Genetically Modified Organisms
What are GMOs? What is this controversy all about?
Genetically Modified Organisms, also know as GMOs, are crops and foods that are biotechnologically adapted to a specific need using inserted DNA from one organism into another.
A commonly known example of GMOs would be inserting fish DNA into tomatoes for a new ability of the tomato to protect itself from freezing.
While there has not been any significant evidence to prove that Genetically Modified Organisms are truly unsafe, the evidence proving its safety are also still short-term, due to the development and use of GMOs being fairly recent in history.
This has caused a large upset that has allowed individuals and organizations to publicize their fear of the unknown and manifest it in the questioned safety of GMOs, which has greatly influenced public opinion into being very anti-GMO.
Anti-GMO activists claim studies testing the safety of GMO’s are done solely by corporations who have a vested interest in finding the products safe.
The National Academy of Sciences, a non-profit organization, released a report in 2004 that found no health concerns regarding GMOs, and a 2010 report finding that GMOs led to a decrease in pesticides and require less intensive tillage techniques that deplete soil and water quality.
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=12804&page=214
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10977&page=179
The American Medical Association issued a statement stating that GMO labeling is unnecessary (implying that there is no significant health difference between GM food and non-GM food) as long as they are evaluated pre-market by the FDA, which they are.
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodscienceresearch/biotechnology/ucm346030.htm
GENera, a project of the independent, non-profit organization Biology Fortified, Inc., is a database of scientific articles regarding GMOs. Half of its articles are from independent sources.
http://genera.biofortified.org/wp/genera-announces-beta-test-launch