https://www.nongmoproject.

org/gmo-facts/#:~:text=Genetically%20modified
%20organisms%20(GMOs)%20are,or%20through%20traditional%20crossbreeding
%20methods.
According to non GMO project organization..
What is a GMO?
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are living organisms whose genetic
material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering.
This creates combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and virus genes that do not occur
in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
Most GMOs have been engineered to withstand the direct application of
herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. However, new technologies are now being
used to artificially develop other traits in plants, such as a resistance to browning in
apples, and to create new organisms using synthetic biology. Despite biotech industry
promises, there is no evidence that any of the GMOs currently on the market offer
increased yield, drought tolerance, enhanced nutrition, or any other consumer benefit.
Are GMOs safe?
In the absence of credible independent long-term feeding studies, the safety of
GMOs is unknown. Increasingly, citizens are taking matters into their own hands and
choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.
Are GMOs labeled?
Sixty-four countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the
countries in the European Union, require genetically modified foods to be labeled.
Canada does not require any GMO labeling.
GMOs are not currently labeled in the United States. However, the National
Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) was published in the Federal
Register on December 21, 2018. This law, which you may have heard called the DARK
Act, is the start of mandatory GMO labeling in the United States. It means that some—
but not all—products containing GMOs will have to be labeled by 2022. In its current
form, categorical exemptions prevent this law from delivering the meaningful protections
Americans deserve.

Which foods might contain GMOs?

Most packaged foods contain ingredients derived from corn, soy, canola, and
sugar beet — and the vast majority of those crops grown in North America are
genetically modified.
 Animal products: 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 products such as: eggs, milk, meat, honey,
and seafood.
Processed inputs, including those from synthetic biology: 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, microbes & enzymes, flavors, oils & fats, proteins, and
sweeteners.

What are the impacts of GMOs on the environment?

More than 80% of all genetically modified crops grown worldwide have been
engineered for herbicide tolerance.2 As a result, the use of toxic herbicides, such as
Roundup®, has increased fifteenfold since GMOs were first introduced.3 In March
2015, the World Health Organization determined that the herbicide glyphosate (the key
ingredient in Roundup®) is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”
Genetically modified crops also are responsible for the emergence of
“superweeds” and “superbugs,” which can only be killed with ever more toxic poisons
such as 2,4-D (a major ingredient in Agent Orange).4,5
Most GMOs are a direct extension of chemical agriculture and are developed and
sold by the world’s largest chemical companies. The longterm impacts of these GMOs
are unknown. Once released into the environment, these novel organisms cannot be
recalled.

An interview on What are GMOs? with Dr. Rick Meilan, Molecular Tree Physiologist at
Purdue University
ACCORDING TO DR. RICK MEILAN. HE IS A MOLECULAR TREE PHYSIOLOGIST
AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY
The Story on GMOs
GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. Let’s break it down word by
word. Genetically refers to genes. Genes are made up of DNA, which is a set of
instructions for how cells grow and develop. Second is Modified. This implies that some
change or tweak has been made. Lastly, we have the word Organism. When it comes to
GMOs, many people only think of crops. Yet an ‘organism’ isn’t just a plant; it refers to
all living things, including bacteria and fungi.
 With that in mind, GMOs are living beings that have had their genetic code
changed in some way. While conventional breeding, which has been going on for
centuries, involves mixing all of the genes from two different sources, producing a GMO
is much more targeted. Rather than crossing two plants out in the field, they insert a
gene or two into individual cells in a lab. Yet, as mentioned earlier, GM technology can
also be used on microorganisms. For example, bacteria have been genetically
modified to produce medicines that can cure diseases or vaccines that prevent
them. A commonly used medicine that comes from a genetically modified source
is insulin, which is used to treat diabetes, but there are many others.

The process to create a GMO starts very small. A scientist causes a gene to be
inserted into the DNA in the nucleus of a single cell. The DNA being used for the
modification is so small that it can’t be seen, even under the most powerful microscope.
Despite how tiny a cell is, there is a massive amount of DNA all packaged into its one
little nucleus. To give some idea of just how much DNA is packed into that small space,
if you were to take all the DNA of one single corn cell out of the nucleus and line it up
end-to-end, it would be about six feet long! Into this enormous amount of DNA, a very
small piece is inserted. A vast majority of the organism’s genetic code remains
completely unchanged by the process.

