Genetic Engineering
Noushad Siddique
English 1A
December 13, 2012
The Future lies in GE products Recently in the 2012 Elections, Proposition 37 in favor of labeling genetically engineered (GE) foodstuff in California was rejected by the public amid fears that it would spread unnecessary skepticism of the safety of bioengineered products. Foods produced by altering the genes of an organism, mostly plants, to make it robust are called GE food. The issue of GE products made available for human consumption has been controversial since its introduction claiming that the safety of GE products is not well founded. In fact it has been one of the most controversial issues in the past decade and there have been numerous debates on whether the GE products really pose a hazard to consumers and the natural environment as well as that they have impaired the conventional food market which has been feeding the human beings since the start of time. Though GE products include a process of altering genes which would not have occurred naturally, GE products have revolutionized our modern day eating habits and they will guarantee us a sustainable future. GE products were first introduced into the US Market in the mid 1990’s after vigorous testing in the labs and then field testing (Schonwald 25). Since then many farmers and corporations have adopted the use of GE crops to meet the demands of the steeply growing population curve. Joe Castaldo, a Toronto based Journalist for Canadian Business, estimates the required increase of food production in the coming decades: “To meet the growing demand, global food production will have to increase 70% by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In developing countries, it will need to almost double” (Castaldo). This is also the reason why many GE ingredients are found in our daily diet and it makes economic sense for farmers growing the crops, such as cotton, for other industries other than the food industry itself.
English 1A
December 13, 2012
The Future lies in GE products Recently in the 2012 Elections, Proposition 37 in favor of labeling genetically engineered (GE) foodstuff in California was rejected by the public amid fears that it would spread unnecessary skepticism of the safety of bioengineered products. Foods produced by altering the genes of an organism, mostly plants, to make it robust are called GE food. The issue of GE products made available for human consumption has been controversial since its introduction claiming that the safety of GE products is not well founded. In fact it has been one of the most controversial issues in the past decade and there have been numerous debates on whether the GE products really pose a hazard to consumers and the natural environment as well as that they have impaired the conventional food market which has been feeding the human beings since the start of time. Though GE products include a process of altering genes which would not have occurred naturally, GE products have revolutionized our modern day eating habits and they will guarantee us a sustainable future. GE products were first introduced into the US Market in the mid 1990’s after vigorous testing in the labs and then field testing (Schonwald 25). Since then many farmers and corporations have adopted the use of GE crops to meet the demands of the steeply growing population curve. Joe Castaldo, a Toronto based Journalist for Canadian Business, estimates the required increase of food production in the coming decades: “To meet the growing demand, global food production will have to increase 70% by 2050, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In developing countries, it will need to almost double” (Castaldo). This is also the reason why many GE ingredients are found in our daily diet and it makes economic sense for farmers growing the crops, such as cotton, for other industries other than the food industry itself.
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