Here, There and Everywhere

            The acronym “GMO” is consistently thrown around when you talk about modern agriculture, but genetically modified organisms are probably one of the most misunderstood aspects of agriculture. The communication gap between producer and consumer is larger than it has ever been before, around only 2% of the U.S. population is directly involved in agriculture. Meaning that 98% of the population is uninvolved with the production of their food and all that it entails and thus education and awareness must be raised. Genetic modification within organisms, food production systems and crops has been occurring for 20+ years. GMOs are organisms in which an addition of favorable traits/genetic material is planted within the organism’s make-up in order to produce a more superior product.

                The benefits of genetically modified products are quite numerous. GMO ingredients are designed to allow producers to do more with less and thus increase their efficiencies and while decreasing input costs. GMO products reduce the usage of pesticides because they are deliberately set with insecticide within their genetic make-up, reducing the need to spray herbicides on the field themselves and thus preventing added deterioration of the land. Other benefits of GMOs include drought resistance, allowing for less water usage, decreased weeds, and increased crop yields. Collectively, all these benefits of genetically modified organisms add up to the fact that we are able to feed more people with the same amount of land due to increased yields and efficiencies.    
    
            If there was more time spent trying to understand the mechanics behind the agricultural system I think a lot less people will have a problem with the so called system. In effort to keep up with the ever-changing world we live in, agricultural producers have had to adjust. One of their adjustments has been to better the crop strains and the way in which things are done. The use of GMOs is no different than that of using a tractor instead of a horse-drawn plow, an ordinary upgrade to the more efficient model. The safety of GMO products has been tested time and time again and has revealed no scientific basis in which should indicate the consumer shouldn’t trust these products. The use of GMOs in developing countries has been more of a necessity rather than a luxury. The use of said ingredients has allowed for developing countries to feed more people in rural areas where water is scarce and resources are not plentiful. With so many benefits, and a lack of scientific backing to prove harms the question of GMO versus non GMO seems immaterial. Producers don’t wish to provoke distrust from consumers, they only attempt to better the production process and system, not destroy it, which has become a hard thing to portray to the consumers at large. As an entity, agricultural sets out to feed the population, not to cause harm, illness, or anything of the sort, so trust in the process and investigate the practices to educate yourself on the who, what, where, when, why, and how of where your food comes from.


Sources:
https://factsaboutgmos.org