Do you know what you are eating? What was in those Cornflakes or that Diet Coke you had earlier? I don’t believe you do. Did you know that approx. 60% of processed food is made with Genetically Modified ingredients? You probably do not know this because Products with bioengineer ingredients are not required to put this on the label in the US. In the year 2000 the US did not sign a trade agreement that more than 130 other countries did. This trade agreement would have made it mandatory for products to state if they have genetically modified ingredients on the label. Today I am going to be talking about what genetically modified crops are, how they are made, the pros and the cons, and how they affect everyone.

Genetically modified crops were introduced in 1996. They are made with GMOs or Genetically Modified Organisms. The organisms are modified using selective breeding, hybridization, gene splicing, or cloning. Selective breeding is when only the plants with the certain characteristics are selected for additional reproduction. This method is usually used for increase of crop production. Hybridization, or crossbreeding, is when they combine the DNA of two plants in an effort to produce a plant with the most desirable characteristics from both of the plants. Gene splicing and cloning use recombinant DNA. With this recombinant DNA scientists have developed potatoes and strawberries that are frost-resistant, squash plants with immunity to a certain virus, and corn and cotton that resist attacks by certain insect pests. Changing a characteristic with this DNA can increase the crop yields. Using the dwarfing gene, which controls a plants height, a plant has been created that can grow more grain on a shorter stalk and fewer leaves, protecting them better from the wind and rain.

So, there are good things and bad things about genetically modified crops. On the positive side, genetically modified crops will be able to help decreased the use of pesticides and herbicides. Farmers wouldn’t need to spray their crops with chemicals that could get into the food, run into water supplies, or harm the environment. They can improve nutrition for those who eat them because scientists can put nutritional supplements in the crop. There would be more of a crop yield because the plants have better characteristics. So more food would be produced, helping the international hunger problems. They could increase farming production because crops have been created to grow in poor soils and scientists have been working on a crop that can last through draught and freezing.

On the negative side, the GMOs could harm organisms that are not intended to be harmed. Harming these organisms could affect the whole ecosystem. The plants can also cross-pollinate. Larger spaces between each field would be needed so that the plants grow untainted. The plants could possibly crossbreed with weed, causing the weed to be pesticide-resistant. Insects could also become immune to pesticides. The population of these weeds and insects would grow substantially and wouldn’t be able to be wiped out. integrating genes from different foods will only add to the risk of additional food allergies. People with allergies to food could unknowing eat the food. Producing GMOs and bringing them to market is expensive.

The first genetically modified food hit the market was the Flavr Savr Tomoato. Now there are thousands of items on the market with genetically modified ingredients. Some of the foods that have genetically modified ingredients are breakfast cereals, tortilla chips, granola bars, and diet drinks. Even some baby foods have modified ingredients. A couple of brands that are distributing these foods are Kraft Foods and StarLink. Now you know a little more about what you’re eating, and have been eating.