By Ella Marrufo

Sports Editor

When people read the words “genetically modified organism” (GMO) plastered onto their carton of strawberries at the grocery store, the immediate connotation is that the fruit is unnatural, toxic, or unsafe. This is an instinctual, knee-jerk reaction by people who have clearly failed to research GMOs. 

Alan Levinovitz, a professor of Religion and Science at James Madison University, attributes this widespread fear to the belief that “it isn’t something that would ever happen in nature … With genetic engineering, there’s a feeling that we’re mucking about with the essential building blocks of reality.” In reality, genetically modifying the fruits and vegetables we eat is less about changing the natural state of the crop, and more about enhancing its inherent features; an example of this could be creating resistance to certain strains of bacteria. 

Another fear held against GMOs is that they are unsafe for human consumption, when in reality numerous accounts show there is no evidence to prove this claim. In an interview for Purdue University, the school’s professor of Botany and Plant Pathology, Dr. Peter Goldsbrough, supports this argument, noting, “The broadly held consensus by the vast, vast majority of scientists and medical professionals is that the GMOs … currently available on the market have no health problems that are any different from conventional foods.” 

The potential benefits of GMOs compared to other alternatives is vast. For instance, when farmers plant these genetically modified crops, they are able to spray far fewer pesticides and herbicides—two substances known to have devastating effects on human health. According to Californians for Pesticide Research and countless other research platforms, pesticides can have several negative effects on humans including cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm, and neurological toxicity. These chronic symptoms may not appear until weeks, months, or years after contact or consumption. Immediate reactions to pesticides may include, but are not limited to, stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, and nausea. 

GMO crops also allow farmers to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and support climate change mitigation. Because genetically modified crops require fewer pesticides, there is less need to till their soil to prevent weeds. GMO’s high crop yields also mitigate land use and soil erosion, as they reduce the need to bring new land into production. According to Cell Press—a publisher of some of the most reputable scientific journals—land-use increase is to blame for thirty percent of agricultural carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, growing GMO crops in the E.U. could lead to less transportation of crops overseas; Cell Press found that this could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 33 million tons per year. Clearly, genetically modified crops offer numerous benefits to humans as well as the planet, and should not be unjustly feared as they are currently. 

(Sources: Cell Press, Californians for Pesticide Reform, Food and Drug Administration, N.Y. Times, Purdue University, Scitable)