GENETIC ENGINEERING IN AGRICULTURE
The Restoration of Food
issues
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social issues
Stigma associated with gmo crops continue to be frequent in society today. According to NM Incite, many reveal that they have a negative attitude towards GMOs, contrasting to the 8% which are positive. However, many are not aware what GMOs are and their positive impact on society. There is also debate over large corporations who refuse to label GMOS, enraging consumers in effect. Some companies that avoid labeling are Hershey's, Campbell's, Godiva, Nestle, Kellogg's, and Coca Cola that are afraid of their profits dropping.
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[IS.4] This displays the most well known companies that refuse to label GMOs.
[IS.5] This image displays customers attitude towards GMOs.
legal issues
Issues have occurred, specifically from the powerful company called Monsanto that controls almost 40% of the genetically modified seed department. This large industry has filed lawsuits against farmers who are bound by a contract to not replant seeds, leaving them to repurchase seeds repeatedly. Due to their constant pursue of farmers, a federal appeals court was issued and states that Monsanto cannot "sue farmers whose crops were accidentally contaminated with GM seeds that they did not purchase for themselves" (GMOinside.org). Additionally, this company has allegedly been found to negatively slander research that opposes GMOs.
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ethical issues
Ethical issues included with GMO use is the potential to cause new allergies, diseases, and damage to the environment. According to Ian Murnaghan, "a gene could be extracted from an allergenic organism and placed into another one that typically does not cause allergies, a person may unknowingly be exposed to an allergen." Additionally, there is also distress towards containing GMOs in a designated area. In fact, a certain sugar beet was edited to resist a herbicide but instead contracted another resistance to a different type, affecting farmers efforts to exterminate the crops that continued to live.
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