Author: Amy Michals, PHSA Member - [email protected]
Anyone that has been keeping up with recent news in the food industry has probably heard this acronym before. It’s big, scary, and terribly unhealthy-and even worse, bad for the environment. To someone who knows a small amount about GMOs, they might be frowned upon and labeled bad. However, if you take a closer look, you might find that these organisms might not be worth all the fuss.
First, let’s review what these organisms really are.
A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is an organism that has had its DNA modified through genetic engineering. There are many different examples of genetically modified foods that have recently been passed by the Food and Drug Administration. For example, the FDA just approved apples that do not bruise by reducing the amount of enzymes that cause browning and bruising.
There are many arguments being made about the risks of GMOs. But are they really as bad as some make them out to be? Here are some common misunderstandings:
1. GMOs are not safe.
There are many reasons why people think these organisms are not safe. Taking the DNA of one organism and fusing it together with another sounds scary, right? However, there are many benefits to this genetic engineering. For one, the foods produced often contain higher nutrient count and may resist drought and disease. Also, the World Health Organization assesses the safety of GMOs more rigorously than those of conventional foods, so it can be assured that these foods are meeting the same standards, if not more, as conventional foods.
2. They harm the environment.
Another assumed risk of GMOs is that they may cause the release of chemicals into the environment. According to a recent study done by Purdue University, if we were to stop using GMOs, there would actually be a dramatic decrease in the amount of crop available for harvest in a season. That means that we would have less available crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton. A consequence of this would be having to dig up forests and natural land to create more fields for the proper amount of crop growth. This would also lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. In the study, it is stated that converting more land would produce 312 million more tons of CO2 into the environment.
3. They place a strain on the economy.
This one seems very straightforward. With all the science and research behind GMOs, there has to be a high cost to our economy. In reality, the consequences of not having GMOs seem to be a higher risk. If we were to eliminate GMOs from our produce, we would need to create more land in order to grow the adequate amount of crops as stated before, or simply not have enough. Having to build more land would raise food prices by 0.5% according to the Purdue University study. This may not seem like a lot, but when this is all added up for the price of food in the duration of a year, it can amount to billions of dollars for Americans.
By no means am I saying that there is not still more research to be done on genetically modified organisms. There seems to be lacking some very long term research on their effects as a whole, but GMOs might not be as scary as you may think. Everyone can have a preference on the things they eat, but it is always nice to have some (genetically modified or not) food for thought.
References
"Frequently Asked Questions on Genetically Modified Foods." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/>.
Lallanilla, Marc. "GMOs: Facts About Genetically Modified Food." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/40895-gmo-facts.html>.
Caselli-Michael, Liz. "Purdue University Sees What a "Ban" on GMOs Would Look Like [INFOGRAPHIC]." FoodInsight.org. N.p., 3 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.foodinsight.org/purdue-study-economics-no-gmo-biotech>.
Anyone that has been keeping up with recent news in the food industry has probably heard this acronym before. It’s big, scary, and terribly unhealthy-and even worse, bad for the environment. To someone who knows a small amount about GMOs, they might be frowned upon and labeled bad. However, if you take a closer look, you might find that these organisms might not be worth all the fuss.
First, let’s review what these organisms really are.
A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is an organism that has had its DNA modified through genetic engineering. There are many different examples of genetically modified foods that have recently been passed by the Food and Drug Administration. For example, the FDA just approved apples that do not bruise by reducing the amount of enzymes that cause browning and bruising.
There are many arguments being made about the risks of GMOs. But are they really as bad as some make them out to be? Here are some common misunderstandings:
1. GMOs are not safe.
There are many reasons why people think these organisms are not safe. Taking the DNA of one organism and fusing it together with another sounds scary, right? However, there are many benefits to this genetic engineering. For one, the foods produced often contain higher nutrient count and may resist drought and disease. Also, the World Health Organization assesses the safety of GMOs more rigorously than those of conventional foods, so it can be assured that these foods are meeting the same standards, if not more, as conventional foods.
2. They harm the environment.
Another assumed risk of GMOs is that they may cause the release of chemicals into the environment. According to a recent study done by Purdue University, if we were to stop using GMOs, there would actually be a dramatic decrease in the amount of crop available for harvest in a season. That means that we would have less available crops such as corn, soybeans, and cotton. A consequence of this would be having to dig up forests and natural land to create more fields for the proper amount of crop growth. This would also lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. In the study, it is stated that converting more land would produce 312 million more tons of CO2 into the environment.
3. They place a strain on the economy.
This one seems very straightforward. With all the science and research behind GMOs, there has to be a high cost to our economy. In reality, the consequences of not having GMOs seem to be a higher risk. If we were to eliminate GMOs from our produce, we would need to create more land in order to grow the adequate amount of crops as stated before, or simply not have enough. Having to build more land would raise food prices by 0.5% according to the Purdue University study. This may not seem like a lot, but when this is all added up for the price of food in the duration of a year, it can amount to billions of dollars for Americans.
By no means am I saying that there is not still more research to be done on genetically modified organisms. There seems to be lacking some very long term research on their effects as a whole, but GMOs might not be as scary as you may think. Everyone can have a preference on the things they eat, but it is always nice to have some (genetically modified or not) food for thought.
References
"Frequently Asked Questions on Genetically Modified Foods." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-technology/faq-genetically-modified-food/en/>.
Lallanilla, Marc. "GMOs: Facts About Genetically Modified Food." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 11 Jan. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.livescience.com/40895-gmo-facts.html>.
Caselli-Michael, Liz. "Purdue University Sees What a "Ban" on GMOs Would Look Like [INFOGRAPHIC]." FoodInsight.org. N.p., 3 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.foodinsight.org/purdue-study-economics-no-gmo-biotech>.