Genetically modified organism Essay Example for Free

Genetically modified organism Essay In 1994, the first genetically modified food was tested and sold out into the market. Since then, over 35 countries and establishments from all around the world have started producing genetically modified foods. Genetically modified foods should be permitted because of it’s health benefits and advantages to the economy. Genetically modified foods, also known as engineered foods and biotech foods, are foods whose DNA has been modified in ways that do not naturally occur. Scientists tweak the DNA of the food by collaborating it with genes from a different organism, which gives the manufacturer all control over the plants genetic structure. Most of the genetically modified foods are from plants such as potatoes, corn, rice and even salmon. Animal feed, is also made up of crops such as soybeans, which are almost all genetically modified, meaning the food we eat from animals such as cows and chickens, are all being fed genetically modified foods, which then passes down to the meat they produce. There are a variety of reasons to why people have started genetically modifying food. To begin, it can enhance the taste of food; it increases the nutrients and also prevents pesticides and diseases. It is also a beneficial factor for the producers and the consumers as they can both save money since genetically modified foods are cheaper and most importantly since they last longer, making this an economic benefit. Although all the benefits it provides, a lot of harm comes with it. The way GM foods are engineered, is by taking a gene out of one organism and placing it into another, which disturbs the plants natural DNA. This factor kills off normal cells and provides the plant with the chemicals that scientist have injected into the plants for them to be able to last longer. Lastly, this action introduces allergens and toxins to food. The only ones to benefit from GM foods are multinational biotech companies and GM food consumers. To begin, it is economically beneficial for biotech companies because they are able to grow more crops that would last longer than a naturally grown crop. An example of this would be a potato. A naturally grown potato could last up to 3 weeks without being destroyed, in comparison to the genetically modified potato, which could last up to 7 weeks without being destroyed. Meaning this could benefit both the producers and the consumers because the fruits and vegetables that are being modified have longer shelf lives making the consumer save money and benefit from the bought products. Following its long life ability, genetically modified foods improve the availability of food for the world. As it lasts longer and cost cheaper than organic products, it improves the availability of food for the world by only producing so much at a time. Instead of producing 5 organic potatoes that will die off in 3 weeks, genetically modified potatoes are grown and will last 7 weeks, making us save potato seeds, which save more food for later increasing the worlds food supply. As GM foods are increasing the world’s food supply, they also provide an additional amount of nutrients chemically made. Genetically modified foods are modified to have more nutrients in it than the original food would have. Golden Rice, for example, is claimed to be â€Å"fortified† with vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin for the human body, which is provided by GM Golden Rice. There have been a great number of studies tracking the effects of GMOs on animals. Overwhelmingly, these studies indicate that GMOs are safe to consume. Impact on farming, GMOs allows plants to be modified to grow in environments that would be normally inhospitable. Cheaper food means, easier farming means more food, which, in turn, means less expensive food. This is not only beneficial for the average consumer, but it can have global implications: less expensive food makes it easier to feed hungry populations around the world. Increased nutritional value GMOs can be modified to have greater nutritional value than the organism would have naturally. For example, scientists, hoping to eliminate the need for post-harvest processing, have genetically modified rice to contain significantly higher amounts of vitamin A. This â€Å"golden rice† is not yet legal in most countries, but experts expect it to be within the next few years. All the Yes points 1. Genetically modified foods fill original food with chemicals. 2. Genetically Modified Food can cause cancer. 3. Genetically modified foods greatly affect our long-term health and well-being. 4. Genetically Modified foods All the No points Genetically modified foods can help solve the food crisis.