...rise. Proponents of GMFs believe these crops will reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals, and are just as safe as traditional crops. Opponents, on the other hand, feel the use of chemicals is scarcely reduced in GMFs and fear contamination of traditional farm crops. One example of this was displayed in October 2000 when a brand of genetically modified corn, approved only for animal feed, ended up in taco shells and other foods intended for human consumption. It is possible that GMFs are not bad for us at all and might be rather beneficial to building a sustainable future for all forms of life. The solution to its success lies in careful moderation, and this is where research is crucial. Genetically modified foods should not be banned, though studies on the effects of human consumption and economical impacts are necessary. Genetically Modified Foods: Advancement or Shortcoming? For nearly ninety years farmers have altered crops or animals using a method called crossbreeding. In crossbreeding, breeders select desirable traits of the parent plant or animal to produce a new species of that organism to achieve improved quantity and the quality of their crops. Though many seasons may pass before growers achieve their desired results, the harvests can produce juicier oranges, plumper tomatoes, and seedless grapes. For animal modifications, the process can take much longer. Enter the process of Genetic Modification (GM). Rather than waiting several seasons or...
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...Monsanto Attempts to Balance Stakeholder Interests Course: MAN 3065 Group#: 1 Date Submitted: Oct. 2, 2014 Member: Evelyn Arfaro Reference#: 810149 Member: Claudia Calmet Term: 2014-15 Member: Claudia Castro Days: T & Th Member: Loanny Martinez Time: 7:05 pm – 8:20 pm Member: Jeanette Ramos Prof: Hoa N. Burrows, CPA, MBA Monsanto is one of the largest seed company in the United States and was found by John F. Queeny in 1901 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Monsanto company has created a variety of products to include the artificial sweetener saccharine used by Coca-Cola. Due to past major legal obstacles (Orange Agent) they shifted their efforts from the chemical realm to an organization focused on biotechnology. Their past history has generated a consensus on the possibility of how biotechnology might affect the environment and peoples’ health (Ferrell 302). In order to look at stakeholder’s interest we must look at whether Monsanto maintain an ethical culture that effectively responds to various stakeholders; we must compare the benefits of growing GM seeds for crops with the potential negative consequences of using them; and how should Monsanto manage the potential harm to plant and animal life from using products such as Roundup. Who are Monsanto Stakeholders? Monsanto Stakeholders are their employees, customers, suppliers, shareholders, communities and investors...
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... |4 | |Methods |5 | |Reason for genetically modifying | 6 | |Advantages of GM food |6 | |Disadvantages of GM food |9 | |Environmental Hazards |9 | |Human Health Hazards |9 | |Economic Concerns |10 | |General Risks of GM food |10 | |References...
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...providing an abundant supply of crops that may repel insects without the need for pesticides and less expensive crops that maintain freshness for longer. There are also disadvantages in using genetically modified foods because the genetically modified version of the food may differ from the original food, losing its nutritional value or creating an allergen. The continuous study and regulation of genetically modified foods will protect the food supply and the people who consume it. Since the onslaught of pesticide use and environmental concerns, genetically modified foods have made its way into grocery stores and supermarkets. The “Bionet” (n.d.) website states, “Genetically modified food products are plants that have had their genetic characteristics altered. Scientists change the plants' characteristics by putting new genetic material into them, genes for example from a bacterium which can withstand pesticides.” Without knowing, Americans consume GM foods daily. Most people are unaware of the modifications in their food because the United States, unlike Australia, does not require a GM food label to identify whether or not the food is modified or not (Berry, 2012). According to Berry (2012), “Determining whether a food contains GM content requires DNA testing. As this is expensive, there is currently no policing of GM food labeling laws for foods that are imported into the country. Many of the foods we buy at the supermarket contain imported GM ingredients. They can be...