Once this single cell has been modified, the scientist will treat it with naturally
occurring plant hormones to stimulate growth and development. This one cell will start
to divide (which is the natural growth process for any organism) and the resulting cells
begin to take on specialized functions, until they become a whole plant. Because this
new plant was ultimately derived from a single cell with the inserted gene, all of

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT —
Written by Amanda Barrell
ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH OF MS. AMANDA BARRELL AND REVIEWED BY
DR. DEBRA ROSE WILSON…

Engineers design plants using genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, to be

tougher, more nutritious, or taste better. However, people have concerns over their
safety, and there is much debate about the pros and cons of using GMOs.
A manufacturer creates GMOs by introducing genetic material, or DNA, from a
different organism through a process called genetic engineering.
Most currently available GMO foods are plants, such as fruit and vegetables.
 All foods from genetically engineered plants on sale in the United States are
regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They must meet the same safety
requirements as traditional foods.
There is some controversy over the benefits and risks of GMO foods. In this
article, we discuss the pros and cons of GMO crops, taking into account their potential
effects on human health and the environment.

(PROS)
Manufacturers use genetic modification to give foods desirable traits. For example, they
have designed two new varieties of apple that turn less brown when cut or bruised.

The reasoning usually involves making crops more resistant to diseases as they grow.
Manufacturers also engineer produce to be more nutritious or tolerant of herbicides.

Crop protection is the main rationale behind this type of genetic modification. Plants that
are more resistant to diseases spread by insects or viruses result in higher yields for
farmers and a more attractive product.

Genetically modification can also increase nutritional value or enhance flavor.

All of these factors contribute to lower costs for the consumer. They can also ensure
that more people have access to quality food.

How to identify GMO foods

In the U.S., no regulations mandate that foods derived from GMOs are labeled. This is
because these foods must meet the same safety standards that apply to all FDA-
regulated products, and there should be no need for additional regulation.

The FDA have determinedTrusted Source that a GMO food should be labeled as such if
it is “materially different” to its conventional counterpart. For example:
a GMO canola oil with more lauric acid than traditional canola oil will be labeled “laurate
canola oil”
a GMO soybean oil with more oleic acid than non-GMO soybean oil must be labeled
“high-oleic soybean oil”
a GMO soybean oil with a high level of stearidonic acid, which does not naturally occur
in the oil, must be labeled “stearidonate soybean oil”
The new National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard will come into force on
January 1, 2020. Under the new rules, all foods containing genetically engineered
ingredients will be labeled as “derived from bioengineering” or “bioengineered.”

====
24 Advantages and Disadvantages of GMOs
September 6, 2017
ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH OF MS. Louise Gaille
She received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Washington.
GMOs are usually used as a reference for food products, but it is an abbreviation that
stands for “genetically modified organism.” A GMO is created when the genes from one
species are artificially forced, in laboratory conditions, into the gene structures of
unrelated plants or animals. These genes can originate from any living being, plant, or
creature, including humans, and be forced into the genetic structure of any other living
organism.

Sometimes GMOs are referred to as transgenic products. That is because of the

genetic transfer which occurs during modern GMO research. The process may also be
referred to as genetic modification or genetic engineering, but all these terms lead to the
same approach to organism modification.

And the reason why GMOs are usually referenced to food products is because that is
where most GMOs are found.

Since the 1990s, when the first GMOs were introduced into the human food supply
chain, the advantages and disadvantages of this technology and its outcomes have
been debated. The US has somewhat embraced GMOs, while the rest of the world has
treated them with great hesitation.

Here are the key advantages and disadvantages of GMOs to think about.

What Are the Advantages of GMOs?

1. GMO crops can be tailored to provide better health benefits.
GMO foods can be modified so that they provide a complete nutritional profile. Multiple
vitamins and minerals can be built into the crops as they grown by adjusting the genetic
profile of the plant, making it possible for people to get what they need with fewer foods
and lower costs. That makes it possible to provide more people who are living in poverty
with the food resources they need to maintain their health.

2. There is the possibility of an increased shelf life.

GMO crops can be engineered to last longer once harvested, which makes it possible to
extend the distribution life of the food product. That makes it possible to use the existing
infrastructure for food distribution to send healthy foods further around the world. That
means locations which are experiencing food deserts or shortages can still receive
affordable foods that can benefit the general population.

3. It takes less land to grow more food.

GMO crops can be engineered to produce higher yields from the same croplands. In
some instances, the crop yields can potentially double when the transition from
traditional crops to GMO crops is completed by local farmers. That makes it possible to
meet the food demands that future generations are going to face. By 2050, upwards of
10 billion people are expected to be living on our planet. Oxfam currently estimates that
global food production is enough to feed about 8 billion people.

