Organically Thought

Genetically engineered foods; are they cool? When I think of modern science resembling sci-fi movies from when I was a child, I get excited. However, then I realize this is realty and we are responsible for doing whats right. We live with the consequences of when we don’t. This has me concerned about genetically engineered food. As a result I am not too sure about genetically engineered foods, but lets explore the facts.

Genetically engineered foods (also know as bio-engineered) are defined as having had foreign genes (like ones from other plants or animals) inserted into their genetic codes. These foods were introduced in 1996. In 1996, 7 percent of soy and 1 percent of corn was genetically engineered. Presently the numbers have grown to 94 percent for soy and 88 percent for corn. Some claims of benefits of genetically engineered foods include: more nutritious food, tastier food, disease and drought resistant plants that require fewer environmental resources (water, fertilizer, etc.), decreased use of pesticides, increased supply of food with reduced cost and longer shelf life, faster growing plants and animals, food with more desirable traits, and foods that can be used as medications. Some of this may be true, but these benefits come with a variety of adverse effects. Many of these benefits are derived from organically produced foods without the adverse effects but at a higher cost. By allowing this the FDA, USDA, and EPA show concern for the corporations producing these foods rather than for the consumer. GE foods do not have to be labeled as such. Organically produced foods do not allow genetic modification. Continue reading »