Are gmo's as scary as they seem?

Biotechnology encompasses a wide range of technology and these technologies can be applied in various purposes such as genetic improvement of plant varieties  as well as in animals to increase their productivity

Higher productivity holds the key in the fight against rural poverty.where biotechnology promises to boost productivity and thus raise rural income, must in the same way that green revolution did in a larger parts of Asia during 1960's to 80's productivity gains encompasses essential factor of agricultural production which literally means higher crop and livestock,lower pesticide and fertilizer application higher product quality,better storage and easier processing to monitor health of plants and animals 

        

     Back when genetic engineering was in its infancy,the mention of GM crops may have prompted a simple question "What the heck are they?"

 Let me first be clear of the term gmo which means genetically modified organisms 

so,what are gmo's?

well, in the present world these are called as the "robot made food" as this is not the true fact gm crops are the one's whose genes have been modified to get better yield,insect,pest and disease resistance so that farmers would spend less amount of money on pesticides and other hazardous chemicals,gm crops are significantly a step forward in production of agricultural crops  

  

         There are a lot of misconceptions about these crops among our farmers where some have already embraced this new technology where a few are in a dilemma to move on to from the existing traditional method or not,where some are misguided that the product of these crops are unhealthy,cancerous and considering as artificial food

DID YOU KNOW THAT

Algeria: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Austria: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Azerbaijan: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Belize: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Bhutan: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Bulgaria: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Croatia: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Cyprus: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Denmark: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Ecuador: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

France: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Germany: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Greece: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Hungary: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Italy: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Kenya: Cultivation prohibited. Imports banned.

Kyrgyzstan: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Latvia: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Lithuania: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Luxembourg: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Madagascar: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Malta: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Moldova: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Netherlands: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales (United Kingdom): Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Norway: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Peru: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Poland: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Russia: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Saudi Arabia: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Serbia: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Slovenia: Cultivation prohibited. Imports allowed.

Switzerland: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Turkey: Cultivation banned. Imports allowed.

Ukraine: Cultivation banned (though law is widely ignored). Imports allowed.

Venezuela: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Zimbabwe: Cultivation banned. Imports banned.

Why choose the gmo?

• Food supplies become predictable. 

When crop yields become predictable, then the food supply becomes predictable at the same time. This gives us the ability to reduce the presence of food deserts around the world, providing a greater population with a well-rounded nutritional opportunity that may not have existed in the past.

• Nutritional content can be improved. 

Genetic modifications do more than add pest resistance or weather resistance to GMO crops. The nutritional content of the crops can be altered as well, providing a denser nutritional profile than what previous generations were able to enjoy. This means people in the future could gain the same nutrition from lower levels of food consumption. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization notes that rice, genetically modified to produce high levels of Vitamin A, have helped to reduce global vitamin deficiencies.

• Genetically modified foods can have a longer shelf life. 

Instead of relying on preservatives to maintain food freshness while it sits on a shelf, genetically modified foods make it possible to extend food life by enhancing the natural qualities of the food itself. According to Environmental Nutrition, certain preservatives are associated with a higher carcinogen, heart disease, and allergy risk.

• We receive medical benefits from GMO crops. 

Through a process called “pharming,” it is possible to produce certain proteins and vaccines, along with other pharmaceutical goods, thanks to the use of genetic modifications. This practice offers cheaper methods of improving personal health and could change how certain medications are provided to patients in the future. Imagine being able to eat your dinner to get a tetanus booster instead of receiving a shot in the arm – that’s the future of this technology.

•  It creates foods that are more appealing to eat. 

Colors can be changed or improved with genetically modified foods so they become more pleasing to eat. Spoon University reports that deeper colors in foods changes how the brain perceives what is being eaten. Deeper red colors make food seem to be sweeter, even if it is not. Brighter foods are associated with better nutrition and improved flavors.

• Genetically modified foods are easier to transport. 

Because GMO crops have a prolonged shelf life, it is easier to transport them greater distances. This improvement makes it possible to take excess food products from one community and deliver it to another that may be experiencing a food shortage. GMO foods give us the opportunity to limit food waste, especially in the developing world, so that hunger can be reduced and potentially eliminated.

• Herbicides and pesticides are used less often. 

Herbicides and pesticides create certain hazards on croplands that can eventually make the soil unusable. Farmers growing genetically modified foods do not need to use these products as often as farmers using traditional growing methods, allowing the soil to recover its nutrient base over time. Because of the genetic resistance being in the plant itself, the farmer still achieves a predictable yield at the same time.

           

    why say no to the gmo's?

• Most core foods have some level of genetic modification. 

Commercialized crops include cotton, corn, and soybeans. More than 90% of these crops being grown today have some level of genetic modification. Even sugar beets, grown at commercial levels, are more than 90% GMO. Any products that are derived from these core foods, such as corn syrup or soybean oil, still contain the genetic changes from the core ingredient used to make the item.

• There may be an increased risk of allergies or food intolerance. 

