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The Pros And Cons Of Bt Corn

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Recommended: Dangers of genetically modified food

Like alot of other genetically modified crops, the introduction of bt corn sparked a ton of very negative consequences. Bt corn particularly creates lots of genetic pollution. However Bt corn can protect itself, it can also reproduce more often and more quickly. By corn has been engineered to to fend off pest, it can also be engineered to have more vitamins, minerals, and anti cancer substances. Bt corn doesn't need or insecticides nor does it benefit from them, because the insecticide, is actually engineers into the corn itself. Eighty five percent of corn produced in the united states is genetically modified. “Bt corn has proven effective in reducing crop damage due to ECB, yet public opposition to Bt corn has escalated amid fears of human …show more content…

While decreasing pesticide use can be very beneficial for the health of consumers, Jeffery Smith from the Institute for Responsible Technology points out that growing corn with Bt endotoxin means that you are consuming a pesticide inside every bite of corn”. According to the Center for Food Safety, Bt corn has the potential to trigger an allergic response because the actual DNA of the corn has been altered, introducing new proteins into the food supply. The foreign bits of DNA in Bt corn concern some consumer watchdogs, but is also what allows corn farmers to reduce pesticide application without corresponding losses in yield and income. When pests that attack corn fields eat Bt corn, specific proteins attach themselves to the snacker’s stomach and burn a hole through it. The pest dies of starvation. This is an advantage because if corn plants can fight off invaders themselves, there is less need for farmers to spend money and time on pesticide application. Lower amounts of pesticides are also better for the environment because it means less contaminants leach into surrounding areas and water

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570 Words | 3 Pages

This has scientists wondering how healthy our food can be if we are mass producing by genetically and chemically altering our foods to grow faster to be then again chemically altered to be produced into something else. In the last three decades, the production and consumption of high fructose corn syrup has risen one thousand percent. This means that more sugar is in circulation in our foods which can cause type two diabetes if consumed at great amounts. Also, it has been recorded that about seventy percent of the United States’ antibiotics are consumed by the livestock which are fed with the genetically and chemically altered corn and crops produced in the nation which causes them to have more grams of saturated fat than normal grass fed livestock. This simply adds to the list of undermined health concerns about the production of

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An even newer invention is the GMO, genetically modified organism. It is where you can alter the genes of a plant, by adding certain types of DNA. This corn is not only put in our food, but it is to pigs, chicken, and cattle who are injected with hormones and antibiotics. We are then eating these animals, and with them the hormones and antibiotics they contain.

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These chemicals have long lasting effects on the soil, ground water and rivers, as well as the farmers themselves and their families. Large agribusiness corporations, such as Monsanto, has proposed genetic engineering as an alternative to the application of pesticides – in 1995, Monsanto introduced the NewLeaf potato, which releases bt-toxin that kills off bacteria that causes the late blight, despite strong consumer

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From 2000 to 2013, a 71% increase was seen in the adoption of GM corn seeds known as stacked seeds because they contain multiple GE traits. (Cornrjo et al. para 8). These seeds are resistant to pesticides and have the ability to grow in harsh conditions, which is why they have their use has increased. More and more plants are becoming genetically modified and soon all plants may have some trace of genetic modification.

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These Bt Cotton seeds were quickly adopted by other countries and are used daily. The genetically modified organism, Bt Cotton affects the sustainability of its environment on Earth, and has its particular benefits and drawbacks. Bt cotton is genetically modified by the bacteria called, Bacillus Thuringiensis, hinting the abbreviation Bt. “In 1989, American agro-engineers developed the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton seed, a genetically modified seed designed to grow cotton that resists the bollworm (“The Dying Fields,” 2007).” The seeds were first introduced in the United States in 1996 and other countries, such as China, Mexico, South Africa, and India.

