Why say NO to GMOs?

By Krishna Ra

As we know, American’s live a busy, fast pace lifestyle. We like things to be done fairly quickly. This logic also applies to our food source as well; we like to produce food products fast. To fulfill this wish, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were developed. Genetic engineering is a process where scientists take genes of one species and forces it into the DNA of another species. This process produces a modified organism that can mature quicker than the original organism. However there are consequences that come along with GMO and it is a moral act to let our citizens of the United States know what they are purchasing.
         The first consequence, and the most important to my belief, is the health concerns that come from consuming GMO products. You are modifying the DNA of an organism and if we consume these modified DNA, our DNA will certainly be modified as well. For an example, if cows are fed genetically modified corn and soy. The genes of these cows were altered as they munch and consume the food. Once these cows are slaughtered, they are cut up and packaged into Styrofoam trays and displayed in supermarkets. Then, us humans, we go to these supermarkets and purchase the meat, not knowing that these cows had been fed GMOs. Next thing you know, the modified meat ends up on the dinner table and right into our bodies, changing our DNA over time.
         The second consequence is environmental concerns. Companies like Monsanto produce crop seeds that grow at a fast rate which transform into modified yet ‘perfect’ crops. In order to grow these crops, land is needed, and the prime targets to prey on are small farmers. Contamination of crops of local farms can also occur. If there is a local farm next to a GMO farm producing crops, contamination is likely to occur. GMO seeds can easily be drifted to the local farm by the wind or seeds can make their way to the local farm by animals and insets transporting them.

Will you start going out of your way to buy Non GMO foods?  Or is it too much of a hassle and out of your price range for you?