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...disadvantages of gm crops The continuously growing human population poses a great challenge to the farming industry. For centuries humanity has selected the best and most suitable crops for the environment they were living in, nowadays with over 800 millions of people being undernourished the pressure to find a better way to feed the population has never been higher (FAO, IFAD and WFP. 2014). Since the first genetically modified crop was introduced in the market in 1994 (James, C. and A.F. Krattiger. 1996.) the debate over GM crops has never stopped. Among the numerous advantages of a genetically modified crop the possibility to engineer a crop to be resistant to pests, bacteria, and fungi stands out, this allows to reduce the use of harmful pesticides, to increase the yield of the crop and the monetary income related to the crop which could help developing economies. Another important advantage of GM crops is the possibility to enhance the content of nutrients in the plant, such is the case of Golden rice a variety of Oryza sativa rice specifically engineered to biosynthesise beta-carotene to address the problem of Vitamin A deficiency in the diet of the population of many developing countries (Ye, X; Al-Babili. 2000). Besides the many advantages the scientific community has often questioned both the environmental and the health risks related to genetically modified crops. The two major concerns regarding GM are the toxicity and the allergenic properties that could arise in a GM crop...
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...SHOULD GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD (GM FOOD) SHOULD BE BANNNED | SHOULD GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD (GM FOOD) SHOULD BE BANNNED | SHOULD GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD (GM FOOD) SHOULD BE BANNNED Nowadays genetically modified food is widespread all over the world. GM foods are genetically modified using biotechnology. More and more GM foods appear on our stores and supermarkets. GM foods are designed for greater resistance to viruses and pests, higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. Food crops have been genetically modified for several reasons most of which produce a financial benefit to farmers and the chemical companies that produce the GMOs. In nearly all cases, these benefits are achieved indirectly by increasing crop yields through resistance to diseases and pests or by allowing them reduced use of herbicides to control weeds and unwanted plant growth. However their safety potential risks are still being debated.GM foods ensure that these foods are safe for the human consumption but critics argue that effects have not been studied long enough. First argument for banning GM foods is that it was badly affects our health and well-being. Some studies have linked consumptions of the GM foods to liver and kidney problems. The antibiotics and hormones given to cows and chickens are found in our bodies and we don’t know yet the extent to which these cause chronic disease. Moreover genetic...
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...discovered DNA transfer between organisms. The first genetically modified plant was produced in 1983 and now 165 million acres annually are grown. However, along with rapid adoption of technology have come myths propagated by proponents and opponents. Different GM organisms include different genes inserted in different ways. All GM foods currently available on the international market have passed risk assessments and are not likely to present risks for human health. The general population has showed no effects on human health because of the consumption of such foods. Continuous use of risk assessments based on the Codex principles and, where appropriate, including post market monitoring, should form the basis for evaluating the safety of GM foods. (Winter & Gallegos, 2006) The GM foods controversy is a dispute over the relative advantages and disadvantages of food derived from GMOs, GM crops used and other uses of GMOs in food production. The world population has topped 6 billion people and is predicted to double in the next 50 years thus ensuring an adequate food supply for this booming population is going to be a major challenge in the years to come. GM foods promise to meet this need in a number of ways. Their crops are pest resistance. Consumers reject food that has been treated with alot of pesticides and fertilizers because of potential health hazards. Run-off of agricultural...
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...What is a GM crop? According to WHO Genetically modified (GM) foods are foods derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally. But with this gift comes with a great burden. In this essay I will be discussing the pros and cons of GM crops, like is this going to revolutionize agriculture, increase yields and profit for farmers or is it going to bring a great amount of trouble like the evolution of super weeds and super bugs. Is this a giant leap for the future or is it a wolf in sheep’s clothing? The first commercial GM crop was Flavr Savr tomato created in California. Flavr Savr was engineered to slow the ripening process of the tomato and prevent it from softening, while still allowing the tomato to maintain red and juicy for longer. However the process of transferring genes for one organism to another is a time consuming processes as you have no control to where the gene will attach or even if the proportion of DNA it lands is the part you want. This combing all these factors together we can see that genetic engineering is a very expensive procedure. But even with all this complication we can still invest our money in to it as we can see the countless benefits GM crops have. Let us start with a simple advantage of GM crops it is the reduction of chemicals released into the environment. It is argued that, by modifying crops to resist certain pests or diseases, farmers can reduce or even eliminate the need to spray...
