Prompt #15: More and more farmers and food manufactures are genetically modifying their crops to reduce susceptibility to diseases, improve flavor, and reduce costs. Do you think genetically modifying foods is a good idea? Why or Why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your position.

            When you walk through the different aisles of your local grocery store what do you see? When you shop for your favorite foods do you shop for the flavors or the health contact of it? Many consumers are unaware of what is put into their favorite food products. With the slow economy many farmers are trying ways that slashes the growing process in half.

             Giant companies and small town farmers are turning to genetically modifying crops. Without knowing the side effects of modifying crops companies and farmers are putting the life of many people on the line in order to produces crops in record time. “Environmental activists, religious organizations, public interest groups, professional associations and other scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods and critized agribusiness for pursuing profit without concern for potential hazards, and the government for failing to exercise adequate regulatory oversight (Whitman, Deborah).”

             Genetically modifying crops has become more popular than ever before with the lack of water in many rural areas. Health specialist and private organizations are wondering how the government will educate the public on GM products. GM products are suppose to reduce the time a regular crop is produced in half the time and use less water. But all it is really doing is not allowing the crop enough time to hit its mature age to use it for food. Not allowing the crop to grow enough is taking the richness out of the crop. “Genetically engineering may accelerate the damaging effects of agriculture, have the same impact as conventional agriculture, or contribute to more sustainable agricultural practices and the conservation of natural resources, including biodiversity.( Green Facts).” Genetic Modifying could also produce unknown allegerys to many around the world. And it also means that if a farmer plants a crop with the same DNA and one of the plants comes up with a fungus it will be harder for that farmer to trace back to the plant that had the fungus because it would have the same DNA make up. “Genetic engineering often uses genes for antibiotic resistance as "selectable markers," and most genetically engineered foods carry fully functioning antibiotic resistance genes. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), eating these foods could reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics to fight disease.”

                    So the next time you go down your favorite aisle in the grocery picking up things to make dinner read the label. Because you don’t know what could be put into your food. You could possibly have the apple that was apart of a genetically modifying experiment.