OMG! How GMO’s Affect Our Lives In the past years, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have substituted our diet with genetically transformed foods, which have negatively affected human health as well as local communities. Being unaffected by pesticides, GMOs are produced by merging genes of different species that are joined through genetic engineering (GE), something that is unmanageable to be done by nature (The Non-GMO Project). Eating these genetically altered and additional processed foods can lead to increased risk of diseases and even cancer (Genetically Modified Food). Most of the time we do not even realize that we are eating these deadly poisons as they are instilled in our food without our awareness (Label GMOs). The agriculturalists …show more content…
For example, companies like Delta & Pine Land Co. developed a gene cleverly called the “Terminator gene.” What this means is that the “gene causes a plant to successfully commit suicide, by producing a sterilized seed” (Arkansas Times) and cannot be used again for the next planting season. This profits the companies that sell the seeds as at the end of each season; farmers must buy new seeds. While the genetically modified seeds are sold at a lesser price than other seeds, since they cannot be used for the next planting season, the price of these cheaper seeds increase over time. This means even more money comes out of the farmers’ pockets. By not being able to save the seeds from the previous year, farmers battle to keep their farms alive and have no way of returning to the organic farming they had done before. Once a genetically modified crop is embedded on a farm, or even someplace close, there is always the continuous threat of cross pollination resulting in annoying and unnecessary problem with large companies who own the patent: “You will be sued. Even though you did nothing intentionally wrong, the courts (based on rulings so far) will side with the big business. Your seed stores will be destroyed. You will go bankrupt. Or you’ll settle, at a significant financial lose” (Arkansas Times). Even farms that …show more content…
According to Jared Diamond in his book, Collapse, he claims that “virtually all genetically modified crop production at present-day is of just four crops (soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton) not consumed directly by individuals but used for animal food, oil, or clothing” (508). Using the word directly means that down the line we are exposed to the GMOs existent in these products. For example, humans digest the animals that have been in contact with GMOs, which results in contact. We use canola oil in cooking and wear clothes day-to-day, meaning even more contact with the dangerous toxins. Some experts try to argue that GMOs are completely safe for human consumption, more and more data appears to claim otherwise. Many genetically modified crops “contain its own built-in pesticides…when bugs take a bite of the genetically modified plant, the toxins split open their stomach and kill them” (Smith, “Genetically Modified Food Is Not Safe 18). With this in mind, we consume these “safe” crops every single day despite their capability to kill other living things from the inside out. Those that argue for GMOs claiming that they are harmless to eat should contemplate the harmful results of the food and reconsider their opinion on