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...modified foods (GM foods) are foods from genetically modified organisms, such as genetically modified crops, plants and other foods. It is widely scientifical argue that food form GM crops through genetic engineering is methods. However, opponents have objected to GM foods including food safety issues and customers’ economics concerns. This essay will discuss the extent to which GM foods influence how people and what types of GM food exist in daily food. Ever now, some developing countries still have famine and malnutrition. One of the most significant problems facing poor countries currently is the rapid climb in population. In the last two decades, the population of the world is doubled. As the population of the world is increased, which becoming a global issue, the most important problem is that the shortage of food. Most worryingly, over 800 million people still have too much poverty to eat. Meanwhile, there is a slowly increased in yield-enhancing crop (Lipton, 2001). According to Bouis (2007), the authors suggest, ‘one way that biotechnology can help to improve the nutrition and health of consumers in developing countries is by increasing the vitamin and mineral content and their bioavailability in staple foods’. Bouis suggested that the supply of food adapted to the population, and the only way to solve this problem is that biotechnology can grow the crops’ output and adaptive capacity, which it through genetic engineering to change hereditary character of crops. First of...
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...Guertin 1/22/2013 Environmental Issues EG481 Week 6 Assignment Biotechnology Genetic Modification (GM) is to introduce desirable traits in an organism. Genetic modification of food has been practiced for centuries through conventional selective cross breeding. With great advancements in technology, genetic engineering is now used to improve food quality. Genetic engineering has everything to do with the transfer and disposal of genetic material and enabling specific genes to be transferred between related and non-related organisms or the transfer of genes between non-related species is only possible with genetic engineering. Using old conventional methods of genetic modification, the desired traits are molded from natural occurring variations in genetic composition of organisms, where genetic engineering makes it possible to alter genetic material in ways that would not occur naturally. In other words, the advantages of genetic engineering include a greater scope for the development and improvement of food products. Therefore, the alteration of genetic material in anyway not found in nature has ignited public debate over the health and environmental issues of GM foods. “Pest resistance Crop losses from insect pests can be staggering, resulting in devastating financial loss for farmers and starvation in developing countries. Farmers typically use many tons of chemical pesticides annually...
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...foods (GMFs) becoming more prevalent today, debates about whether it is right to use technology to create new forms of plant and animal life are on the rise. Proponents of GMFs believe these crops will reduce the use of pesticides and other chemicals, and are just as safe as traditional crops. Opponents, on the other hand, feel the use of chemicals is scarcely reduced in GMFs and fear contamination of traditional farm crops... It is possible that GMFs are not bad for us at all and might be rather beneficial to building a sustainable future for all forms of life (Castle, S., Modified Corn, 2014 February 11th) Genetically modified crops were born like cross breeding, it was introduced from a gene through a different organism. The beginning of GM crops was in 1977 when the discovery that soil bug Agrobacterium tumefaction’s can be used as a tool to inject useful foreign genes and DNA into plants. This microorganism, with additional help from other gene-implantation technologies such as electroporation, and gene guns, geneticists have developed a variety of different GM crops. Genetically modified crops can be altered to grow under many different conditions such as extreme cold, dry spells, or where there are high levels of salt in the soil. Unexpected cold and frost can kill young crops so, according to Deborah Whitman “An antifreeze gene from cold water fish has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate...
