by GMOs are a result of the green revolution. Whether or not GMOs are good to have in society is debatable. GMO stands for genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified foods (GMFs) are used to increase crop yield by manipulating the genetics of a particular crop. The genetics of an organism can be modified in various ways. Besides making plants insect and virus-resistant, GMOs can also make crops grow in colder seasons, enhance nutritional value, elongate shelf life, and increase growth rate. GMOs are created in laboratories by manually changing the DNA in specific seeds and then growing that seed to produce a plant whose seeds have inherited the genetic modification.
GMOs are not just crops. One example of a non-crop GMO is a growth hormone that is given to cows to help them produce more milk at a faster rate. While all these things sound beneficial, the question is at what cost? The data is still unclear about what the effects GMF have on humans and animals that consume them. Cows may be given growth hormones and feed off of GMO grass, and it is unclear if those GMOs are passed on to humans when they consume beef or milk. One good GMF that is useful in society is nutritionally enhanced rice (golden rice) which, can be used in countries whose population is largely deficient in Vitamin A.
There has not been enough scientific research done on the long term effects of consuming GMFs. One reason for this lack of research is that the responsibility largely falls on the companies that produce the GMO seeds. These companies do not want to find data that shows their products are harmful because it would hurt their sales and profits. Companies have a monopoly on the production of GMOs and therefore control the price. This dynamic hurts farmers because they are at the mercy of the GMO producing companies. This situation gives the farmers very little power because even if they wanted to use non-GMO seeds, they would not be able to produce enough of their crops to make a profit.
GMO foods have developed a negative stigma over the past few years because consumers have started moving away from heavily processed foods and towards natural alternatives. The negative stigma lies in the fact that the effects of eating GMFs are still unknown, and consumers fear the unknown. Now there is a high value placed on buying nonGMO foods. Part of this is due to the higher cost of producing non-GMO foods, and part of this is the social value placed on non-GMO products. There is also, therefore, a socio-economic implication for those who can afford non-GMO food and those who cannot. It is hard to say if we should get rid of GMOs or not because there seem to be pros and cons to both sides. The solution might be taking some of the power away from the companies that produce GMOs and conducting proper and more thorough research to determine the actual long term effects of various GMOs.