GENETICALLY MODIFIED

CROPS

WHAT ARE GENETICALLY

MODIFIED CROPS?
Genetically modified crops are crops used in agriculture, in which the DNA
structure has been changed to benefit the plant. The plants can have
genes added in to them to make them grow in different climates, support
better crop yield, or simply obtain desirable traits in the plant more often.
Some people think that modifying a plant is un natural and should not be
done but humans have been doing it for many centuries.

HOW MUCH FOOD IS

GENETICALLY MODIFIED.
Almost 85% of corn grown in the US is genetically modified.
Alfalfa is modified so it is resistant to the herbicide roundup
90% of canola crops grown in the US are genetically modified
Cows are given rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to help
increase their production of milk.
Genetically modified sugar beets make up over half of the US sugar
production

BENEFITS OF GMOS
- decreased fertilizer use
Some crops have a herbicide resistance
Some plants can have a resistance to cold of resistance to certain
diseases.
The price of food can lower because of lower fertilizer use and more crop
yield.
Some foods have a longer shelf life when modified.

CONCERNS OF GMOS
Allergies to the proteins given to the plant
nutrient levels will not be the same as a non GMO plant
Interbreeding- GM plants breed with non GM plants
cross pollination-The pollen from the genetically modified plants is also
contaminated. When this pollen is around other plants, even things like
grass or weeds, they cross pollinate. This could develop superweeds
that have the same resistance properties as the crops.

WHY ARE PEOPLE CONCERNED?

People are concerned about using genetically modified food because they
believe it is unnatural. They feel that not enough testing has been done
on the organisms to be able to modify their genetic structure. People
have a psychological tendency to expect naturalness in foods. Some
people only want foods that have been genetically modified to be labeled
properly so people know that they are eating them.

CANOLA
A breed of canola was genetically modified to be resistant to the chemical
glyphosate which I a main component in the herbicide, roundup. This
breed was produced by the company Monsanto who are a large GMO
producing company. This canola allows you to spray for weeds with
roundup without killing the canola.

SITE
https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_canola?scrlybrkr=37609f84
http://
www.huffingtonpost.com/margie-kelly/genetically-modified-food_b_2039
455.html?scrlybrkr=041413ae
http://www.decodedscience.org/gmo-food-pro-and-con/23179
textbook