4. Genetically modified crops can conserve energy, soil, and water resources.
That allows our food distribution networks to make less of an impact on the
environment. Food can be grown in areas that receive very little rainfall and have zero
irrigation with proper genetic modifications. Crops can be grown on fields with little soil.
Because the crops have an increased resistance to disease, weeds, and pests, there is
greater consistency in the yields that can be produced. That makes it easier to budget
food resources for a larger population base.
5. Simple changes to certain crops can have a major impact.
The United Nations, through their Food and Agriculture Organization, suggests that the
easiest way to decrease vitamin A deficiencies is to genetically modify rice to have
higher levels of this nutrient. Because half of the world’s population consumes rice on a
daily basis, the high rates of this vitamin deficiency could be resolved with this one
simple change. Bananas in Uganda are being looked at for this vitamin enhancement as
well, while soybeans provide higher levels of Omega-3s without trans-fats.

6. Fewer harmful agents need to be applied to crops.

GMO crops are more resistant to pests, weeds, and other threats. That means farmers
have less of a need to apply pesticides or herbicides to their crops, which saves them
money and potentially increases the health benefits of the food being grown. Farmers
can also make more money from their existing croplands because there are greater
yields with GMO crops. Even the sustainability benefits, such as drought-resistance,
can maintain yields so that fewer subsidies are required.

7. It can save core crops from extinction.

Many of the foods we eat today are products of a single initial resource. Every naval
orange, for example, is essentially a clone of one original tree that was grafted to
created additional trees. That lack of genetic variation puts the crop at-risk should a
virus or bacteria be able to attack the basic genome of the crop. We’ve already seen
that happen with the Hawaiian Rainbow Papaya and genetic engineering helped to save
the industry. Something similar could happen to naval oranges or any other crop.

8. Farmers can use better ground-care methods.

Because GMO crops have a greater overall tolerance, no-till farming methods become a
possibility. Even if tilling is required, less may be necessary to successfully plant a crop.
That means less irrigation may be necessary. Less nutrient runoff may be experienced.
Soil erosion can be reduced. At the same time, the safety and nutritional value of the
crops are not placed at-risk.

9. Future GMOs could eliminate food allergies or intolerance issues.

Current genetic engineering research is focused on removing the allergen triggers that
are present in common foods, like peanuts. Intolerance issues that are caused by
gluten-containing foods or other triggers are also being examined. The future of food
science in the world of GMOs could make it possible for people with food allergies or
intolerance issues be able to safely eat foods they love in the future.

10. GMO crops use less water.

From 1980 to 2011, the amount of irrigation water required for fields planted with corn
decreased by 53%. For cotton fields the amount of irrigation water decreased by 75%.
Soybeans, rice, and potatoes all saw decreases of at least 38%. Even wheat fields saw
a 12% decrease in irrigation water consumption when planted with GMO crops
compared to traditional crops.

11. There may be a positive environmental impact with GMO crops.

In general terms, GMO crops require fewer in-field operations and applications to
maintain the quality of the yield. Because of this, fewer passes over the field are
required. That reduces the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that
are created through fossil fuel combustion with tractors, combines, and other farming
equipment. Carbon dioxide is also stored in the soil, so fewer passes means less of a
release occurs there as well.

12. GMO foods must meet the same standards as traditional foods.
For GMO food products to be sold in the United States, they must meet the same
quality and safety standards as any other food product. When compared to organic
foods, Stanford University has even found that there are no additional health risks when
eating GMO foods or organic foods. Although there are food allergy concerns,
especially in children, any food at any time has the potential of creating an allergy. From
a pure nutritional standpoint, GMO foods are equal or greater than what is found at the
average grocery store.

13. GMOs can even safe beneficial insects.

When Bt proteins are used in genetic engineering, it targets a specific group of insect
pests that are dangerous to that specific crop. Other beneficial insects that would be
killed when spraying a general pesticide are saved. Those included proteins have a
minimal effect on them. Although there are stories of shepherds letting loose sheep into
Bt fields and losing thousands of head of livestock because of it, there are often more
positives than negatives to find here.
+++
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people of all ages about our
environmental problems and how everyone can make a contribution to mitigate these
issues.

As I went to university and got my Master’s degree in Economics, I did plenty of

research in the field of Development Economics.

After finishing university, I traveled around the world. From this time on, I wanted to
make a contribution to ensure a livable future for the next generations in every part of
our beautiful planet.

