROM CORN, SOY, CANOLA AND SUGAR
BEET — AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE CROPS GROWN
IN MOST FARMS ARE GENETICALLY MODIFIED.

THE NON-GMO PROJECT ALSO CONSIDERS LIVESTOCK,

APICULTURE, AND AQUACULTURE PRODUCTS AT HIGH RISK
BECAUSE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED INGREDIENTS ARE
COMMON IN ANIMAL FEED. THIS IMPACTS ANIMAL-DERIVED
PRODUCTS SUCH AS EGGS, MILK, MEAT, HONEY, AND
SEAFOOD.

GMOS ALSO SNEAK INTO FOOD IN THE FORM OF PROCESSED

CROP DERIVATIVES AND INPUTS DERIVED FROM OTHER
FORMS OF GENETIC ENGINEERING, SUCH AS SYNTHETIC
BIOLOGY. SOME EXAMPLES INCLUDE HYDROLYZED
VEGETABLE PROTEIN, CORN SYRUP, MOLASSES, SUCROSE,
TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN, FLAVORINGS, VITAMINS,
YEAST PRODUCTS, FLAVORS, PROTEINS, SWEETENERS,
MICROBES, ENZYMES, OILS AND FATS.
HOW DO GMOS AFFECT FARMERS?

BECAUSE GMOS ARE NOVEL LIFE FORMS, BIOTECHNOLOGY

COMPANIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN PATENTS TO
CONTROL THE USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THEIR
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SEEDS. RESTRICTIVE LICENSE
AGREEMENTS ERODE FARMERS' RIGHT TO SAVE SEED.
RELYING ON THIRD-PARTY CORPORATIONS TO PROVIDE
FARMERS WITH BOTH GMO SEED AND CHEMICAL INPUTS
SUCH AS HERBICIDE MAKES THOSE FARMERS BEHOLDEN TO
BIG AG, POSING A SERIOUS THREAT TO FARMER
SOVEREIGNTY AND TO THE NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY OF ANY
COUNTRY WHERE THEY ARE GROWN.
WHAT ARE HIGH-RISK INPUTS AND
MONITORED INPUTS?

ONE OF THE ELEMENTS THAT SETS THE NON-GMO PROJECT

STANDARD APART FROM OTHER NON-GMO CLAIMS IS THE
REQUIREMENT TO TEST MAJOR HIGH-RISK INPUTS AND
INGREDIENTS1 OF VERIFIED PRODUCTS WHEN TESTING IS
AVAILABLE TO QUANTIFY GMO CONTAMINATION.

THE NON-GMO PROJECT USES A RISK MATRIX TO

DETERMINE WHICH INPUTS OR INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE
INCLUDED ON THE STANDARD’S HIGH-RISK LIST. AS GMO
CROPS AND OTHER INPUTS BECOME MORE COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE, THEY ARE ENTERED INTO THE MATRIX; WHEN
THEIR TOTAL RISK SCORE REACHES A PREDETERMINED
THRESHOLD, THEY ARE RECOMMENDED FOR ADDITION TO THE
HIGH-RISK LIST.
WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF GMOS ON THE ENVIRONMENT?

THE MOST COMMON GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

GROWN WORLDWIDE HAVE BEEN ENGINEERED FOR
HERBICIDE TOLERANCE.7 IN THE FIRST 20 YEARS OF THE
GMO EXPERIMENT, THE USE OF TOXIC HERBICIDES, SUCH
AS ROUNDUP (GLYPHOSATE), INCREASED FIFTEENFOLD.8
THE USE OF THESE HERBICIDES HAS LED TO A DECLINE IN
NATIVE PLANTS, WHICH HAS DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS ON
BIODIVERSITY. ADDITIONALLY, THE OVERUSE OF
HERBICIDES HAS LED TO THE EMERGENCE OF PESTICIDE-
RESISTANT “SUPERWEEDS” AND “SUPERBUGS,” WHICH
CAN ONLY BE KILLED BY SPRAYING MORE TOXIC
CHEMICALS.
 WAY TO GO GMO!

GENETIC ENGINEERING CAN BE DONE WITH PLANTS, ANIMALS, OR BACTERIA AND OTHER VERY
SMALL ORGANISMS. GENETIC ENGINEERING ALLOWS SCIENTISTS TO MOVE DESIRED GENES FROM
ONE PLANT OR ANIMAL INTO ANOTHER. GENES CAN ALSO BE MOVED FROM AN ANIMAL TO A PLANT
OR VICE VERSA. ANOTHER NAME FOR THIS IS GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS, OR GMOS.

THE PROCESS TO CREATE GE FOODS IS DIFFERENT THAN SELECTIVE BREEDING. THIS INVOLVES
SELECTING PLANTS OR ANIMALS WITH DESIRED TRAITS AND BREEDING THEM. OVER TIME, THIS
RESULTS IN OFFSPRING WITH THOSE DESIRED TRAITS.

ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH SELECTIVE BREEDING IS THAT IT CAN ALSO RESULT IN TRAITS THAT
ARE NOT DESIRED. GENETIC ENGINEERING ALLOWS SCIENTISTS TO SELECT ONE SPECIFIC GENE TO
IMPLANT. THIS AVOIDS INTRODUCING OTHER GENES WITH UNDESIRABLE TRAITS. GENETIC
ENGINEERING ALSO HELPS SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF CREATING NEW FOODS WITH DESIRED
TRAITS.
 WAY TO GO GMO!

FOOD AND FEED GENERALLY ORIGINATES FROM PLANTS AND ANIMALS GROWN AND BRED BY HUMANS FOR
SEVERAL THOUSAND YEARS. OVER TIME, THOSE PLANTS AND ANIMALS WITH THE MOST DESIRABLE
CHARACTERISTICS WERE CHOSEN FOR BREEDING THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF FOOD AND FEED. THIS WAS, FOR
EXAMPLE, THE CASE FOR PLANTS WITH AN INCREASED RESISTANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL PRESSURES SUCH AS
DISEASES OR WITH AN INCREASED YIELD.

THESE DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS APPEARED THROUGH NATURALLY OCCURRING VARIATIONS IN THE GENETIC
MAKE-UP OF THOSE PLANTS AND ANIMALS. IN RECENT TIMES, IT HAS BECOME POSSIBLE TO MODIFY THE GENETIC
MAKE-UP OF LIVING CELLS AND ORGANISMS USING TECHNIQUES OF MODERN BIOTECHNOLOGY CALLED GENE
TECHNOLOGY. THE GENETIC MATERIAL IS MODIFIED ARTIFICIALLY TO GIVE IT A NEW PROPERTY (E.G. A PLANT'S
RESISTANCE TO A DISEASE, INSECT OR DROUGHT, A PLANT'S TOLERANCE TO A HERBICIDE, IMPROVING A FOOD'S
QUALITY OR NUTRITIONAL VALUE, INCREASED YIELD).

SUCH ORGANISMS ARE CALLED "GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS" (GMOS). FOOD AND FEED WHICH CONTAIN OR
CONSIST OF SUCH GMOS, OR ARE PRODUCED FROM GMOS, ARE CALLED "GENETICALLY MODIFIED (GM) FOOD OR FEED".