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Juliana Mavellia Malcolm Campbell English 1103 12 September 2013 Topic Proposal: Yes or No to GMOs Introduction/Overview I will be examining the potential risks of Genetically Modified (GM) foods on human health and the environment, as well as addressing current issues that pertain to GM foods such as the controversy over safety testing and labeling. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are organisms, such as food crops that have altered genetic material through artificial insertion of genes from bacteria, viruses, and other animals (Environmental Commons). By manipulating the DNA of common food crops, engineers can make the crops have larger yields, produce their own insecticide, and be resistant to herbicides, such as Roundup, that are able to kill other naturalgrowing plants (Natural Health). GM foods were first introduced in the United States in the mid-1990s, but have been available commercially since 1994 when Calgene, a company in California, introduced the FlavrSavr tomato. The FlavrSavr tomato was the first genetically modified crop brought to the market, but was removed when Monsanto bought the company. The tomato was shelved due to controversy over Monsanto refusing to label it as GM (The New York Times). In spite of this, genetic modification has become widespread in the United States with 93 percent of soybeans, and 88 percent of corn being genetically altered (Better Nutrition). The United States is one of the largest producers of GM products, with 70 percent of foods in grocery stores containing byproducts of GMOs (Natural Health).

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Genetic engineering in food is a new science; therefore the health risks are still unknown. This causes concern because high amounts of food sold in stores contain GMO ingredients, but are being regulated inadequately by the FDA, EPA and the USDA due to these agencies considering genetic bioengineering as traditional agriculture. Even though companies must consult with the FDA, there is no requirement to test the food before distributing it on a largescale (Environmental Commons). Due to no mandatory labeling, consumers could be eating GM foods and not even know it. In addition to health concerns, GMOs may pose a threat to the environment in which GM plants could cross-pollinate with another species of crop or wild plant. This contamination may create a public health threat with the creation of superweeds which could require farmers to use an increase amount of herbicides. This increase in toxic chemicals to the environment could result in the extinction of rare species of plants that allow nature to have biodiversity. The National Research Council claims that an overuse of Roundup Ready crops that contain the chemical glyphosate, are already causing these effects (Natural Health). Even though some admit that the use of Roundup has increased, corporations and other GMO advocates argue that this is less toxic than herbicides used previously. In addition, farmers have to do less tilling, meaning less soil erosion and runoff as well as less toxins in the water supply and less fuel burned by tractors (Natural Health). Therefore, there is much debate over whether the benefits of GM foods, such as the ones mentioned above as well as increased yield and pro-longed life of crops, outweigh the downfalls. There is also controversy over whether GM foods pose a threat to human health. Many corporations, and regulation agencies like the FDA, USDA, and EPA argue that there is no evidence of harmful side affects in consuming GM foods, while others such as non-GMO

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activists and some physicians claim to have evidence there is. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), an organization made up of physicians, declared that there are serious health risks associated with eating GM foods that include infertility, immune system problems, accelerated aging, disruption of insulin and cholesterol regulation, gastrointestinal problems, and even organ damage through on-going experiments involving rats (Better

Nutrition). The organization also completed a study on humans, which revealed that in some
people, the herbicide-resistant genes from soybeans transferred into the bacteria DNA of the intestines. A non-GMO advocate and author of Genetic Roulette, Jeffrey M. Smith explained that, This means that long after we stop eating GMOs, we may still have potentially dangerous GM proteins continuously produced inside of us. In addition to disagreement over the benefits and drawbacks of GM foods, there is much controversy over labeling. According to the Better Nutrition, 90 percent of Americans want GM foods labeled, and more than a million people signed the Just Label It petition that asked the FDA to implement mandatory labeling. In addition, in California, one million voter signatures were submitted to place GMO labeling initiative on the ballot last year. However, corporations like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola spent millions of dollars to fight the effort (The New York Times). For my preliminary research, I researched articles from The New York Times and went on the NC Wise Owl database and found articles from the Better Nutrition magazine, Environmental Commons website and Natural Health website. I also looked on the librarys database and found some peer-review publications about the certain types of chemicals and methods used in genetic engineering.
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Initial Inquiry Question(s)

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Do GM foods pose a threat to human health and the environment? What are some of the benefits as well as the possible downfalls of GM foods? How does the opinion of GMOs in the United States differ from other countries? How does labeling GM foods affect the publics view of them?

My Interest in this Topic Im interested in researching the possible affects of GMOs because since most of the food that is produced in the United States is genetically modified, I want to be knowledgeable about the food that is available to me. My family mostly eats organic food because we are aware of GMOs, but only know about them to an extent. Being that GMOs are made in the laboratory, my family is somewhat hesitant about eating anything nonorganic, so therefore for the past couple of years we have been strictly eating organic food. I already knew that GM foods are produced so that they have a greater yield, are resistant to insects, and herbicides. However, I hope to learn about the effects of GMOs on the human body, and gain a greater understanding of what actually takes place in the lab when making the food and if its actually necessary to be concerned about GMOs.

Next Steps What are the issues surrounding GM food safety testing and labeling and do these foods have potential risks to human health and the environment? I will be visiting the FDA, EPA, and USDA websites to gain information about their policies and views on GM foods, as well as other websites that favor and dont favor GMOs in order to gain a balance. Also I will be looking at variety of newspaper articles, especially from

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The New York Times, magazines such as the Better Nutrition, and the library database to find
journals that can explain the different types of chemicals used in genetic engineering and their possible effects on human health and the environment. I will also try to find reliable documentaries available about GMOs.