Genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) mankind’s solution to how the world supply’s food. The effects are controversial, to all life on the planet in ways that most cannot comprehend. Inherent Value is the value that an entity has on itself, for what it is, or as an end. Many people value what they consume, some might say genetically modified organisms have made it harder for mankind to cure itself from disease. GMO’s have been an ongoing debate for decades and while farmer’s fight to keep going, they have been given an option to plant genetically modified seeds that might grow longer and more ample crops. World hunger and the pressure to produce a more ample harvests can not only cost farmers more, but can lead to lawsuits and accusations of mistrust between the producer of these seeds and the consumers.
In 1990 when “Forbes article “The Lesser of Two Weevils” was released stating “that cotton farmers in the United States had put 100 million pounds of agricultural chemicals on their crop each year for the last several years” (Newton, Dillingham, Choly, 2006) the media went rampant on this information. Controversy arose between growers, the media and distributors regarding whether these altered crops could pose a threat to human health and the ecosystem. Other countries were not too happy about the new and careless way the United States was treating its crops. Chemically altered plants and seeds can eventually be transferred to other plants by natural weather conditions. The ecosystem should be considered when allowing known chemicals into the seeds, plants or the DNA of plants.
The ecosystem, consisting of the sun, producers, consumers and decomposers, becomes fragile when man interferes. We should consider the possibility of how these altered chemicals could travel, making their way in human consumption. The ramifications could take years to discover, some possibly being irreversible. In the U.S. the last few decades have seen an increase in obesity, some speculate this is due to all the hormones and modification used in the foods we eat today. “Through all of these disputes on what was right or wrong to use on seeds and crops, some made accusations that insects can land on chemically altered plants and take this to other plants leaving this substance to intertwine with the DNA of unaltered plants. Claims were made that situations like this were killing the “monarch butterflies (Newton, Dillingham, Choly, 2006).”
In this day in age, the key word that drives almost everyone is more. We need more! We want more! We can never suffice with what we have or what is available. Although this mentality is what led others to discoveries in which we can benefit from today such as the light bulb, electricity, the car, or even mobile phones. These inventions are a benefit but like everything in life, too much of one thing is bad. When the population began to increase, the supply was falling behind the demand and things were needed to be done in order to keep up with this alarmingly rise in demand.
Although GMO’s are the speculated to only assist mankind in furthering food production, others feel that it is an abomination and should not be produced at all. I have tasted the difference between GMO beef and natural raised beef and in my opinion, the difference in taste is astonishing. There is more flavor in beef naturally grown and GMO beef. The effects that food processed through chemical enhancement is not only unorthodox but they can have a lasting effect on your overall health versus eating natural grown food. The overall purpose of GMO’s is to be able to grow the livestock faster and bigger in order to have more product to sell and make more money. There is no other legitimate reason that GMO’s are used. This process fixes the supply and demand problem with the growing population but will in turn have a negative effect on us as humans and our health.
In conclusion, inherent value is what defines us, drives us, and motivates us to do better and grow as mankind. This same effect also has a negative effect by allowing us to always crave for more then what we really can handle. Instead of pumping the livestock with chemicals growth enhancements to sell more meat, why not breed more animals. Instead of focusing on building more shopping malls and more entertainment complexes, we should build more farms or expand the current farms to provide and much healthier food supply without preservatives and growth hormones.