Genetically Modified Organisms

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Genetically Modified Organisms

• By David Forsayeth

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Thesis

• Genetically Modified Organisms are a solution to
  the food and health problems facing the world and
  therefore the use of them should be supported by
  all nations.

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What are Genetically Modified Organisms?

• They are when the genetic structure of an animal
  or plant is modified in order to (hopefully)
  improve it.
• They mix the DNA of different species with
  different positive attributes in order to create
  an organism that contains all of those positive
  attributes and none of the negative ones.

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GMOs In Our Lives

• The first large scale planting of GMOs was in
  1996
• In Canada, almost all of the food we eat has been
  affected by GMO.
• Estimated that in the U.S 60-70 of food on
  shelves has GM components, this would be about
  equal for Canada
• One third of corn and half of soybeans grown in
  1999 were GMOs
• In 2000 it was estimated that 65 million acres of
  land were to be planted with GMOs
• Today it is estimated at 125 million acres, most
  of which is made up of corn, soybeans, canola,
  and cotton.
• 10-30 of milk in North America comes from cows
  GM with a bovine growth hormone to boost milk
  production.

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Why Some Are Against Them

• Moral Issues
• Playing God
• Could lead to human cloning
• Environmental Issues
• Full ecological impact unknown
• Competition would hurt natural species
• Pests/Viruses could build up resistances
• Health Issues
• Allergens could be added unknowingly
• Nutritional value could change

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Why They Are Good

• Population growth and decrease of arable land
• Malnutrition and starvation gripping the
  developing world
• UN estimates 36 million people die every year
  from starvation
• Biotechnology can
• Increase productivity
• Nutritionally enhance food
• Drought, pest, and weed resistant
• Grown in areas they could not usually be grown
• Could even grow industrial compounds

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Examples Of GMOs Have/Are Going To Help

• Hawaiian Papayas
• Virus was going to destroy the industry
• Virus resistant papayas were made, saving all the
  farmers and their industry.
• Sweet Potatoes in Africa
• Could double the yield
• Bt Crops
• Decreased pesticide use by up to 75, no adverse
  effects have been noticed
• Bananas
• Almost half of the fruit produced is lost on the
  way to the market
• 40 more bananas if they ripened slower

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Golden Rice

• 100 million children lack Vitamin A
• Leading cause of blindness at 350,000 a year
• Also kills 1 million children a year
• Rice is a staple of 3 billion peoples diet
• Created by Ingo Potrykus in 1999
• Mixes the common species of rice with the
  beta-carotene genes from the daffodil
• First GMO to help not only farmers, but also the
  consumer

Golden Rice under a microscope
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Conclusion

• The benefits outweigh the risks, millions of
  lives could be saved every year
• All the problems are speculative, whereas the
  benefits are real
• Biotechnology has the potential to feed the
  world all that is required is cooperation
  between the rich and the poor to make sure
  everyone benefits. It is fine to argue about the
  ethics and safety in developed countries, where
  we have enough food, but in developed countries
  they dont have the time. Bill Gates

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