+++
Advantages of GMOs
>GMOs can help us to increase crop yields
>Use of genetically modified organisms can reduce the global hunger problem
>More people may get out of poverty
>GMOs may contain higher amounts of beneficial substances
>Can make plants more resistant
>GMOs may help to lower food prices
>Efficient land use
>Easy to cultivate GMOs
>Less work is needed in agriculture
>Taste of food may be improved through GMOs
>We can save water in agricultural processes
>Longer shelf-life of genetically modified food
>Less need to use large amounts of pesticides
>GMOs may be important to feed our growing world population

GMOs can help us to increase crop yields

One key advantage of GMOs is that they can greatly help farmers around the
world to increase their crop yields. Farmers often have to rely on rather weak plant
strains, which are usually quite vulnerable to the spread of diseases. This also implies
that these farmers often lose a significant portion of their crop yield to pests.
Moreover, also the growth behavior of plants is often not optimal. Thus, in order
to mitigate those issues and to optimize crop yields, GMOs can be used since those
types of crops guarantee optimal growth behavior and higher yields.
Especially in countries where agriculture is still done in a rather inefficient
manner, the use of GMOs can have a huge impact on crop yields.

Use of genetically modified organisms can reduce the global hunger problem
If crop yields are much higher due to the use of GMOs in agriculture, chances
are that also more people will get enough food in order to develop in a healthy manner.
Getting enough food is crucial that our body and our brain can work properly. Especially
for children, sufficient food is decisive in order to assure proper growth of these children.
However, in many poor countries all over the world, the local population still
suffers from significant hunger and even starvation. Hence, for those regions, it is
crucial to improve the farming conditions in order to produce higher crop yields.
One way to do this is to use GMOs, which can produce much higher yields on
average. In turn, there will be more food for the local population and the hunger problem
can be mitigated to a certain extent.
More people may get out of poverty
Another benefit of GMOs is that more people will be able to get out of poverty. A
proper diet is quite important so that our body and our brain can work in an optimal
manner. Thus, if people get more food due to the use of GMOs in agriculture, they will
also have more power and better mental capacities to learn and to progress.
In turn, more of those people will be able to get proper education and to get out
of poverty at one point in time. Moreover, not only the general public, but also many
small farmers will greatly profit from GMOs since they will be able to increase their
profits and farmers who had been barely able to survive without GMOs may now be
able to get out of poverty pretty easily due to much higher yields.

GMOs may contain higher amounts of beneficial substances

The crops that can be produced with the help of genetic engineering can also
contain higher amounts of nutrients, vitamins and other beneficial components
compared to crops from non-GMO plants.
Consequently, GMOs can not only help to increase overall crop yields, they can
also help us to supply the general public in poor countries with higher levels of nutrients,
which can be quite important to strengthen the immune system of those people and to
give them more power so that they can master several difficulties in their daily life.

Can make plants more resistant

Another upside of genetically modified organisms is that they are often also more
resistant against certain pests and plant diseases. In many countries all over the world,
farmers often lose a significant fraction of their yield due to pests or unwanted insects.
However, through the use of GMOs, the plants will be better able to protect
themselves against pests and crop losses due to pests may be significantly lower.

GMOs may help to lower food prices

Since farmers may be able to produce more crops if they use GMOs, chances
are that also the local food prices will decrease over time. In many cases, especially in
poor countries of our planet, the local population will suffer from serious unemployment
and many people will not be able to afford to buy basic food in order to survive.
Even people who work quite hard often only earn quite poor wages and are also
often not afford too much food. Hence, in order to improve the conditions for those
people, GMOs can greatly help since through a reduction in food prices, poor people
will be able to afford more food, which is crucial to stay healthy and full of energy in
order to manage their harsh daily life.

Efficient land use

It is also crucial that we as humanity as a whole use our land as efficiently as
possible in order to solve several environmental problems. However, in many countries,
agriculture is still done in a rather inefficient manner and the crop yields per square foot
are quite low. This is due to the fact that many farmers still don’t use sufficient amounts
of fertilizer.
It is also due to the fact that farmers often use strains that are quite vulnerable.
Therefore, a significant fraction of crop yields is lost each year, which also implies
serious levels of inefficiencies in agricultural processes. Therefore, GMOs can also be
used in order to optimize the efficiency of agricultural processes.

Easy to cultivate GMOs

Another upside of GMOs is that they are also quite easy to use. Since they are
often more resistant compared to strains that have not been genetically modified,
farmers will also have quite an easy time cultivating those plants since they are
designed to protect themselves against many adverse outside influences and farmers
cannot mess it up too much anymore.
Hence, GMOs can also greatly facilitate agricultural processes, which can be
quite beneficial, especially for young farmers who often do not have sufficient
knowledge in agriculture yet.

