GMO Ben Z.
Concerns
Benefits
Animal safety
Backfire on enviorment/ enviromental concerns
Labeling confusion
Animal obesity
People don't know what they're eating.
GMOs can be contagious to other organic crops.
GMO salmon are kept in farms and can spread disease.
People with allergies could not realize what they're eating contains a gene from their allergy.
Obama passed labeling law, but a smartphone is needed to scan the codes on the labels.
Resistant to viruses/disease
A GMO papaya can survive the ringspot virus
GMOs can withstand harsh conditions, droughts.
Sweet Corn
Cheaper to Grow
“Making crops disease resistant so we have higher yields and more efficient production. GMO’s allow farmer to skip steps in the production process, like spraying herbicides and pesticides”
(GMO Pros and Cons).
Feeding the masses
Productivity will go up 1.5 times in Africa using GM seeds.
3,100,000 children died from being malnourished.
More nutritious.
500,000 children go blind every year because of lack of vitamin A.
Golden rice has more vitamin A
“Engineers are able to create rice that has vitamin A and iron. The modified rice is more nutritious” (Should the U.S. Support GMO).
Can cause smaller farms to close
“Genetically modified crops are not beneficial to small farms, and pressure from biotech companies and agribusinesses is forcing small farms to disappear” (MIT Genetically modified crops).
Claim:
GMOs can be extraordinarily useful for feeding the starving and poor in a healthy manor.
Evidence:
“Making crops disease resistant so we have higher yields and more efficient production. GMO’s allow farmer to skip steps in the production process, like spraying herbicides and pesticides”
(GMO Pros and Cons).
“Genetically engineering food could help feed the 800 million undernourished people in the world” (Day two article).
500,000 children go blind every year because of lack of vitamin A.
3,100,000 children died from being malnourished in 2013 alone.
Productivity will go up 1.5 times in Africa using GM seeds.
Counter Claim :
Yes, that is true, but at least one of the people who eat the GMO foods will have an allergic reaction to an ingredient.
Counter Argument:
It would be selfish to not give the masses food because a couple people might have an allergic reaction to said food, and even if they do encounter something that will trigger a reaction, they can just not eat it!