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Steven Raju
Melina Probst
English 2
December 2, 2015

Genetically Modified Food

Humans throughout history always held the mindset to enhance their standard of living,
no matter what cost it may take to do so. This innate belief strings on the pride human beings,
tugging it to a point where failure to enhance things is unacceptable. The undying ideology of
enhancement has been a pillar of human society for many centuries. Humans have applied this
mindset on to a variety different things, whether towards automobiles, homes, etc. Some people
have compared this mindset to playing god. Many argue that playing god is unethical and
humans should avoid doing so, but nevertheless, humans continue to take natural things and
change them. One prominent example of this include genetically modified food. Also called
GMOs for short, the definition are foods produced from organisms that have had changes
introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering as opposed to
traditional cross breeding. GMO were created to promises better yield and quality of the end
products than conventional breeding methods (Patwardhan 1366). GMO is not necessarily a
new method (first official genetic engineering happening in 1983), but GMOs are poised to be a
factor in the future of human beings. With progress in genetic engineering, farmers and scientists
have changed the way in which food is grown and made. Like the human mindset, food is being
enhanced in order to bring about things like better taste, production, nutrition, etc. Despite the
GMOs potential benefits and the years it has been used, it is still clear that there is not enough
information on the consequences of GMOs. Because of this uncertainty, the debate rages on

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whether GMOs can be beneficial to human society. While some of society are wary of the
potential negatives of GMOs and believe they are too risky to continue, the further production
and study of GMOs fall in line with the human mindset of constant enhancement and never
giving up on things that can help benefit an individuals standard of living. It is essential to
understand the variety of benefits GMOs can provide for the future of human society.
It an understood norm humans desire some kind of nutritional benefit from the food they
consume every day. It is essential for humans ingest the nutritional benefits of food, and GMOs
testing have shown to provide such. It is known though however that the goals of GMOs have
not always been centered on nutrition, with symptomfind.com stating Not all genetically
modified foods are changed to increase their nutritional content (Henshaw). Nutritional value
has not always been the main goal of GMOs, but GMOs has been making progress to increase
nutritional value in their products. GMOs nowadays are starting to exhibit of number of benefits
for the human body, ranging from improved nutritional quality and health benefits in foods,
improved protein and carbohydrate content of foods, improved fat quality, improved quality and
quantity of meat, milk and livestock (Uzogara 179). GMOs are starting to have a roundabout
effect, improving various aspects of nutritional quality that can be extremely beneficial to the
consumer. For example, coconut oil was modified into Nutra-coconut oil in a study done by
Central Food Technological Research Institute. The genetically modified coconut oil proved to
be enriched with omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids and bioactive phytoceuticals, which include
sesamol, secoisolariceresinol and many other phenolic acids that are beneficial to health
(Rajasekharan 1439). Foods are now being genetically modified in order to introduce or enhance
the nutritional benefits, which is a critical factor for humans in determining whether GMOs have
a place in the future of human society. Despite not all GMOs provide nutritional benefits, more

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and more GMOs are starting to be made specifically for their enhancement in nutrients, which
will help GMOs become a commodity among the health community. While the nutritional
benefits of GMOs cannot be understated, it is essential to recognize the economic benefits of
GMOs.
GMOs hold many benefits, with the economy being quite a prominent one. Countries all
over the world can experience a major economic change thanks to GMOs. For example, the
process of producing and distributing genetically-modified papaya in India was said to be lowcost, organic, non-toxic, edible, biodegradable, eco-friendly, easily adaptable (Rajasekharan
1440). These benefits help the economy in a myriad of ways, and thanks to these variety of
benefits the economy can be affected more diversely. While GMOs production provide economic
benefits, the most critical factor of the economy and GMOs is an economic consumers
perception and acceptance of GMOs. To have a stable and flowing economy, it is essential that
people invest and willing to pay for a growing commodity such as GMOs. Perception is one of
the main keys in determining if GMOs can be beneficial to the economy. In a survey answered
by French consumers, the results indicated an overwhelming opposition to GM foods
(Noussair, Robin, Ruffieux 102). These results can be pointed to a lack of knowledge of the
potential benefits of GMOs, along with the general stigma of people viewing things made
through scientific methods as unnatural and wrong. Along with this survey, however, was an
experiment that took place after the consumers learned about the GMOs as a whole. The results
indicated 35% of participants are unwilling to purchase products made with GMOs, 23% are
indifferent or value the presence of GMOs, and 42% are willing to purchase them if they are
sufficiently inexpensive (Noussair, Robin, Ruffieux 103). These results actually contrasted with
the survey results, with the authors stating There is a surplus to be gained from the segregation