Less work is needed in agriculture

In general, through the use of GMOs in agriculture, farmers will also have less
work since plants are often more resistant and farmers don’t have to put in too much
manual effort anymore. This is quite important since it gives farmers all over the world
more time to do whatever they want to do.
Those farmers may even be able to invest time in a side-hustle, which may turn
into a serious job in the future or can make at least some additional money. In turn,
more farmers may be able to get out of poverty thanks to the additional time they have
to invest in projects that are not linked to agriculture.

Taste of food may be improved through GMOs

Plant genetics also determine how our food will taste. Therefore, if we are able to
modify plant and crop genetics, chances are that we will also learn to alter the taste of
vegetables and fruits over time.
In the long run, this can also lead to a state where our food may taste much
better, which in turn can greatly improve our overall quality of life. However, it is not yet
clear to what extent this will ever be possible.

We can save water in agricultural processes

Another important chance of GMOs is that we can also save plenty of water in
agriculture over time. Many people all over the world think that water is an endless
resource and that we don’t have to save water due to that. Moreover, in many countries,
tap water is quite cheap and therefore, many people also don’t value this resource in
the way it should be valued.
In fact, water is vital for all life on earth and in the near future, it will become a
quite scarce resource due to global warming. In fact, many millions of people, especially
in the Southern hemisphere of our planet, will suffer from serious water scarcity in the
future. Therefore, it is crucial that we save as much water as possible in various parts of
our daily life.
One opportunity to save water in agriculture is to use genetically modified
organisms since they often need far less water compared to conventional crops.

Longer shelf-life of genetically modified food

The genetics of crops can also be modified in a way that those crops will have a
much longer shelf-life compared to crops that have not been modified.
Many grocery stores and also private persons throw away plenty of food every
day and in order to reduce our food waste, it is crucial that we rely on crops that have a
longer shelf-life.
Thus, genetic engineering also has the potential to reduce our overall food
waste.
Less need to use large amounts of pesticides
Since GMOs are often designed to have pest-resistant characteristics, there will
also be less need to use excessive amounts of pesticides in agricultural processes.

The use of pesticides can be quite harmful to our environment since it pollutes
the soil and it also attacks many other living organisms.
Hence, in order to prevent those adverse effects, GMOs can be used so that
there will be less need for pesticide use.

GMOs may be important to feed our growing world population

Our world population is growing at a rapid speed and overpopulation will become
a serious problem over the next decades. In order to feed all those people on our
planet, we have to significantly increase our crop yields.
GMOs can also greatly help us in this regard since agricultural processes can be
optimized and also the yields will be much higher on average. Hence, GMOs can also
help to mitigate the adverse effects of the overpopulation problem to a certain extent.

Should We Use GMOs?

The previous discussion made clear that there are many advantages and
disadvantages of GMOs. While the use of GMOs can give us the opportunity to greatly
improve the overall quality of life of millions or even billions of people all over the world,
it can also imply serious dangers to humanity and we should be quite careful not to do
more harm than good when we use this kind of technology.

Your Body and GMOs https://ag.purdue.edu/GMOs/Pages/GMOsandHealth.aspx

ACCORDING TO… Interview with Dr. Peter Goldsbrough, Professor of Botany and
Plant Pathology at Purdue University
GMOs are relatively new and, like anything new, there are conflicting viewpoints
about many issues surrounding the use of these plants. One area that draws a lot of
attention is whether these GMO plants and the foods that contain them are safe to eat.
There is no data to indicate that consumption of GMOs is bad for human health.
How do we know? GMOs have undergone more detailed evaluation than any
other group of plants that we consume. In almost all cases, GMOs differ from a
conventional plant by the addition of just one or two genes that produce one or two new
proteins. The origin and function of these proteins are well understood. For example,
the proteins are studied to make sure they do not have any characteristics that are likely
to cause allergic reactions. The National Academy for Science, the United States’
number one source for independent, objective advice to the nation on matters of
science and technology, concluded that GMOs are safe for human health. The same
conclusion has been reached by a large number of prestigious health and science
organizations from around the world. In addition, over the two decades that GMOs have
been on the market, there have been no occurrences of health issues due to genetically
modified organisms.
As GMOs stand today, there are no health benefits to eating them over non-
GMO foods. However, this may change in the future as technology develops and
becomes