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Submitted by Ancdav on February 24, 2007
Category: Science
Words: 3045 | Pages: 13
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Genetic engineering holds the key to feeding the world¡¦s growing population, curing our diseases and saving our natural resources. Welcome to the brave new world of farming, ¡§Transgenic Crops¡¨. Genetically modified crops or food is a very controversial subject these days, with statements ranging from, the cure to world hunger, to the creators of the super-weeds and pesticide resistant insects, to so called ¡§Frankenfoods¡¨, it is no wonder that the average consumer is confused, or unaware of genetically modified crops, or ¡§GM crops¡¨. Millions of acres have made the switch to transgenic crops just over the last two years, (see appendix A). With the numerous farmers making the switch, the biggest thing remaining is educating the public.
It is estimated that as much as 60-70% of packaged foods already contain ingredients from genetically modified crops or organisms. That means it is in grocery items ranging from canned soup to breakfast cereal. And no one has been reported to die from eating it. .
Just about every grain, legume, vegetable and fruit have already been genetically altered in the laboratories, along with many organisms that are used either directly as food, or in production. Just a few examples of genetically modified crops are: Maize, potatoes, soybean, yeasts, herbicide and pesticide resistant crops and modified food additives and enzymes. Even though the effects of genetically modified food will have both positive and negative impacts on the human population, they will impact every person differently.
For several thousand years, farmers have been altering the genetic makeup of the crops they have been growing by crossbreeding. They have made plants grow faster, hardier, produce larger seeds, or give them some other desired quality. In the last 20 years, with new technology, researchers have been given the ability to remove specific genes from one species and add them to another, making this process far more...
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