Forbes 1

Brent Forbes

Professor Hunter

English 1201

24 April 2021

GMO Foods

When I was 12 years old my father and I were walking through the store and for the first

time I noticed a non GMO label on a can of tomatoes. I was so curious as to what genetically

modified organisms were. It was crazy to think that something I had been eating all my life was

being genetically altered that entire time and I had no idea! The thought of genetically altering

our foods sounded very bad for the people consuming them. I thought they were bad until my

dad explained that genetically modified foods served the purpose of making it easier for farmers

to grow crops with minimal pests. It became very clear to me that genetically modifying crops

and other organisms played a very crucial role in the survival of the human race in recent years.

Genetically modified organisms have come a long way in the past 7 years. We should all do our

part and learn about how GMOs are a very important part of our lives. There are many uses now

for GMO’s such as making fuel out of corn or making vaccines. They can even be used for

making biodegradable materials that can be used instead of paper or plastic. GMOs have become

a vital part of our lives and are what help many countries around the world feed the growing

population. Genetically modifying organisms have helped make multiple vaccines that have

helped slow the spread of deadly diseases such as Ebola and the more common flu. Genetically

modified organisms are used in a great deal of our food medicine but why are they needed for the

survival of our growing population? GMOs play a crucial role in making plants more tolerant of
 Forbes 2

herbicides and pesticides, helping create crops that are resistant to plant diseases, making food

vitamin rich, and they have been vital in the development of modern medicines.

Genetically modified foods have made it possible for many people to be able to afford

food. They help many farmers save money by reducing the amount of labor needed to grow

crops. Crops are genetically altered by taking a selected trait from another crops’ genome and

cross breeding it with the plant that needs to be modified for a variety of reasons. Genetically

altered foods can also help farmers reduce the amount of pesticides used on crops. This helps the

environment because less pesticides runoff into waterways such as rivers and lakes. Pesticide

runoff is a large contributor to wildlife death. Pesticides are also very bad for people and can be

extremely harmful. They can cause cancer, infertility and could potentially affect people's

immune system causing them to get sick easier. An example of a genetically modified plant is

the most commonly grown crop in America, corn. Corn has been genetically altered to be more

tolerant of pesticides that are harmful to insects and rodents, but perfectly safe for consumption

for humans and lives. When farmers use genetically modified seeds, plants are grown with

thicker skin which helps them be more resistant to bugs and rodents. This makes it possible for

farmers to use less toxic pesticides that can wreak havoc on people and the environment

Herbicide tolerant plants are another benefit of genetically altering crops. Farmers also do

not have to till the soil as often because of these plants. The herbicides help get rid of the weeds

which take nutrients from the soil away from the crops. This can be very problematic for the

farmers. Since the farmers do not have to till the soil as much this improves the soils’ health. The

other benefit of not having to till as much is the farmers save money on gas, which ultimately

leads to cheaper prices on food. An example of a plant that has been altered to be resistant to

herbicides is soybeans. Soybeans are one of the most common crops grown in the United States
 Forbes 3

and they are more tolerant to herbicides. Due to this, a lot of money is saved on gas and labor,

which subsequently makes the crop prices cheaper.

Another positive is that genetically modified foods are inexpensive compared to their

organic counterparts. This is because it costs farmers significantly more money to farm

organically. Natural pesticides and herbicides are very costly which means that they are going to

drive the price of the crop up. These herbicides and pesticides are much less effective and

therefore more of them are needed to keep weeds and pests away. This results in higher labor

costs which is another reason organic food prices are so high.

An additional example of GMO crops benefits is making them resistant to plant diseases

that can destroy crops. This can also cost farmers a great deal of money. Since people are less

dependent on certain fruits and vegetables for survival, the plants that are altered to prevent

viruses from spreading are more for the benefit of farmers. A few examples of crops that have

been genetically modified to be resistant to certain plant viruses are cucumbers, papaya and

summer squash. Papaya’s have been made resistant to the Potyvirus which can spread very easily

and cause trees to die. This is shown with, “Papaya resistance to Papaya ringspot potyvirus

(PRSV): This product saved the papaya industry in Hawaii as PRSV makes fruit unmarketable

and eventually kills infected trees9. The virus spreads quickly and attempts to introgress

resistance to PRSV from wild relatives failed for decades, leaving papaya growers with the only

strategy of moving their operations to another island. Each time they moved, there was a short

reprieve, but the virus eventually made it to that area” (Biology Fortified). The plants have been

modified so the genes of the plants are covered in a protective layer called a Virus Coat protein

gene. This coating protects the plant's DNA which keeps the virus from being able to invade the

plant and destroy it. Without these protections against viruses these plants would die and cause
 Forbes 4

many farmers trouble. Farmers would end up losing a lot of money and have to plant another

crop. This would cause the price of the crop that has been infected to go up for customers.

