What are your thoughts on genetically modified crops?

Question

I have a science fair debate on genetically modified crops. Me and 5 other girls from my class are opposing the topic and we are going against a group of 6 from a grade higher than us who are also majoring in science (high school not college). Soo, can you help me. Sites and stuff would be good.

thank you in advance

Answer 1

I think they are a yummy, economical alternative to real food. Like you could just make a genetic tomato instead of growing a real one. Maybe you might get cancer, but its cool. And like they cshould have gentically altered cats and stuff too. THat would be cool.

Answer 2

Man and woman have been genetically modifying organisms since the beginning of agriculture. When the farmer chooses the seed of one plant over another the farmer is practicing genetic modification. Modern equipment and techniques have allowed science to accelerate the process. With a world population of more than 6 billion, the farming techniques that some condemn are necessary in order to feed the masses. While probably anything is possible, refusing to use what science makes available because of what might happen is not in the best interest of the world. Crops that have been modified to improve yield should be a positive benefit to the farmer who is trying to feed his family and make a living providing food for others. Getting hysterical about what might or might not happen when the product is consumed serves no real purpose. Thus far, I've seen no sound science to show that GMOs are a danger to mankind. Many of the possible side effects brought up by the opponents of GMOs have not been studied well enough to positively say the GMO is the problem. We've seen an increase in the number of food allergies, but we haven't been able to say with any degree of certainty what is the root cause in the perceived increase.

Answer 3

I did a paper on this a few years ago, so my mind is kinda rusty, but look at europeans, and their websites, as the eu has banned GM crops. This is what i remember:



My suggestions for your debate is to focus on a few crops and to know a lot about the modifications that have been done with them.



Corn was modified to create a strain that was resistant to some worm, and they modified the dna. . . sounds like a good idea right?

The idea was that the corn's toxins would create a feeling in the worms gut that it was full and the worm would starve to death.

What if that "benifit" was passed on to humans? Would we all stop eating?

Also, look into how corn reproduces. (hint, by air, and the pollen is spread long distances, aka: if we had a problematic strain of corn, we might never get rid of it.)

Also, the original strain of GM corn was called the terminator, because it only was good for one year, aka the seeds were not viable. This caused the farmers to have to buy seeds every year. hummmm, wonder if this could be passed on to humans. . . .we are eating the seeds, and would that make our kids not feritle. . .



enough about corn



Next, modifying rice or food stock to increase the production sounds good, but what happens to the soil? You might be able to double your production for a few years, but then the soil is depleated and you are back to less and less food. . . reciepe for disaster.



Dont get me wrong, i am a fan of modifying crops, but there is a way to do that, it is called hybridization. Lets not mess with the dna of crops, we just dont know what we are doing.



Hope this helps.

Answer 4

As a college student in food science, I can say that these crops are safe. As a matter of facts, a large percentage of the current food supply contains genetically modified foods. I have not seen any evidence as to how eating these foods could harm a person, and neither has the government since these foods are completely legal and often more nutritious than other foods.

Answer 5

If you oppose the use of genetically modified crops, is your stand one you believe in or was it just an assignment as a topic to debate? If so, there is a lot out there available on line and recent but you will be hard put to find any facts to bolster your position against it. The debate will go best for you if you can nail down facts as the pro-GM team will do. Find out what they will surely use as fact against you and use that to prepare a defense, I think that will be your best course as there is little info that you can use to call in for a good offense. Then you can evoke WWJD (religion).

I am pro GM for the record and all I can say is, when you are hungry you will eat the little blue apples.

Answer 6

The effects of long term consumption are unknown because there were no long term tests done. Because of this many nations refuse to buy our grain. Use of GMO ingredients in food has resulted in violent allergic reactions in some people that almost resulted in death. There is no requirement that GMO crops be labeled as such. I wouldn't be surprised if one day we find a situation like we had with the tainted gluten that killed so many of our beloved pets recently. Imagine if a whole crop of corn, wheat, or soybeans were found to be just as poisonous due to the insecticides purposely put inside the plant.

Answer 7

The outlook is grim...



The orange farmers in Florida are making the oranges not "growable" from seed so that they don't lose profits...

They also set up laws to cut down the trees when locals try to grow their own oranges under the guise of "canker contamination".

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D06E0D91E3AF936A35755C0A9649C8B63



http://international.ifas.ufl.edu/focusweb/focusdec04006.htm



Also, Babies are getting fatter from hormones in formula...

http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/08/babies_are_gett.html



And farmers are growing circus freaks instead of livestock:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070511/ap_on_fe_st/odd_bonus_nose;_ylt=Ar6398qLFv76JGmszB4L5pJeW7oF

Answer 8

i dont think theres anything wrong with gm crops

eg. the golden rice (look it up on google) it was when vit a and kerotene i think was added to rice so that eastern rice dependent people wouldnt be lacking, and go blind and stuff.

and cheese is moreorless a gm food woo!

i dont know much about gm crops though.

but im in favour!

Answer 9

i think the seedlings are modified not to get attacked by other insects etc, however they are not good for health

Answer 10

visit the following websites:

http://www.gmoafrica.org/

http://www.gmofoodforthought.com

http://www.fbaeblog.org/

http://www.monsanto.com/biotech-gmo/

http://www.biotechbrasil.bio.br/en/

Answer 11

they indeed look better interms of size,quality and disease resistance

Answer 12

It makes for good harvest. :)