A common belief for many consumers in the U.S. and abroad is the right to know what one is purchasing. With new genetically modified foods, it seems like it would be a good idea to tell consumers that said products contain GMOs, but in reality products containing GMOs should not be labeled as such.
Genetically modified crops are growing quickly. An estimated 12% of the world’s crops have been genetically modified since their introduction in the 1980s (Weise). The four most common GM crops in the world are soybeans, maize, cotton, and canola (Mosely 580). In the United States, corn and soybeans are the most common GM crops, with an estimated 90% of each being genetically modified (Lusk and Miller 1).
Genetically modified organisms have been around for thousands of years, though they were originally created using traditional techniques of selective breeding. This was done by picking the organisms that contained desired characteristics and hoping that they would produce offspring with those characteristics (Yang and Chen 1852). In the 1980s, genetic modification technologies began to develop. DNA splicing was
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Along with GMOs comes the promise of stable crops, more nutrition, and more food (Naylor 572-3). Elizabeth Weise defines genetically engineered plants a plant whose genetic material is “artificially manipulated to give them characteristics they would not otherwise have” (Weise). Such characteristics could help solve the problems of modern agriculture. Genetically modified crops have the potential to increase production of food, as well as making the food more nutritious (Mosely 580). Genetically modified plants can also have DNA to help them resist disease, and tolerate pests and herbicides (Tsatsakis, et al. 109). There are also the newer, and fast becoming popular, drought tolerant traits that could help increase crop stability