I think the main issue of GMOs is that we really have no idea what the effects are going to be on the environment/soil etc in the future. This article talks about that as well as a philosophical side which is kind of a different spin on things
I was curious if people did this and I guess they do! IN this case it is used for a temperature control so the yeast doesn't die as quickly. It says this particular beer is made with corn and the corn has less pesticides than normal...I'm not sure I believe it.
interesting to see the success this GM Beer is starting to have. Some things seem to be a bit questionable but, I'd be curious to see (if GM beer becomes popular) what the economic effects are in the beer industry.
In the decade and a half since the agricultural biotechnology industry in the United States staged its first field trials, federal and state governments and private corporations have spent billions of dollars on research, commercial development, and regulation. This paper focuses primarily on the environmental successes and failures of that investment and the implications of that experience for U.S. readiness to deal with the next generation of agricultural biotechnology products
i agree with matt. its good to see that this article does a thorough job identifying both the pros and cons of GMO's and not weighting it to one side or the other, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions.
I also came across this link during my research. I like the websites outlook on it, because of it's lack of bias towards the subject. But it is disturbing that the US doesn't require proper labeling of the modifications, who are they trying to fool and what is the sole purpose of this? If they believe they need to hide the truth then how safe are the products really?
I appreciated the fact that they stated we really have no idea all of the risks/harm that the technology can do because it is so new. I disagreed with the fact that they say one of the benefits is improved quality of food because I don't necessarily think that's true...improved quantity yes...quality i tend to think leaves a lot more room for debate.
"For companies to increase and control the yield of these crops, it would mean controlling a large part of the processed goods and biofuels markets. It would also mean considerable profit as they can patent these crops and technically OWN THEM!"
This is interesting, but also could be concerning as ownership of modified crops could drastically change the supply and demand of these and other relevant foods.
"The type of genetic modification that causes the greatest ire amongst consumers and activists, however, is when genes from two totally unrelated organisms are combined. For example, "Roundup Ready" soybean crops have been genetically engineered to carry a gene from a bacteria that is resistant to Roundup, a weed killer. When Roundup is sprayed on these crops, every plant in the vicinity dies except the soybeans."
I never really considered this aspect of genetic engineering, or the ability to entirely alter a species so that it can defend itself from a certain chemical. I wonder what health affects this would have on those who consume this soy? And how does someone even know if their food is genetically engineered like this? I guess that is something to figure out through this project...
This is something I had not even thought of, I was just beginning to understand fruits and vegetables but now salmon! How similar is genitally modifying a fish similar to treating cows or chickens with antibiotics with its effects of the human body?
This is about an hour long but it's really interesting and debates the difference between having foreign material in food and the ability to be able to feed less fortunate countries
I didn't listen to the whole thing but wow, 70% of foods contain some sort of genetic modification, did not know that. whats interesting is learning that some foods are genetically modified and put on the market without real knowledge of long term effects on humans and the environment. I'm interested in learning how some of these foods can get FDA approved without proof of long term safety. seems "iffy" to me.
"We are regularly confronted with genetically modified foods, be it in the news or on our plates.
In what way are GM crops different from conventional crops?
What is known about their possible risks for human health or the environment?"
- Introduction to Biotechnologies in Agriculture
- How food GMOs affect crops
- How food GMOs affect the environment
- How are GMOs regulated
- more
"The danger to many humans who are allergic to certain foods is guaranteed, because no one will know what they are eating. For example, say someone is deathly allergic to peanuts. A GMO may have a gene from a peanut in them. The allergic person could get a reaction from eating ANYTHING that contained the peanut gene. They wouldn't even know what caused it - because there are no labelling laws about GMOs."
this is something I had never considered before and I guess I still don't quite understand it. How could a GMO for a vegetable or something have a gene from a peanut?
Drought tolerance/salinity tolerance: "As the world population grows and more land is utilized for housing instead of food production, farmers will need to grow crops in locations previously unsuited for plant cultivation. Creating plants that can withstand long periods of drought or high salt content in soil and groundwater will help people to grow crops in formerly inhospitable place"
I thought this was a really interesting reason for the genetic engineering of crops and such. Allowing a plant to live in an environment it wasn't made to survive in is fascinating and definitely challenges nature's "survival of the fittest" theory.
Link to some Food GMO articles as well as some other topics of interest such as cloning etc.
Scroll down about half way to find the links in the middle of the page