GATTACA Essay

Jacob Sweet
1/15/15
Period 5

GATTACA Essay- Usage of GMO’s

There are many positive and negative aspects to using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for an increased food production. For example, if we continue to freely use GMOs, poor people who could not otherwise afford food would be able to provide themselves with cheaper alternatives that provide just as much nutrition. However, there may be unknown side effects caused by eating those foods that could lead to larger problems than not getting enough nutrition such as diseases like cancer. Unfortunately, there is no definite answer for whether we should stop or continue using GMOs so people should make their own decisions about the idea.

If people keep on buying and consuming GMOs, there is a chance it can be completely safe for the people eating it. In fact, there is nothing to prove that the current GMOs will cause any harm to the body even if they are consumed frequently. In addition, planting GMOs on farms may even help the environment in which it is grown since those plants were designed to not need pesticides or other chemicals to ensure their growth. Plus, the farmers would not lose as many crops due to sudden low or high temperatures since the plants are sturdy to such conditions which could also lead to less shortages of a certain crop. Finally, to prove their safety, GMOs are tested before released into the public so that people do not suffer from diseases which helps to eliminate the skeptical thought of “what if there are unknown side effects.”

GMOs may also prove to be very useful by encouraging people to consume foods better for their body. For example, some poor people do not eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables because they are too expensive to consistently buy but due to GMOs being cheaper, it allows the people to be healthier. In addition, if there were no GMOs, there would be less healthy foods available (since GMOs can be grown quicker and at different times of the year) which would make the prices of all fruits and vegetables that once had GMOs in their species go significantly up. This would also further discourage people (even those with sufficient amounts of money) from eating healthily, causing more problems to them.

Unfortunately, there are several downsides to eating GMOs that could affect many people. First of all, tampering with the DNA of plants is very delicate as one slight mess up can cause horrible, unwanted results that could manage to sneak past the safety exam. It would not be worth it if someone got cancer or another terrible side effect from a genetically modified apple when they could have simply eaten a slightly more expensive but safer alternative. Because organisms adapt and change over time, it is also possible that a safe GMO was released but many years later changed just enough so that it can cause side effects. Finally, the GMOs are only tested for safety for humans, so it is possible that other animals around the place of growth such as bees can be harmed through the usage of these plants.

In conclusion, GMOs can be very great for society while simultaneously being a constant threat to its safety. The choice of whether or not to eat these unnatural organisms should be left to the consumer and their ethics. However, there may be a new alternative to GMOs released soon seeing how quickly science has been moving recently. As for now though, it seems the amount of GMOs and non-GMO foods made are based off of how many of each are bought so each person can get what they want and silently influence companies to make more of what they think is better.