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of the market for food products into a GMO-free segment and a segment allowing GMOs
(Noussair, Robin, Ruffieux 103). As more and more people become educated about GMOs, the
public perception has started to grow and become receptive to consume it. Despite the initial
negative feedback, many of the consumers still saw the potential of benefits of GMOs and were
willing to invest in it. Given that GMO products can provide a variety of benefits that can help
the economy, along with a many consumers starting to gain more approval for genetic
engineering, the arrow is pointing upward for GMOs to become a force in the future of human
economy.
Farming and GMOs go hand and hand. The food many humans consume today are thanks
to farming and the art of raising crops. Farmers today however are in age where use of
technology is rapid and many forms of business are starting assimilate with technological use.
With the rise of GMOs, farmers are left with the dilemma of whether they should use GMOs for
their crops and products. Many argue that farmers face too many negatives in regards to GMOs,
with the Penn State University of Law stating farmers should be cautious of private contractual
relations between farmers and seed companies, the environmental impacts of the technology, and
the potential impacts of consumer concerns (both domestic and international) on the market for
GM (Kruft 1). Being that GMOs come from high-priced, big business technology firms, many
farmers are leery in commercializing their product with scientific means and prefer a more
natural approach to growing crops. While this approach is understandable, integration with
GMOs can benefit farmers in a much higher degree. Benefits of GM technology with farming
include increased crop yields, diminished use of pesticides and herbicides, and increased
profits (Kruft 1). With increased crop yields, farms can churn out more production and grow
their supply. Diminished use of pesticides and herbicides help regulate food safety and eliminate

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potential hazards pesticides and herbicides commonly bring. Farmers find themselves in a
position to expand their profits through the use of GMOs. Many farmers said they found a
"significant increase" in net returns for herbicide-tolerant cotton crops and Bt cotton crops
(Kruft 2). Farmers have always been a provider to human society, and considering the benefits
that arise with use of GMOs in their farming, farmers have the chance to enhance their
productivity and livelihood. These enhancements will benefit the farming society as they
contribute mightily to the lives of human beings.
Most developed countries can enjoy the benefits of GMOs, but lying in the outskirts are
developing countries. Developing countries struggle with many food and agricultural related
things, and being that they are well apart of human society, enhancement in these areas are in
dire need. GMOs are perfectly able to fulfill those needs, but some people within developing
countries do not view GMOs as a solution. The book The Politics of Precaution: Genetically
Modified Crops in Developing Countries points of that developing countries with significant
unsolved agricultural development problems might be expected to take at least a pessimistic
view of GM crop technologies (Paarlberg 43). This pessimistic view arises from things such as
farmers in these nations might not stand to gain GM crop technology already successful in the
use of the industrial world (Paarlberg 43). Developing countries are in a peculiar position of not
being well integrated in the world of technology. Because of this lack of integration, developing
countries are creating viewpoints and mindsets that do not benefit them. Having GMOs in their
societies can help developing countries sustain crops and increase productivity. Crops in these
countries are more often than not loss thanks to diseases, and poor soils made worse by climatic
conditions that favor insect pests and disease vectors (Herrera-Estrella 923). With the use of
GMOs, crops in developing countries can generates strategies for crop improvement that can be

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applied to many different crops. Genetically engineered virus resistance, insect resistance, and
delayed ripening are good examples of strategies that could potentially benefit a diversity of
crops (Herrera-Estrella 923). Having these benefits can assist developing countries maintain a
stable agriculture and farming, which is crucial when it comes to getting people food to eat and
maintaining business for farmers. The benefits of GMOs are critical in helping developing
countries enhance their standard of living and become better member of human society.
In the end, while there are undoubtedly some negatives attached to GMOs, the benefits it
can provide are vital in enhancing human society. Humans have created a world where
technology is king, and with technology now becoming a mainstay in the future of society,
GMOs have a bright future down the line. GMOs were created to enhance the world of food, and
this ideology of enhancement is instinctive within human beings. As long as humans hold the
desire to always get better and continuing to improve, GMOs will be a prominent factor in the
future of food and human society.