Animal testing may be highly controversial, but it should be noted that GMO foods studied in animals have found organ impacts in virtually every circumstance. In humans, there may be an increased trend of food allergies and digestive intolerance because of genetic modification. When plants produce pesticides inside of the plant to kill insects, by basic definition, that plant is toxic.

• GMO crops can contaminate other fields. 

The crops may be genetically modified, but they still grow the same way as any other crop. That means pollination is required for the crop to produce the “fruit” that is being grown. Bees do much of the pollination work, which means they are exposed to the genetic changes of the plant. Seeds are produced by these GMO crops as well in many instances, which can be spread to other fields and contaminate them. If cross-pollination occurs, there is no predictable outcome for both fields, though soybeans are an exception since they don’t cross-pollinate.

• Animal proteins could be affected by GMO crops. 

The vast majority of the core crops in the US that are grown are GMO crops. These crops are then fed to livestock, aquaculture, and apiculture, which impacts groceries that are based on animal proteins. GMO ingredients can be found in milk, seafood, eggs, and animal muscle tissues. Even honey can have GMO ingredients when bees are pollinating genetically modified crops to produce it.

• Many GMO crops are trademarked, patented, and legally protected. 

Farmers that grow GMO crops may be required to sign an agreement to exclusively grow a specific product. They may be asked to take steps that protect the crops being grown from contamination. Farmers that don’t take these steps could be taken to court because of breeching that contract. Some companies have even sued farmers who have patented crops growing in their fields because of natural pollination or distribution patterns, despite the fact that no seeds were ever planted by them.

• GMOs create super weeds. 

If nature knows how to do one thing well, it is to adapt. As crops have grown more resistant to weeds, the weeds have grown stronger and more resilient to the chemicals applied to them that try to kill them. Because of this, some farmers have resorted to using ingredients such as 2, 4-D, which is one of the primary ingredients found in Agent Orange. The US Veteran’s Administration has a long list of presumptive diseases associated with Agent Orange exposure, with many of them being cancers.

• GMOs create super bugs. 

As pesticides are applied to insects that provide a threat to crops, a few of them tend to survive the application. Each subsequent generation becomes more resilient to the pesticide. That means either more needs to be applied or a stronger agent needs to be applied. When something stronger is placed on the crops, the cycle of resilience begins again. Although GMO crops reduced pesticide use by over 1 billion pounds from 1996-2010, the threat of resilient super bugs that could destroy entire croplands without being affected by a pesticide could reduce food supplies instead of increasing them.

•  There are concerns that GMO foods may help to create antibiotic resistance. 

One of the ways that crops are modified to be more resilient to disease is to artificially place antibiotic genes within the DNA of the crops. Because there is evidence to suggest that continuing exposure to an antibiotic can lead to disease resistance, the GMO efforts to create a safer food supply could be a contributing factor to the “super bacteria,” such as MRSA, that are increasing in regularity.

• Genetic engineering doesn’t solve everything. 

Atrazine is one of the most common herbicides that is applied to US croplands. According to the National Institutes of Health, atrazine resistance has been studied since the early 1970s. There are dozens of weed species that are already resistant to this herbicide, with research studies by Bettini, Shimabukuro, and Anderson showing over three decades that resistance is growing.

               GMO myth vs fact

MYTH 1: There are dozens of GMO crops, including strawberries, bananas and wheat. There is even GMO water and GMO salt. 

FACT: There are 10 genetically modified crops commercially available today: alfalfa, apples, canola, corn (field and sweet), cotton, papaya, potatoes, soybeans, squash and sugar beets. 

MYTH 2: GMOs cause cancer, autism, allergies, gluten intolerance and other illnesses.   

FACT: In the 20-plus years on the market, GMOs have not caused or contributed to a single illness or death

MYTH 3: GMO companies force farmers to grow their seeds or sue famers if GMO seeds or pollen blow into other fields. 

FACT: Farmers choose what seeds to grow based on what is best for their farms, market demand and local growing environments. In fact, there are a wide variety of seed options available to farmers, including organic, hybrid, conventional and genetically modified seeds.  Many farmers successfully grow organic, non-GMO and genetically modified crops on the same farm. 

MYTH 4: GMOs harm bees, butterflies and other pollinators.

FACT: GMOs are not believed to have much of any impact on honey bee populations

MYTH 5: GMOs increase the price of food.

FACT: GMOs have actually contributed to reducing the real cost of food. 

MYTH 6: If livestock eat genetically modified grain, there will be GMOs in meat, milk and eggs.

FACT: GMOs have never been detected in milk, meat or eggs derived from animals fed GM feed.

MYTH 7: GMOs have a negative impact on the environment.

FACT: GMOs allow farmers to preserve the land while doing more with less resources and help us address today's most pressing environmental challenges.

Important Facts About Genetically Modified Crops

The fight to have GMO foods labeled is very heated right now. They are currently not.

GMOs are in 80% of processed foods.

The technology to genetically modify food has been around for over 20 years.

The very first GMO food to be commercially sold was the FlavrSavr tomato from California.

Soybeans, cotton, and corn are the most common types of genetically modified crops.

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