Dear People against GMOs,
There’s been lots of debate on the topic of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. Some people think that using genetic engineering techniques on crops is harmful to the environment and our bodies, while others believe that GMOs are important and beneficial for us. I’m here to convince you that GMOs aren’t bad, and that they’re actually pretty beneficial to the world.
First off, humans have been modifying crops in one way or another since the dawn of agriculture. Take for example selective breeding, a process where crops and animals with desirable traits are bred, and ones that don’t have desirable traits aren’t bred. So for example, planting seeds from tomatoes that are bigger so that bigger tomatoes are being grown, and eventually all the tomatoes that are growing are big ones. This method has been in use for a long time, and while genetically engineering organisms is quite different, at the base it’s the same: identifying desirable traits in crops and making sure more of a crop has that trait. The way genetically modified organisms work, genes responsible for the desirable traits are inserted from one species of plants into seeds of another species. So GMOs are just an extension of practices humans have been doing for thousands of years.
A common concern of GMO opponents is about the businesses that make GMOs. These concerns are in some cases right, and in some cases a bit unfounded. Monsanto, a major distributor of genetically modified seeds, is very litigious and protective of the patents on their seeds, but this is actually common practice among seed companies, so if you have a problem with Monsanto suing farmers, you’ll have to take it up with the seed industry at large. Monsanto has also been under fire for its environmental practices, such as their production of the harmful chemical PCB, which is responsible for lots of pollution, and creating the Agent Orange herbicide for use in the Vietnam War. This is pretty valid criticism, and looking at Monsanto’s shady past, one should be careful with them now. However, just because the business involved with creating GM seeds has participated in some shady practices, does not mean that GMOs themselves are bad. This just means that these companies need to be more regulated and watched over to ensure that the companies are following good standards.
All in all, I think that even though there are many valid concerns about genetically modified organisms, they are not as bad as all the fear-mongering makes it out to be. GMOs are already in widespread use with no ill effects, so there is nothing to fear from them.
With concern for the world,
Aniket