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After learning about Monsanto’s past involvement in the dumping of harmful PCBs, a myriad of ethical concerns arise when examining Monsanto’s genetically modified soybeans. A serious issue is whether or not genetically modified crops (GMCs) are safe for human consumption; thus, making it unclear if GMCs are good or bad. This is especially frightening when considering that the FDA is supposed to require changes in food products to “[meet] the criteria of reasonable certainty of no harm, but when you genetically engineer a food which can cause untold differences in that plant, they don’t require anything.” (Robin, 2008, (3)) As a result, Monsanto’s soybeans were allowed on the market despite inadequate testing and served as a complement the “Round Up” herbicide.

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Farmers face heavy economic losses because of different types of weeds which are inevitable part of a crop. With the availability of genetically engineered seeds of different food crops, farmers became capable of controlling weeds in their cotton, soy, canola and corn crops. In order to increase the sale of its star herbicide, Monsanto

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Genetically modified foods could produce new toxic substances, and/or allergens. A gene was inserted into the DNA of a soybean plant to increase the nutritional value of the soybean. However, this particular gene in the genetically modified soybean also produced an allergen. Fortunately, the plant was not put into production.

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This was also the case in farms where the seed has been used for a longer period of time, the evidence suggest that the claims made by the skeptics that the prolonged use of the genetically modified cotton would lead to the bollworm becoming desensitized and resistant to the protein are false and there has been no signs of this. On the other hand, farmers could be learning different techniques to better deal with pests without the use of such harmful pesticides, which could also be a reason for the continual increase in

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The labelling of genetically modified foods is seen as wholesome common sense, and it should be required to have the information on the back of every product. People have been manipulating the genetic makeup of plants for numerous generations using the process of traditional cross breeding. Genetically modified crops have been traded, grown and consumed around the world, including Australia since 1996. The progress and advancement in this field has impacted the way we view the deeper issues of this technology. While genetic engineering crop property has been gradually increasing, so have concerns, in that producing and eating genetically modified foods may pose unexpected environmental and health hazards.

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Tests have proven the genetic modifications as destructive towards the human body. “The percentage of Americans with three or more chronic illnesses jumped from 7% to 13% in just 9 years; food allergies skyrocketed.” This was all after 1996 introduced GMOs. The article also states, “... in the nine years following the introduction of GMOs in 1996 food allergies, disorders such as autism, and chronic illnesses increased sharply.” This change in genetics is creating many problems in the United States.

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This is advantageous because it reduces the use of pesticides while prohibiting caterpillars from eating the produce. The genetically modified cabbage produces this scorpion poison which is lethal to the caterpillars upon digestion, but is indifferent to human beings [7]. This however has a disadvantage, as more and more of the agriculture industry farm this modified cabbage, more and more caterpillars will die. This will inevitably lead to disturbances in the food chain, and that will upset the natural balance of the earth. Another is that this advancement will

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One may ask how this is possible. To answer that, the University of California in San Diego ,taken from livestrong.com ,explains how crops are made insect resistant; this is achieved by adding a toxic bacterium to the genetic makeup of the crop. Being that the case, this does not, in any way, put the health of humans in any danger. GMOs are also environmentally friendly. This happens in a sense that they, GMOs, help in reducing environmental pollution and soil erosion.

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It’s a popular topic on the media that GMOs are bad for the human body. Well, little did the they know that ninety percent of corn grown in the US is genetically modified (Margie Kelly), and the body can 't even distinguish between GMOs and non-GMOs! There are people debating that GMOs are unhealthy, bad for the economy and even the environment. These people must be uneducated on this topic. Genetically modified crops improve our society because they allow farmers to yield a larger crop, improve the quality their crop, and lessen the negative environmental impacts of their crops.

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Biotechnology has changed agriculture in the US by providing opportunities to the farmers responding to environmental challenges and market demands. It has led to the development of new plant species and varieties through the process of genetic engineering. Biotechnology has led to the commercialization of agriculture, thereby increasing the safety of food without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. The US has become the largest exporter of agricultural crops through the use of biotechnology. The country exports huge quantities of biotechnology-derived corn and soybeans across the world.

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