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...grow crops? Does providing the enhanced seed to local and international groups around the world help in providing the necessary crop yield to feed the families without damaging the t local ecosystem? They are a leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed and of the herbicide glyphosate, which it markets under the Roundup brand. Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses known to compete with commercial crops grown around the globe. Is using the weed killer Rounds an ethical thing to do when it has the potential to harm plans and animals? Monsanto seeds are they Safe Does Monsanto maintain an ethical culture that can effectively respond to various stakeholders? Like any other large firm, Monsanto also has the responsibility to maintain an ethical culture that can respond effectively to stakeholders when issues arise. There are issues with their products that still need to be resolved including the risks to health and damage to the environment. They also need to enforce their code of ethics to mitigate employee misconduct. Although Monsanto has made ethical mistakes in the past, it is trying to remedy this. Monsanto accepts full responsibility for its employees’ behavior. The incidents showed that although Monsanto has not been immune to scandals, it is willing to work with authorities to correct them. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2011, p. 313) Compare the benefits of growing GM seeds...
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...WHY we don’t need GM foods With the cost of food skyrocketing – hitting not just shoppers but the poor and hungry in the developing world – genetically modified (GM) foods are once again being promoted as the way to feed the world. But this is little short of a confidence trick. Far from needing more GM foods, there are urgent reasons why we need to ban them altogether. 1. GM foods won’t solve the food crisis A 2008 World Bank report concluded that increased biofuel production is the major cause of the increase in food prices.1 GM giant Monsanto has been at the heart of the lobbying for biofuels (crops grown for fuel rather than food) — while profiting enormously from the resulting food crisis and using it as a PR opportunity to promote GM foods! “The climate crisis was used to boost biofuels, helping to create the food crisis; and now the food crisis is being used to revive the fortunes of the GM industry.” — Daniel Howden, Africa correspondent of The Independent2 “The cynic in me thinks that they’re just using the current food crisis and the fuel crisis as a springboard to push GM crops back on to the public agenda. I understand why they’re doing it, but the danger is that if they’re making these claims about GM crops solving the problem of drought or feeding the world, that’s bullshit.” – Prof Denis Murphy, head of biotechnology at the University of Glamorgan in Wales3 commercialization, genetic engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop yields. The author...
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...Controversy in Science Think of one area of controversy in science (e.g. GMO; race and intelligence; vaccination of babies etc.). 1. Describe the nature of the controversy. 2. Select a position/ point of view/ stance and 3. Give three (3) reasons for your stances/position There are many controversy topics within science the topic which I selected is Genetically modified organism (GMO’s), their advantages and disadvantages to the environment. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be defined as organisms (i.e. plants, animals or microorganisms) in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating and/or natural recombination (WHO 2015). GMOs GM foods are developed and marketed because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer of these foods. They are used mainly in the agriculture industry in the production of seeds resistant to pest and diseases and rearing of animals on specific diets. There are ethical issues concerning their use and production. No matter how crucial their uses are, the limitation of the knowledge of modern science as well as the possibility of unforeseen negative effects in the health and the environment are some of the issues being raised up against their use (Biology Online 2009.) I do not support the use of genetically modified organism due to the unknown effects to the environment (biotic and abiotic factors) due to limited research...
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...Impacts of Genetically-Modified Crops and Seeds on Farmers Prepared by David Kruft, Legal Research Assistant November 2001 I. Introduction The agriculture industry has traditionally been supportive of technological advancement, particularly in the field of genetic crop improvement.1 For decades, the industry has been mixing naturally the genetic traits of seeds in the search for particularly robust varieties. Genetically-modified (GM) seeds are a significant step forward in the production of agricultural crops. GM seeds are seeds that have been modified to contain specific characteristics such as resistance to herbicides (in the case of "Roundup Ready" products) or resistance to pests (in the case of Bt corn). But the method of modification used with GM seeds varies from the traditional method in an important respect: the genes have not been modified over generations of cross-fertilization, but rather inserted directly into the DNA of the seed.2 Although this method is more efficient, critics fear that the result — a "novel gene combination" — may have health or environmental impacts that are not being adequately addressed.3 As a result, the technology is surrounded by significant controversy. The reaction of farmers to this new technology has been mixed. Some farmers have quickly adopted the technology.4 Other farmers, mindful of the controversy surrounding GM products, have hesitated to use GM seeds as part of their agricultural operations. Farmers should...
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