Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs were introduced into the agricultural market in the 1990’s. Since then, GMO crops have been planted on 174 million hectares of land or, almost half a billion acres of land globally (Fig. 1). GMOs are created through the alteration of genes in a living organism to produce a new genotype. Most food modifications have been primarily focused on cash crops in high demand from farmers such as soybean, corn, canola, and cottonseed oil (GMO Compass – Fig. 2). These cash
For years, the health and safety of genetically modified foods have been debated and researched by scientists, but the question still stands: should genetically modified foods be allowed for consumption? The process of genetic modification involves inserting a gene from bacteria or a virus into an organism where it would normally not be found. The purpose is to alter the genetic code in plants and animals to make them more productive or resistant to pests or farming techniques. Genetically modified
Many are strongly opposed to genetic modification and believe that this process is unnatural and that biotechnologists are ‘’playing god.’’ Scientists believe these organisms are poisonous to one’s health and the environment. Genetic modification triggers disgust, as people view this as contamination, as the DNA used comes from species which are deemed disgusting, e.g. cockroaches and rats. GMO’s
aroused public concern. To understand the point of the issue, it is essential to analyze Organic food and GM food from different aspect. In this article, I am going to identify the major argument of two perspectives, also the intellectual differences of and inter-connectedness of the two disciplinary perspectives. It is necessary to analyze what are Organic Food and GM Food first. Organic foods are those produced in rich, fertile soils without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers