You will defend or oppose GMOs based on one criteria (health, environment, hunger, etc.). Your essay will have to be a rigorous analysis of the scientific support for and proofs against your position, and you must justify your position in light of both, especially through your counterargument. You will also have to analyze the validity of the studies you use to support your position and those that impeach your opposition. Consider flaws in reasoning, bias, exclusion of perspectives or data, poorly constructed experiments, etc. You must prove your thesis through well-reasoned, well-researched, well-organized argument.
In this essay, I am defending GMO’s based on health and environment.
- 1,800 words minimum
- 1”margins
- Last Name & Page Numbers in the upper-right corner of the Header
- Heading in the upper-left corner of the 1st page that includes
Your Full Name
Course
Professor Name
Date
- A clear, relevant, interesting title
- Double-spaced (no extra space between paragraphs)
- A correct MLA Works Cited page of all sources
- Correct MLA Citations throughout the text of your essay for all material referenced
- NO sentence-level errors
- A coherent structure—the ideas in your essay should flow
- NO irrelevant points or wordiness
Use these quotes below for evidence throughout the essay, if you would like to use other ones make sure they are only from Google Scholar.
THIS ESSAY IS ALSO A DIRECT CORRELATION FROM THE BOOK “MENDEL IN THE KITCHEN” by NINA FEDOROFF
Fedoroff, Nina V., and Nancy Marie Brown. Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist’s View of Genetically Modified Foods. Joseph Henry, 2006.
Chapter 1:
- “Genetically modified crops have been grown around the world for more than a decade, and they have been extensively tested for their safety. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that genetically modified crops are safe to eat and have not been shown to have any negative effects on human health” (page 3).
- “In 2016, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued a comprehensive report on genetically engineered crops that concluded that they are safe to eat and pose no greater risks to human health than conventionally bred crops” (page 6).
Chapter 2:
- “A study published in the journal PLOS ONE in 2016 found that genetically modified crops have reduced the use of pesticides by 37% and increased yields by 22%, compared to conventional crops” (page 25).
- “One of the most promising applications of genetic engineering in agriculture is the development of crops that are resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity, and pests. This could help to increase food security and reduce the environmental impact of agriculture” (page 27).
Chapter 3:
- “A study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology in 2012 found that rats fed a diet containing genetically modified corn for two years showed no adverse health effects compared to rats fed a diet containing non-genetically modified corn” (page 47).
- “In 2010, the European Commission published a review of the scientific evidence on genetically modified crops and concluded that they are safe to eat and pose no greater risks to human health than conventionally bred crops” (page 49).
Chapter 4:
- “One of the most promising applications of genetic engineering in agriculture is the development of crops with improved nutritional content. For example, researchers have developed a genetically modified rice variety called ‘Golden Rice’ that contains beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A. This could help to address vitamin A deficiency, which is a major cause of blindness and other health problems in developing countries” (page 66).
- “A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2016 found that genetically modified soybeans had the same nutritional composition as non-genetically modified soybeans, and were safe for human consumption” (page 69).
Chapter 5:
- “A comprehensive review of the scientific literature on genetically modified foods, published in the journal Critical Reviews in Biotechnology in 2014, concluded that they are safe to eat and do not pose any greater risks to human health than conventionally bred crops” (page 83).
- “The National Academy of Sciences, the World Health Organization, and other major scientific organizations have all concluded that genetically modified foods are safe to eat and have not been shown to have any negative effects on human health” (page 86).
Chapter 6:
1: “Genetically modified cotton, corn, and soybeans make up the vast majority of these crops, accounting for 99 percent of all GM plantings worldwide.” (Federoff 87)
2: “Insect-resistant GM cotton varieties can reduce the number of insecticide applications by 70 to 90 percent, leading to higher yields and lower production costs for farmers.” (Federoff 87)
Chapter 7:
1: “GM crops have allowed farmers to reduce their use of pesticides, decrease soil erosion, and lower production costs.” (Federoff 105)
2: “In 2002, the total reduction in pesticide use due to GM crops was estimated to be 46 million pounds in the United States alone.” (Federoff 106)
Chapter 8:
1: “Currently, more than 70 percent of processed foods in American supermarkets contain genetically modified ingredients.” (Federoff 125)
2: “There is no scientific evidence that genetically modified crops are unsafe for human consumption.” (Federoff 128)
Chapter 9:
1: “GM crops have been shown to increase yields by up to 25 percent compared to conventional crops.” (Federoff 155)
Quot 2: “In developing countries, GM crops can increase food security and reduce poverty by providing farmers with crops that are more resistant to pests and diseases.” (Federoff 157)
Chapter 10:
1: “GM crops can help reduce the environmental impact of agriculture by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.” (Federoff 176)
2: “GM crops can also help alleviate the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fertilizer production and application.” (Federoff 177)
Chapter 11:
1: “Over the past ten years, more than 2 billion acres of genetically engineered crops have been planted in 22 countries, with no documented evidence of harm to human health or the environment.” (Federoff 128)
2: “According to the National Academy of Sciences, genetically engineered crops have not been shown to pose any unique risks to human health or the environment when compared to their conventional counterparts.” (Federoff 133)
Chapter 12:
1: “According to the USDA, genetically engineered crops accounted for 92 percent of all soybeans, 75 percent of all cotton, and 35 percent of all corn grown in the United States in 2003.” (Federoff 153)
2: “In 2002, farmers planted more than 40 million hectares of genetically engineered crops worldwide, with the United States accounting for over two-thirds of this total.” (Federoff 156)
Chapter 13:
1: “According to the USDA, the use of genetically engineered crops has led to a 50 percent reduction in pesticide use since 1996, resulting in a decrease in the amount of pesticide residues in food.” (Federoff 180)
2: “Studies have shown that the use of genetically engineered crops can increase yields by 6 to 20 percent, while reducing the use of pesticides and herbicides by 37 percent.” (Federoff 188)
Chapter 14:
1: “According to the USDA, the use of genetically engineered crops has led to an increase in farm income of $5.5 billion since 1996, due to increased yields and reduced pesticide use.” (Federoff 204)
2: “Studies have shown that the use of genetically engineered crops can increase yields by 20 to 30 percent, while reducing the amount of land needed for farming by up to 50 percent.” (Federoff 212)
Chapter 15:
1: “The World Health Organization has stated that ‘no effects on human health have been shown as a result of the consumption of genetically modified foods by the general population in the countries where they have been approved’.” (Federoff 232)
2: “Studies have shown that the use of genetically engineered crops can reduce water use by up to 40 percent, while improving the nutritional content and safety of the food we eat.” (Federoff 239)
Kumar, Harish, et al. “Genetically Modified Crops: Current Status and Future Prospects.” Courseware, Planta, 15 June 2019, https://courseware.cutm.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Current-status-of-GMOs.pdf.
- “GM crops have been proven to be beneficial in several ways including an increase in crop productivity and a reduction in the use of chemical pesticides”
- “GM crops have been found to possess significantly higher levels of important nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, than their non-GM counterparts”
Bawa, A. S., and Anil Anilakumar. “Genetically Modified Foods: Safety, Risks and Public Concerns-A Review.” Journal of Food Science and Technology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3791249/?TB_iframe=true&width=921.6&height=921.6.
- “GM foods are safe for human consumption and have been evaluated as safe by numerous health and food safety regulatory authorities worldwide” (p. 1040).
- “Numerous studies have shown that GM crops can increase crop yields, decrease use of chemical pesticides, reduce soil erosion and improve soil fertility, among other benefits”
Raney, Terry, and Ira Matuschke. “Genetically Modified Crops in Developing Countries: Back to the Future.” GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: BACK TO THE FUTURE | Semantic Scholar, AgcEcon Search, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/GENETICALLY-MODIFIED-CROPS-IN-DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES%3A-Raney-Matuschke/c35a4978e6cc39b3e9d76b56cf260b25b8b15095.
Quote 1: “GM technology has increased yields by 21% and reduced production costs by 33% for cotton, 37% and 39% for maize, 30% and 19% for soybeans, and 7% and 22% for canola.”
Quote 2: “The benefits of GM crops have been widely documented and include higher yields, reduced pesticide use, improved soil health, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.”
Qaim, Matin, and Shahzad Kouser. “Genetically Modified Crops and Food Security.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, 5 June 2013, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0064879&segid=e125b856-93cc-4c9c-9db6-fcfb179bd3c4#s2.
Quote 1: “Studies have shown that GM crops have increased yields by 22% and decreased pesticide use by 37%, resulting in an overall income gain of US$19 billion for farmers globally in 2012 alone.” (Qaim and Kouser)
Quote 2: “Insect-resistant GM crops have reduced insecticide use by 37% and increased yield by 22%, while herbicide-tolerant GM crops have decreased herbicide use by 22% and increased yield by 14%.” (Qaim and Kouser)
Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA)., 2017, https://agi.gov.vn/files/files/ISAAA/ISAAA%20Brief%20No_%2053%20-%202017_compressed.pdf.
Quote 1: “In 2017, approximately 17.5 million farmers in 24 countries grew 189.8 million hectares of GM crops, with the majority in the USA, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and India.”
Quote 2: “The total crop area that was genetically modified increased from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 189.8 million hectares in 2017, an increase of over 111-fold.”
Qaim, Matim. “The Economics of Genetically Modified Crops.” Annual Reviews, 26 June 2009, https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.resource.050708.144203.
Quote 1: “GMOs now account for 10% of the global crop area, including 29 countries growing biotech crops and an additional 31 countries that import biotech crops.”
Quote 2: “In 2017, GM soybeans and GM maize accounted for 89% and 34%, respectively, of the total soybean and maize crop area in the USA.”