By Holly Eaton
Sustainability Studies student
In the news and on the social media sites we often hear about the term GMO. What is a GMO and what purpose does it serve?
The term GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism, such as plants or animals that have been genetically modified with DNA from bacteria, viruses, and or other plants and animals. So, how do we know if these genetically modified organisms are safe for our environment and or the community? In my sustainability class we have been discussing ways in which we can help out our environment and make it more sustainable for the consumers. To do this we must follow an “Operating Manual” which includes four system conditions or ways to think about sustainability in our environment. The second system condition asks the question: why should we worry about what is being produced by society? This relates back to my previous question. Are genetically modified organisms safe for the consumers and the environment?
According to the NonGMO Project, “Most developed nations do not consider GMO’s to be safe. In more than 60 countries there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMO’s.” This causes a lot of issues in our society and for the consumers. Do GMO’s really help with the production and growth of our food or are they just harming the consumers? We must find more sustainable and safe ways to grow our food without the harmful use of genetically modified organisms. We don’t need to put these sorts of chemicals in our food because it is not safe and it is not healthy. Most people don’t see the need or the use of genetically modified organisms because of the health risks and it can also cross contaminate other crops that don’t want to use these sorts of things. An example would be with the company Monsanto. Monsanto is huge on the use of genetically modified organisms and it has caused issues with different farmers across the country. When Monsanto uses GMO’s in their fields they can potentially contaminate other surrounding fields which cause some issues for farmers. The use of GMO’s is causing consumers and farmers to become frustrated and angry.
We must find more sustainable ways to grow and produce our foods.
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