A positive of genetically altering food is adding vitamins to make it more healthy for

people with a lack of said vitamin. This can greatly increase the intake of certain vitamins where

vitamin deficiencies are common. This could also greatly improve the health and immune

systems of the people who eat these altered foods. An example of this is the genetically

modified golden rice which has been altered to have more vitamin A. This is shown with,

“Golden Rice, created 20 years ago and intended as an additional intervention to combat vitamin

A deficiency, is closer to being released for cultivation and human consumption in the

Philippines and Bangladesh,” (Golden Rice Project). The golden rice has had a great impact on

the immune systems of the people who eat it. This is because vitamin A is great for building your

immune system. Golden rice is just one of the examples of foods that have been made healthier.

A hidden problem that occurs all around the world is malnutrition. Many people suffer from

malnutrition and do not even know it. This can cause your immune system to be weakened and

can cause many different health issues such as diabetes, vision problems, stunted growth, and

cardiovascular disease. Genetically modified foods can help people all around the world that

suffer from malnutrition and lack of certain vitamins.

Foods have been genetically altered to reduce the amount of food waste. A good example

of a crop that has been modified to prevent food waste is apples. The Arctic apple and the Opal

apple have been modified to prevent the apples from turning brown. This keeps them fresh even

after cutting them. Apples do not go bad when they turn brown but many people believe that

when they turn brown they are not usable and should be thrown away. Since they are altered, the

apples do not turn brown and less people throw them away, resulting in far less food waste. A lot
 Forbes 5

of genetically modified foods are grown for animals as well. These foods consist of feed corn,

wheat, alfalfa and oats. People are concerned that animals that eat genetically modified crops

might not be safe to eat. This has been disproven many times and is a very closely followed

study. Genetically modified foods play a vital role not only in feeding the population of the

world, but feeding livestock as well. These GMOs reduce the prices of foods which makes them

more accessible to low income people and families. Without these extremely important

modifications to crops there, would be famine and many people all around the world would

perish. Life would be very different for farmers and people all over the world because starvation

would be much more common.

Another extremely important role that genetically modifying organisms has played is in

medicine. Genetically altering organisms have helped create many different vaccines. Vaccines

have helped to protect humans and animals against very harmful diseases that could have

potentially been fatal. An example of a vaccine for a disease that has been made with genetically

altered organisms is the vaccine for hepatitis B. The vaccine for hepatitis B is created using a

very common ingredient that is probably in your cabinet at home. The vaccine is made using

bakers yeast. Before this vaccine was created many people ended up dying because some people

with the disease were asymptomatic. It causes damage to the liver and could even cause

Cirrhosis, or hardening of the liver, which can be fatal. New vaccines are being created and

tested every day using genetically altered organisms. Scientists have even come up with edible

vaccines, but they are still being tested. The edible vaccines would help third world countries

because these vaccines would cut costs of refrigeration. This would help make vaccines more

available all around the world. Without the use of different vaccines there would have been

multiple plagues. There would have been many more viruses much worse than Covid-19 that
 Forbes 6

would have spread all over the world. Genetically modifying organisms has helped to make

medications for diseases that have been proven to be resistant to vaccines and other forms of

medicine. An example of this is AIDS/HIV. The AIDS/HIV medication keeps the virus from

being able to reproduce. This allows for the body’s immune system to be able to recover.

Without the use of GMOs, humans would not have many antiviral drugs that have subsequently

saved thousands of lives.

Insulin is another great example of a modern medicine that is created using genetically

modified organisms. Insulin is created by placing the gene that creates insulin into either bacteria

or yeast. That bacteria or yeast then makes insulin like a tiny little factory. Next it is taken by

scientists and cleansed so that it can be used by people who have diabetes. This is also how many

different vitamins are made, and this is perfect for people that have vitamin deficiencies. There

are many people in the world that are reliant on these bacteria and yeast cells, but do not even

know how it is made! My sister suffers from diabetes and I am very thankful for these tiny yeast

and bacteria cells because they are what keep her alive. She has been very close to death before

when she did not have her insulin. This is just one reason that I believe that genetically modified

organisms are a crucial part of our lives. Hopefully one day we can genetically alter a vaccine so

that millions of Americans can live normal lives without having to pay for insulin, as it has

become very expensive over the years.

Another example of genetically altering organisms in medicine is giving the mosquito a

gene that blocks the Malaria parasite. This parasite has caused many people in less fortunate

countries to die because it is resistant to different medicines that are available. These mosquitoes

have been released in parts of the world with very humid climates and the mosquitoes seem to

thrive. Another kind of mosquito has been altered with a genome that keeps them from being
 Forbes 7

able to reproduce. The genome makes it so that their offspring die before they are able to

reproduce. These examples of genetically altered mosquitoes are shown with, “For example, GM

mosquitoes have been developed that express a small protein called SM1, which blocks entry of

the malaria parasite, Plasmodium, into the mosquito’s gut. This results in the disruption of the

parasite’s life cycle and renders the mosquito malaria-resistant. Introduction of these GM

mosquitoes into the wild could help reduce transmission of the malaria parasite. In another

example, male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes engineered with a method known as the sterile insect

technique transmit a gene to their offspring that causes the offspring to die before becoming

sexually mature” (Julia M. Diaz). This breakthrough in science has made it so that malaria could

be slowed and suppressed. Without these altered mosquitoes many people in many different

countries would be suffering from Malaria.

