Critique Paper

On Genetically Modified Organisms

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In
Bio 212: Cell and Molecular Biology

Presented to
Prof. Bryan Openia
Biological Science Instructor

Submitted by
Louregine S. Navarra
BS Biology (Premed)

May 2015

I. Description of the Case

GMOs (or genetically modified organisms) are living organisms whose genetic material
has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE. GMOs are
the source of genetically modified foods and are also widely used in scientific research and to
produce goods other than food. The term GMO is very close to the technical legal term, 'living
modified organism', defined in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which regulates international
trade in living GMOs (specifically, "any living organism that possesses a novel combination of
genetic material obtained through the use of modern biotechnology").

II. Self Analysis and Assessment of the Case

Pros:
GMOs are safe
Many of the most influential regulatory agencies and organizations that study the safety of
the food supply, including the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, the American Medical
Association, the World Health Organization, Health Canada, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the National Academy of Sciences, have found genetically modified food
ingredients are safe and there are no negative health effects associated with their use.

Keeping food affordable

Ingredients grown using GM technology require fewer pesticides, less water and keep
production costs down. In fact, GM technology helps reduce the price of crops used for
food, such as corn, soybeans and sugar beets by as much as 15-30%.

Protecting our environment

GM technology allows farmers to use fewer chemicals, such as pesticides. It also helps
them utilize more environmentally friendly planting techniques that cut down on soil
erosion, greenhouse gas emissions and water use.

Cons:
GMOs are unhealthy
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) urges doctors to prescribe nonGMO diets for all patients. They cite animal studies showing organ damage,
gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated aging, and infertility. Human
studies show how genetically modified (GM) food can leave material behind inside us,
possibly causing long-term problems.

GMOs contaminateforever
GMOs cross pollinate and their seeds can travel. It is impossible to fully clean up our
contaminated gene pool. Self-propagating GMO pollution will outlast the effects of global

warming and nuclear waste. The potential impact is huge, threatening the health of future
generations.

GMOs increase herbicide use

Most GM crops are engineered to be "herbicide tolerant"they deadly weed killer.
Monsanto, for example, sells Roundup Ready crops, designed to survive applications of
their Roundup herbicide. Overuse of Roundup results in "superweeds," resistant to the
herbicide. This is causing farmers to use even more toxic herbicides every year.

Government oversight is dangerously lax

Most of the health and environmental risks of GMOs are ignored by governments'
superficial regulations and safety assessments. The reason for this tragedy is largely
political. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, doesn't require a single
safety study, does not mandate labeling of GMOs, and allows companies to put their GM
foods onto the market without even notifying the agency

GMOs do not increase yields, and work against feeding a hungry world
Whereas sustainable non-GMO agricultural methods used in developing countries have
conclusively resulted in yield increases of 79% and higher, GMOs do not, on average,
increase yields at all. This was evident in the Union of Concerned Scientists' 2009 report
Failure to Yieldthe definitive study to date on GM crops and yield.

II. Conclusion
The two opposing sides of the debate on whether GMO is harmful or not both have
strong proofs contradicting each other. But based on the articles I have read, though
GMOs are very useful especially on the field of research, I believe that they are unsafe.
Most developed nations do not consider GMOs to be safe. In more than 60 countries
around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there
are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production and sale of GMOs. Studies on
whether GMOs are safe or harmful are unreliable. They are conducted by the same corporations
that created them and profit from their sale.