Effects Of Gmo Foods On Human Health – You may have heard people talk about the negative effects of GMOs on the environment – and claim that GMOs are damaging the environment – but is this true? Are GMOs helping or harming the environment?
Despite the negative myths, there are many reasons why GMOs are good for the environment. First, did you know that Genetically Modified crops can actually reduce the environmental impact of agriculture? And that GMOs can also have other environmental benefits, such as helping to reduce Food waste and improve air quality?
Effects Of Gmo Foods On Human Health
In honor of World Environment Day and Earth Day, we’ve included this video to celebrate all the ways GMOs are giving back to our people and our planet:
Gmos — Top Five Concerns For Family Farmers
Reduced inputs are one of the greatest environmental benefits of GMOs. A big advantage for the more than 18 million farmers worldwide who grow GMOs is the ability to successfully grow crops with fewer inputs, including reducing pesticide applications and the fuel needed to run tractors to till the soil. Over the past 25 years, GMOs have reduced pesticide applications by 7.2% and helped increase crop yields by 22%. GM crop technology has improved yields through better pest and weed control. As a result, farmers growing GM crops reduced the environmental impact associated with their crop protection practices by 17.3 percent.
Through targeted crop improvement through genetic engineering, farmers can produce more food for a growing world population while reducing the environmental impact of agriculture.
Another way GMOs help the environment is by allowing farmers to grow more crops on less land. Genetically modified traits such as insect and disease resistance and drought tolerance help maximize yield by minimizing crop losses due to pests, diseases and adverse weather conditions. Between 1996 and 2020, crop biotechnology was responsible for an additional 363.76 million tons of soybeans, 655.87 million tons of corn, 40.78 million tons of cotton fiber, and 117.63 million tons of canola without having to put more land into production . To produce the same amount of crops without GM technology, farmers would have to cultivate an additional 57.8 million acres of land, so in this case, the impact of genetically modified crops on the environment is extremely positive.
In addition, PG Economics notes that the fuel savings associated with fewer sprays (compared to conventional crops) and the shift to conservation tillage, reduced and no-till farming systems have led to lasting savings in carbon dioxide emissions.
Extreme Opponents Of Genetically Modified Foods Know The Least But Think They Know The Most
Crops made from genetically modified seeds are studied extensively around the world to ensure that the effects of GMOs on the environment are safe before they reach the market. GM plants are tested and researchers look for any differences between the GM plant and conventional plants to make sure that the GM variety grows as well as the non-GMO variety. They are also tested to ensure they exhibit desired properties such as insect resistance.
The health and safety of GMOs have been verified by many independent scientists and organizations around the world. Groups from the World Health Organization, the Royal Society of Medicine (UK), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the International Seed Federation (ISF), along with various governing bodies on every continent around the world, have all confirmed the safety of GMO crops. Since 1992, more than 40 government agencies have approved GMO food, feed and cultivation. In many countries, several agencies are involved in the regulation of GMOs.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts mandatory inspections of genetically modified plants that are resistant to pests and diseases to assess the environmental risks of GMOs and their impact on beneficial insects such as honeybees or ladybugs. EPA also reviews and establishes tolerance levels for herbicides associated with herbicide-tolerant crops.
Many have argued that some GMO crops harm pollinators, but there is currently no evidence that GMOs have caused the decline of bees or other pollinators. Extensive field experience with commercial GM crops resistant to herbicides or insects has shown no harmful effects. In fact, the reduced pesticide use associated with insect-resistant GM crops and the reduced tillage made possible by herbicide-resistant crops are thought to benefit bee populations and other pollinators. Read more about the effects of GMOs on pollinators.
Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe And Possibly Good For Climate Change
How GMOs and Sustainable Agricultural Practices Can Improve Air Quality Download pdf , 1.74 MB Download JPG , 1.51 MB
MYTH vs. FACT: The Impact of GMOs on Climate Change Download pdf , 1.15 MB Download JPG , 764.57 KBPolitics & PoliticsInternational AffairsImmigration & MigrationRace & EthnicityReligionAge & GenerationGender & LGBTQFamily & RelationshipsEconomics & TopicMediaInterethology & LaborTopic FM
Americans have mixed opinions about Genetically Modified Foods (GMOs) and their implications for society. About half of US adults (51%) think GMOs are worse for human health than non-GM foods, while 41% say GM foods have a neutral effect on health. Only 7% say they are better for health than other foods.
According to Pew Research Center surveys, the latest of which was conducted in October 2019, opinions about the health effects of such foods grew more negative between 2016 and 2018 and have been stable since then.
Do Gmos Harm Health?
As Americans ponder the effects of GMOs, about three-quarters (74%) say it is at least fairly likely that GM foods will increase the global food supply. And 62% say genetically modified foods are very or fairly likely to lead to more affordable food.
The Pew Research Center tracks the American public’s attitudes toward genetically modified foods as part of its ongoing survey of public opinion on scientific and technological developments. These findings are based on a survey of 3,627 US adults conducted October 1-13, 2019.
Everyone who participated is a member of the Pew Research Center’s US Trends Panel, an online survey panel that is obtained through a national random sample of residential addresses. Recruiting our panel members by phone or email ensures that nearly all US adults have a chance to choose. This gives us confidence that any sample can be representative of the entire population (see our Methods 101 explanation on random sampling). To further ensure that each survey reflects a balanced cross-section of the nation, the data is weighted to match the US adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisanship, education and other categories.
The margin of sampling error for the entire sample is plus or minus 2.1 percentage points. 1,811 US adults were asked to rate the health effects of genetically modified foods; the deviation for all respondents is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. Here are the questions used for this report, along with the answers and its methodology.
The Truth About Genetically Modified Food
Many of those who consider genetically modified foods to be worse for health than conventionally grown foods see both positive and negative impacts on society. A large majority of this group believe that genetically modified foods are at least fairly likely to lead to health problems for the population as a whole (88%) or create problems for the environment (77%). At the same time, half or more respondents say that such foods are at least somewhat likely to help increase the global food supply (64%) or lead to more affordable food (50%).
Those who believe that genetically modified foods are neither better nor worse for health than conventionally grown foods tend to expect positive benefits from GM foods for the global food supply (78% say an increase is very or fairly likely). But only about three-in-ten of this group believe that genetically modified foods could at least result in health problems for the population as a whole (27%) or problems for the environment (30%). The 7% of US adults who say GM foods are better for their health than other foods is too small a sample for a separate analysis.
Women are more likely than men to believe that GM foods are worse for health (58% vs. 42%). Similarly, women are more likely to think that GMOs can at least result in health problems for the population as a whole or create problems for the environment.
About three in ten US adults (29%) say they have heard a lot about foods with genetically modified ingredients, while 59% have heard a little and 12% say they have heard nothing about the food. People who are more familiar with genetically modified foods are more likely to be concerned about their health effects: 55% of those who know a lot and a similar proportion (51%) of those who know a little about GM foods believe that such foods are worse for health compared to 39% who say they know nothing about GM foods.
Challenging Evolution: How Gmos Can Influence Genetic Diversity
About half of US adults worry about the health effects of genetically modified foods, but many also see benefits
About the Pew Research Center The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan think tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polls, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. The Pew Research Center does not take political positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
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