Another very important use of GMOs is stem cell treatment. This treatment is great for

people that are suffering from cancer or have diseases such as sickle cell anemia and other blood

related diseases. These diseases make people more prone to infections because the sickle shaped

cells have a hard time circulating through smaller blood vessels. Stem cells that have been

altered to be exactly like that of a person without sickle cell anemia could be placed in the bone

marrow of another person. This can possibly cure the disease without the need of going through

the troublesome process of finding a donor. Without the use of genetically altering healthy stem

cells, many people with cancer and leukemia would have died because their stem cells are

damaged and unable to properly fight the disease.

It is important to look at the possible negatives of what genetically altering food can do to

humans. Altering food is said to be a mutation and can be linked to causing cancer. It has been

researched by scientists and thus far, genetically altering food is not considered to be a mutation.
 Forbes 8

Many of these possible negatives have been under constant study and research to make sure that

the food that people are consuming are safe to eat and do not have any negative effects.

A problem that can be caused from genetically altering food is causing allergic reactions.

Certain traits can be taken from crops and with this comes a certain protein that could potentially

be an allergen. An example is shown with, “A study from the mid-1990s found that adding a

protein from Brazil nuts to GMO soybeans could trigger an allergic reaction in people sensitive

to Brazil nuts. However, after scientists discovered this, they quickly abandoned this GMO food”

(Ryan Raman). This is not a large problem anymore because before any product is given to the

public, it is tested to make sure that it is safe and that allergens from one crop are not brought

into another.

Another important possible negative of genetically modifying crops is its possible link to

cancer. People are worried that eating crops that have had their DNA modified will affect their

own DNA and possibly be a cancer causing agent. This is because of an early study done with

mice that were given genetically modified food. The mice had an increase in the percentage of

tumors and early death However, this study was abandoned when they realized that it was very

poorly run. There have been many studies over this theory and none have come back as positive

for being cancer causing. This has always been a closely followed study by scientists to ensure

that people all over the world can consume these crops without dying of cancer.

An additional example of a possible negative of genetically altering crops is that they can

make people more resistant to antibiotics. This can be a very serious problem considering that

many diseases today are treated with many different antibiotics. Scientists use antibiotics on

plants that they have genetically altered. This is so they can kill the cells of the plant that did not

take the gene that was placed in the crop. This is shown with, “When GMO scientists insert new
 Forbes 9

DNA into plant cells, they will often add in an additional gene that makes the modified cells

resistant to antibiotics. They can then use an antibiotic to kill off any plant cells that didn't

successfully take in the new DNA” (Samantha Cassetty). Bacteria from many different places

could end up absorbing these antibiotics which would make them much stronger and more

resistant to very strong antibiotics. This could potentially be very harmful for humans because

antibiotics are needed to fight bacterial infections, such as E coli, which can be fatal. There have

been many studies on antibiotic use in genetically modified plants. They have been shown to be

safe and have not made bacteria stronger.

Another example of a negative of genetically modifying crops is concerns of causing

problems in the food chain. When crops are made to be more resistant to pesticides, some

farmers use a lot of these pesticides. This can greatly damage the amount of bugs and pests that

are in the environment. Although this may not seem very important, it can throw the balance of

the food chain out of whack. If certain pests and bugs are taken out of an area when farming, this

can cause many other animals to die that are higher up on the food chain. This is due to the fact

that they rely on those bugs and pests to survive. This problem can be very bad for the

environment and cause many different animals higher up in the food chain to die off.

In conclusion, I feel that genetically modified organisms play a very big part of how we

live our lives. Genetically altering crops makes it much easier for farmers to maintain their

fields, as well as keeping pests and weeds to a minimum. This helps save farmers a lot of money

on labor. It also helps save them time and effort, while still producing the food that we as

consumers use in our everyday lives. Genetically modifying organisms also saves the consumers

a great amount of money. There are ways to get organic produce for cheap prices, but not

everyone has those options. This is why genetically altered crops have been very beneficial for
 Forbes 10

many people. Genetically altering organisms is also very important in medicine. Genetically

altering organisms has helped create many kinds of medicine, such as insulin. It has also helped

develop many different types of vitamins for people that are malnourished. Altering organisms

has also helped make different vaccines as well. They have done a great job of helping to create

medicines to stop diseases that were once a death sentence such as HIV/AIDS. These drugs are

becoming more and more affordable and this would not be possible without the use of GMOs.
 Forbes 11

Works Cited

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond." U.S.

Food and Drug Administration. FDA. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.

Courtesy Www.openwebdesign.org / Modified: Jorge Mayer. "Golden Rice Project." The

Golden Rice Project. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.

Diaz, Julia M. "Genetically Modified Organism." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.

Kennedy, Madeline, and Samantha Cassetty. "Evidence-based Pros and Cons of GMO Foods."

Insider. Insider, 20 Nov. 2020. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.

Raman, Ryan. "GMOs: Pros and CONS, Backed by Evidence - Healthline." Healthline. 2 July

2020. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.

"Virus Resistance – GMOs Revealed." Biology Fortified Inc. 28 Jan. 2019. Web. 24 Mar. 2021.