Outling the Effect of GMOs on Health

Cons of GMOs

Most people are completely oblivious to the fact that the so called “fresh” fruits and vegetables they eat are actually contaminated with GMOs. This brings up a good question: what is a GMO? It is a genetically modified organism whose genetic makeup has been changed through engineering techniques. This means that corporate crops are injected with genetic material to produce a desired characteristic. So if you ever wonder why your strawberries are abnormally large it is probably because the genes have been mutated, inserted, or deleted. Sounds fresh right? That is not the only problem; many of the health consequences are unknown which leads me to believe that GMOs are hazardous to our environment.

Although the health effects of the consumption of these foods are unknown, there has been a two year study in France that used rats as a model for humans. Gilles-Eric Séralini, professor of molecular biology at the University of Caen, talks about this in his 2013 online article titled “Republication of the Séralini Study: Science Speaks for Itself.” He states, “The study found severe liver and kidney damage and hormonal disturbances in rats fed the GM maize…” (gmoseralini.org). Since one year of a rat’s life is equal to thirty years of a human’s life we do not yet know if this liver and kidney damage pertains to us as well. GMOs first hit the grocery stores in the year of 1994. So here we are, a little over twenty years later, and there are constant new tumors, cancers, and other diseases coming up.

Disease does not seem to be the only problem, but the control mechanism or intention behind this horrifying idea. Jeremy Seifert, a concerned father and director, makes an excellent argument in his 2013 documentary titled “GMO OMG.” He states, “Is there anything sacred left? Who is watching over this new power to alter creation?” By this he means since when did it become okay for us to take on the role of our Creator and patent or control Nature? These are important questions to ask on this subject because most of these companies are not concerned with anything but the money. Monsanto, a multinational agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology corporation, is in control of most of the GMO crops. When Jeremy went to the facility to ask them in person if their products were safe he was told to leave. This brings up some suspicion because if they were so proud of their products they would want people to know more about them. Instead, they want to avoid concerned consumers because they probably know something that we do not.

If GMOs were not that bad the companies would at least label products that contain them. However, this would lead to a new problem. Thomas A. Hemphill, associate professor of public policy, and Syagnik Banerjee, associate professor of marketing, make a worthy claim in their 2014 article titled “Mandatory Food Labeling for GMOs.” They state, “…mandatory GMO food labeling emphasizes “choice,” by which consumers should have the right to decide what food ingredients they should be ingesting…” (8). If people had a choice to purchase a natural product, or a GMO product they would probably prefer what sounds healthier; then this means the companies start losing money. They go on to say that previous results with mandatory food labeling have led to grocery store retailers eliminating GMO products completely because consumers did not want to purchase them (9). So what are these corporate companies trying to hide? It is more than obvious that they are not concerned with our health.

People are no longer allowed to save seeds, a practice that has been around for generations, it is now illegal and regulated through a contract that decides who and when the seeds can be harvested. Zoe Robaey, a student from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, makes a strong thesis statement in her article titled “Looking for Moral Responsibility in Ownership: A Way to Deal with Hazards of GMOs.” She claims, “The owner of a genetically modified seed has moral responsibility for the hazards the seed might create” (48). In other words, the person who holds the genetically modified seed takes on the accountability of the dangers it may bring. This is a good argument because Monsanto is the owner of the seeds therefore, they should be responsible for the threats it may pose in the near future. Regardless, our society should act more responsible in making sure our food systems are secure.

There are more than sixty countries around the globe including all of the European Union that have banned or put strict restrictions on GMO production and sale. Helena von Troil, a biotech expert from Europe, writes about this in her article titled “The GMO Conflict.” She states, “The difference in acceptance of the GM crops, food products and labelling requirements between the US and Europe has led to a serious trade dispute” (13). In other words, since Europe depends on the United States’ export of soy and corn it has become a problem because they now only want GMO free items. There is a huge difference in attitudes towards GMOs that involves the U.S. and other countries. These different views can best be explained by the culture in which people come from, the regulation on GMOs, and public policy towards them (13). Europeans probably care about their food more because there has not always been an abundance like the U.S has. However, if we are abundant we should be thankful and respect all that the Earth has given us rather than altering its creation.

Although GMOs alter the DNA structure of plants, they do help speed up the process of crops so that people are not left hungry. In the online article titled “Feeding the World’s Hungry” experts say, “One in eight people among the world’s growing population of seven billion do not have enough to eat…crops produced through GM technology can help us feed the hungry and malnourished in developing nations around the world” (factsaboutgmos.org). This may be true however, problems with this counter argument include that if Monsanto and experts were concerned about feeding the hungry why did they not answer Jeremy’s question about if the products were safe? Are they really worried about feeding these people or just making money off of them? If they care so much about the malnourished in other countries they can at least label GMOs here in the U.S. so consumers have a choice. The real problem here is not the hungry people of the world, but the patenting of Nature. Is it even moral to patent a living thing?

There has to be a way to stop this problem of feeding the world pesticides and toxins. According to the documentary “GMO OMG,” Jeremy states some important facts. For example, “The United States is the world leader in genetically engineered crop production, with 165 million acres, or nearly half of global production…approximately 85% of all processed foods contain GMOs.” This means that organic and non-GE crops can easily become contaminated with herbicides and pesticides through insects and pollination. Another problem with this is that eventually the weeds and pests will become resistant which will require them to use stronger toxins.

So we the people can take action to put this to a stop! If we choose to eat organic or foods that are labeled as non-GMO the companies will eventually stop using them. Furthermore, this will lead to the farmers not growing them. Although organics are a little more pricey it definitely is a good investment into your health and your future. If it is true that we are what we eat, we should be cautious about what we put into our bodies so that we do not become something bad. There are many state labeling initiatives taking place and they can only succeed through our help!

After endless research and documentaries I have come to the conclusion that GMOs are toxic to our bodies and our environment. We should be given the right to choose whether or not we want to consume these products. It is no secret that there are constantly new diseases coming up that no one knows where they are coming from. Although they may not all be from GMOs they definitely could play a role; almost everything causes cancer. Man should not “own” Nature to the point that we can no longer save seeds at the end of the year. It seems immoral and whoever is behind this big secret will eventually get their karma. The U.S. should be able to see a problem when other countries are not wanting to trade GM material. The only way to stop this mess is to get involved and to become more aware about what we put into our bodies. We just have to take the time to do it! If Creation wanted nature to produce food at the rapid rate GMOs do, it would have been made that way.