If you ask the common American who is not educated in the sciences, "How do you feel about genetically modified food?" they would probably be repulsed by the idea of GMOs. There has been constant controversy over the genetic modification of organisms (mostly, whether or not we should be labeling food products that have been genetically modified). But here is a secret America! Mostly everything you eat has been genetically modified, unless stated otherwise! (This is not ALWAYS the case, but it is usually.)
When I first discovered that knowledge, I was kind of freaked out. What do you mean that the vegetables I eat have been genetically modified?! But it's not as bad as it sounds, honestly. Biotechnology has led to incredible advancements in agriculture that allowed plants to grow to their fullest potential. An example of a GMO that practically every farm uses is herbicide resistance. Farmers will modify their crops to be herbicide resistant to be able to spray their fields with herbicides to kill off weeds, while protecting the crops from the chemicals (herbicides only affect plants; they do not affect humans).
Another example of a common genetic modification is insect resistance (also known as BT crops, which stands for the bacteria bacillus thuringiensisthat makes the pesticide). Corn was the first genetically modified crop and was the first BT crop because caterpillar-type insects kept destroying the corn. The attribution of the bacteria causes holes to form in the guts of the insects and the insect is unable to survive. The picture below demonstrates "organic" corn on the left and genetically modified corn on the right.
It's controversial that GMOs could potentially be harmful to humans, but so far, the common genetically modified plants have not been proven to cause any effect on humans. There are plenty of claims out there; however, the research does not back these claims with any form of certainty.
Before you make your opinion on GMOs, you have to actually research what GMOs are. Yes, it sounds scary. But the truth is that GMOs have been great for agriculture and for the benefit of humans. Organic farming is very expensive and very time-consuming — hence why organic food is much more expensive. Most GMOs (in plants) have simply allowed farmers to grow more bountiful plants and protect them from weeds and insects. Many companies and food industries are now trying to hop on board with the "anti-GMO movement" and claiming they will no longer use products that contain GMOs to draw in consumers that believe GMOs are out to kill you. This is not the case. GMOs have allowed plants to become resilient and have improved our fight to end world hunger. If anything, GMOs have caused more harm to the environment due to the increase of herbicide spraying, but that's another argument for another time. The point: if you're mainly concerned with your risk of health, educate yourself on the topic to understand what all the fuss is about!
To read further on GMOs and the controversies surrounding the topic, click the links below!
Understanding the Controversy and Science of GMOs
